Gestational Carrier Agencies

[Anonymous]

Anyone have experience with these agencies? or have any good agencies that you can recommend? Hubby and I are starting my journey this month would appreciate all the help we can get.

1) Center for Surrogate Parenting
2) Family Forward Surrogacy
3) The Surrogacy Group LLC
4) ConceiveAbilities
5) Creative Family Connections
6) Art Parenting by Meryl Rosenberg

Thanks,

L

[Anonymous]

Good luck with your journey.

There are lots of threads on this if you search past entries on the forum.

We used Center for Surrogate Parenting (CSP) - pros: they have relatively more experience than most agencies & have dealt with a wider range of things that might come up; they often a waiting list of GC's/surrogates or find them often faster than single-lawyer/shop agencies (they tend to have GC's apply to them b/c they tend to pay the highest going rate) - most of the agencies are starting at the point of putting ads out to search for GCs for you; they have you work with a counselor who serves almost as a manager/coach with your GC - so if any difficult issues come up, you have a mediator & someone both sides can vent to. they manage all the fees etc for most things via a reserve fund you set up & do it reliably; cons: they are more expensive (you pay for the higher fee for GC, counselor, etc.); even tho it is an "agnecy" and they have more relative experience to many others, it doesn't mean they know how to deal with every situation since the number of overall surrogacy birth is still very small.

I number of people I know have worked with Meryl Rosenberg & liked her too. I don't have first hand experience with her. In retrospect, I would probably use her but at the time I was so overwhelmed I thought the agency would be easier - since it would probably have been about $20K less expensive overall.

The agency/lawyer is only one aspect of things - but they guide you through everything else you do -- fertility clinic, health insurance, & you also end up needing a lawyer also for a pretty nominal amount in whatever state your GC gives birth in if it's not the same state for finalization of parental rights.

Oddly the contract is often the easiest part, since it's pretty standard.

You still also have to engage with a fertility clinic directly - all the ones in the area have a relationship at least with Shady Grove. I'd recommend seeing Dr. Mottla who is based in their Annapolis office, but you only go out there once or twice & most is by phone anyway & I think had the best understanding & manner related to GC issues - or Dr. Widra in the DC office.

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

PP, I am not the OP but this is very helpful information.

[Anonymous]

We didn't end up going this route, but I looked into and really liked Creative Family Connections. They had a lot of experience with GC and answered all of my questions while we were trying to make a decision - without charging me anything.