Frequently Asked Questions
Our Fixed Package covers reviewing the surrogate’s current insurance policy and searching for a new surrogacy-friendly policy if needed. However, the costs for medical and maternity insurance premiums, co-pays, and deductibles are not included in the Fixed-Cost Surrogacy Program Fee.
Yes. Our Fixed Package covers the legal expenses for both surrogate and intended parent.
No. Fertility center expenses (e.g., screening, embryo creation, embryo transfers, medications, etc.) are not included in our Fixed Surrogacy Program Fee. Please check with your fertility center for their costs.
Prosper Healthcare Lending is the premier financing company in the fertility and surrogacy industries
With more than 250,000 people empowered by over $3 billion in funded loans, this is a name and financing program you can trust.
Some of the benefits of using Prosper Healthcare Lending for financing your fertility or surrogacy include:
- Financing ANY fertility or surrogacy-related expenses, including medication and travel
- Loan amounts go up to $100,000 and terms out to 84 months
- Instant decision without affecting your credit on loans under $35,000*
- Convenient- you can apply through your provider’s website in less than 2 minutes
Apply through the provider link above, or find us at www.patientfinancing.com
Family Source Consultants – Provider #006834
*Only for loan inquiries submitted through the Standard Credit Program.
We accept agency fee payments via major cards (American Express, Visa, Master Card, and Discover), personal/bank check, or wire.
If you currently have a non-hormonal IUD, like Paragard, you do not need to have it removed in order to become an egg donor.
If you currently have a hormonal IUD, like Mirena, it will need to be removed before proceeding with the egg donation process.
Family Source Consultants provide a non-biased liaison service for Intended Parents and Surrogates/Egg Donors.
Our goal is to encourage communication throughout the process and ensure a positive and healthy relationship between all parties involved. In order to make certain the journey is gratifying for all parties involved, we will oversee each step of the process in a supportive and proficient manner.
A first time Egg Donor with TeamFSC can expect to receive a minimum compensation of $10,000. An experienced Egg Donor may receive additional. In addition, all expenses (travel, attorney, medical costs) incurred by the Egg Donor during the process will be covered by the recipient parents.
100% Chinese and Taiwanese Donors receive $12,000 as a first-time Donor.
Family Source Consultants complies with SART guidelines which state that Donors will not be paid compensation over $10,000 under any circumstance.
There is no biological reason that donating eggs would cause infertility. Women are born with about 2 million eggs. Each month, a group of eggs begins to mature, but only one egg is released during ovulation. The rest are absorbed by the body. Fertility medications hasten the maturity rate of these excess eggs so that they can be retrieved, instead of being reabsorbed by the body.
Once chosen as an egg donor, a cycle takes approximately four weeks. During a two-week period, you’ll visit the clinic approximately seven times for ultrasound monitoring and blood tests. These morning appointments generally take less than 30 minutes each. An egg retrieval procedure typically takes about 20 to 30 minutes. It is performed under sedation so you will be comfortable and asleep during the procedure. After the retrieval, you will spend some time in recovery before being discharged, usually within a couple of hours.
Absolutely! Many single mothers make wonderful Surrogates. However, you will need to have a reliable, trusted group of family members and friends who can assist you throughout the surrogacy process. This support system is essential to help you manage your family responsibilities while also ensuring you can fully commit to the requirements of being a surrogate. From attending medical appointments to providing emotional support, having a dependable network will make the experience smoother and more manageable.
Donor eggs are used by diverse individuals and couples needing assistance conceiving. Some common situations where donor eggs are required include:
- Older Women with Age-Related Fertility Decline: As women age, their fertility naturally decreases, making it more challenging to conceive using their eggs.
- Younger Women with Early Ovarian Failure or Insufficiency: Some women experience premature ovarian failure or insufficiency, which affects their ability to produce viable eggs.
- Same-Sex Male Couples or Single Males: Donor eggs are essential for same-sex male couples or single men who wish to have biological children.
- Certain Rare Genetic Conditions: Sometimes, donor eggs are necessary to avoid passing rare genetic conditions to offspring.
These individuals and couples turn to egg donation to fulfill their dreams of building a family.
Many overweight women think they may be too large to become a surrogate. This is often not the case! Most fertility clinics do require a body mass index of 33 or lower. If you are interested in our Surrogacy program, please contact us, even if you are unsure if you meet this requirement.
If your height and weight fall within the parameters on the chart below, your BMI is under 33.
Gestational Surrogates are required to be in a financially stable living situation. This is essential to ensure that the surrogate can fully focus on the pregnancy without financial stress. There are strict regulations regarding the reporting of income while receiving government assistance, and any compensation you receive as a surrogate could affect your eligibility for these benefits. As a result, we cannot accept applicants who are enrolled in certain government programs, including:
- Cash assistance
- Welfare
- Public housing
- Section 8 housing
These guidelines protect both the surrogate and the intended parents. Ensuring financial stability helps create a secure and supportive environment for the surrogate throughout the surrogacy journey.
All candidates for our Surrogacy program must meet the following requirements:
- Residency: Be a resident of the United States.
- Age: Be between the ages of 21-43.
- Health: Be healthy overall.
- BMI: Be height-weight proportionate with a BMI of over 19 and under 33.
- Parenting Experience: Have at least one child and raise (or have raised) that child.
- Pregnancy Experience: Have experienced a healthy, full-term pregnancy and delivery.
- Living Situation: Be in a stable living situation.
- Support System: Have a personal support network.
- Legal History: Never have been convicted of a felony.
- Medication Compliance: Be willing to take medications as prescribed by the fertility center, often involving injections.
- Lifestyle: Do not smoke or take illegal drugs.
- Alcohol: Be willing to refrain from alcohol throughout the pregnancy.
- Mental Health: Not have any psychiatric illness.
- Transportation: Have reliable transportation.
https://www.familysourceconsultants.com/surrogates/what-are-the-requirements-to-become-a-surrogate/
Absolutely! Making a great match is the highest priority at Family Source. Our team will provide profiles of Intended Parents (IPs) who match your requirements for you to review. Once you find a potential match, you’ll have the opportunity to ‘meet’ the Intended Parents to determine if you’d like to continue your journey together. This ensures that both parties are comfortable and aligned with each other’s expectations and goals before moving forward.
An attorney specializing in third-party reproduction will be provided to you. This attorney will meticulously review the Direct Agreement to ensure that all necessary verbiage is included to safeguard your rights and interests. The attorney’s expertise ensures that the legal aspects of your surrogacy journey are thoroughly addressed.
This Direct Agreement, which outlines the responsibilities and expectations of all parties involved, must be signed before you begin any injectable medication in preparation for the embryo transfer. This step is crucial as it provides a clear framework for the surrogacy process, ensuring transparency and mutual understanding.
The signing of this agreement marks a significant milestone in the surrogacy journey, as it confirms that all parties are fully informed and comfortable with the terms of the agreement. This comprehensive approach helps to build a strong foundation of trust and cooperation, facilitating a smooth and successful surrogacy experience for everyone involved.
No. In cases where you do not have an existing health insurance policy, the Intended Parents will need to secure an appropriate policy to cover the medical expenses related to the surrogacy. Ensuring that you have adequate health insurance is essential to the surrogacy process and that you receive the necessary care throughout your journey. This process helps to protect both you and the Intended Parents, ensuring a smooth and well-managed surrogacy experience.
If you have a health insurance policy, a thorough review will be conducted to determine if there is a “surrogacy exclusion” in your coverage. If no exclusion is found, your insurance will be utilized for your obstetrical medical care once you are released from the fertility center and begin seeing your obstetrician. The Intended Parents are responsible for all co-pays and deductibles associated with your insurance.
FSC does not withhold taxes or issue 1099 forms for compensation received as a Surrogate or Egg Donor.
Family Source Consultants recommends that Surrogates and Egg Donors consult with their accountants regarding any tax-related questions.
Family Source Consultants ensures that all Surrogates who choose to work with us receive an optimal compensation package. While there is a great deal of altruism involved in becoming a surrogate, there is also an expectation of compensation in return for the sacrifices that you will make as a Surrogate. Rest assured that you will be fully compensated for your time, effort, and commitment to your Intended Parents’ mission, and for any inconveniences that you and/or your family members may experience as a result of your pregnancy as a Gestational Surrogate.
We pride ourselves in offering generous compensation packages to our surrogates with an initial base compensation of $50,000+.
Whether you are an Egg Donor or Recipient Parents, we know that determining the type of egg donation with which you are comfortable is an important and personal decision. Our staff has first-hand knowledge of the pros and cons surrounding the different types of egg donation relationships, and we are happy to discuss our own personal experiences with you.
Closed Donation – The Recipient Parent/s will typically choose an Egg Donor who has similar physical and personal characteristics or perhaps particular traits that are appealing for various reasons. The Donor’s identity will be kept confidential; any information identifying her will not be given to the Recipient/s. The Recipient/s will, however, be able to view all pertinent information including medical and genetic history, physical description, photographs of the potential Donor, and photographs of her child/ren if she’s willing to share them. In an anonymous donation, the Recipient(s) will have important information about you, but you will never meet or know each other’s names. Many Recipient Parents and Egg Donors choose the anonymous route because they are most comfortable with this type of arrangement for many valid reasons.
Semi-Open Donation – This is an alternative that offers somewhat of a middle-ground solution in choosing anonymous vs. open egg donation. Oftentimes, Recipient Parents do not feel comfortable with anonymous donation because they would prefer to have the option of contacting the woman who shared her genetics with their child/ren. Additionally, many Recipient Parents would not feel comfortable with a totally open donation. With a semi-open relationship, the Recipient Parent/s have been given the Donor’s profile information, but do not necessarily know her last name, address and other detailed information. Similarly, the Egg Donor will be given basic information about the Recipient Parents, but will not necessarily know more specific information as she would in an open donation situation. The Recipient/s and the Egg Donor may decide to chat via telephone or e-mail, for example, but there will not necessarily be a commitment to stay in touch after the egg donation has occurred. The benefit to semi-known vs. anonymous, however, is that enough general information is exchanged so that the Recipient Parent/s know their Egg Donor (and vice versa) on a basic level, and can contact her if they have any questions and such. With a semi-open donation, the Egg Donor will most likely be informed about the results of the egg retrieval and whether or not a pregnancy occurs.
Open Donation – In an open donation arrangement, all parties have agreed to completely disclose information about each other, including last names, addresses, occupations, etc. The Recipient Parents and the Egg Donor, in this case, will sometimes decide to meet in person before the egg retrieval takes place, and if not possible due to logistics (location or scheduling conflicts) there will at least be conversations via email and/or telephone. In this type of arrangement, everyone is mutually interested in maintaining contact—potentially throughout the life of the child/ren born via the donation. An open donation may also occur because the Recipient Parents have a friend, a sister, or another relative who has offered to help them. Regardless of whether the Egg Donor is known previously, or whether she is someone the Recipient Parents have been matched with via Family Source, it is most important that all parties have discussed their long-term expectations of the relationship. For example, the Donor and Recipient Parent/s should discuss who they plan to tell and when. Additionally, and even more importantly, everyone must be on the same page in regards to what the Donor’s future relationship will be with the child/ren. There are certainly many issues to consider when going the open donation route, but open (or open/known) egg donation can be a wonderfully positive experience for the Recipient Parent/s, the Egg Donor, and any future children that may result.
Family Source Consultants accepts surrogates who reside in the United States into our program. Currently, no nationwide law governs surrogacy in the United States; each state has its specific surrogacy laws. Even if Intended Parents reside in a state or country where surrogacy or “paid surrogacy” is considered illegal or the laws are undefined, they can still pursue surrogacy to build their family. Intended Parents will be matched with a Surrogate who resides and will deliver in a “surrogacy-friendly” state.
Surrogacy laws in the United States and around the world are continually evolving. To ensure compliance and legal security, Family Source Consultants is pleased to recommend Intended Parents to a reputable collaborative reproduction attorney who can provide professional legal counsel. While Family Source Consultants can assist in determining the surrogacy laws applicable in your particular state, we are not qualified to offer legal advice. Therefore, when working with our agency, you will be referred to a reputable collaborative reproduction attorney who can provide you with the necessary professional legal counsel. This ensures that all parties are fully informed and protected throughout surrogacy.
If you are matched with a Surrogate or Egg Donor and she decides not to proceed before the egg retrieval or transfer has taken place—an unlikely scenario given our rigorous pre-screening process—or if she is found to be disqualified during medical or psychological screening, we will promptly match you with another qualified Surrogate or Egg Donor.
Our pre-screening process is designed to identify and address potential issues early, ensuring that the candidates we present are well-suited for the journey ahead. However, should any unforeseen circumstances arise, we prioritize providing seamless support and promptly finding an alternative match. This ensures that your family-building process continues with minimal disruption and that you receive the best care and attention throughout your journey.
The level of contact between Intended Parents and their Surrogate is a personal decision. Some Intended Parents prefer frequent updates via email or phone and wish to attend many doctor appointments, seeking to be highly involved in the pregnancy. Surrogates may also appreciate a close relationship; many develop lifelong friendships with their Intended Parents.
Conversely, some Intended Parents and Surrogates prefer minimal contact, treating the arrangement more as a business relationship. This might involve occasional updates and phone calls, with limited in-person interactions until the delivery.
Family Source believes the most important aspect is to establish and agree on the desired level of communication and involvement during the matching process and ensure both parties strive to meet these expectations throughout the journey
Family Source Consultants generally recommends transferring a single embryo. However, if Intended Parents choose to transfer two embryos and their reproductive endocrinologist approves, we ensure that the surrogates presented for matching are comfortable with this decision.
Family Source is pleased to recommend reputable fertility centers for your consideration.
Absolutely. We do not discriminate against any person based on marital status.
We at Family Source are not medical professionals; however, we are familiar with most of the typically used medications for IVF protocols. In addition to reading through the general protocol in our sections on this website addressing the Surrogate process and the Egg Donor process please review this list of the most commonly used medications for IVF protocols.
It is important to note, women respond differently to these medications: In most cases, very few side effects, if any, are experienced, but it is possible that more adverse reactions may occur among some patients. Some potential side effects are: mild bruising and/or soreness from shots, headaches, mood swings, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, functional cysts (approx. 15% of IVF patients will develop), and in extreme cases, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, a condition which, fortunately, is pretty rare. It is most important to work with a reputable infertility clinic that 1) has a good track record of avoiding ovarian hyperstimulation among its patients and 2) has the expertise needed to treat the syndrome if it should occur. Your reproductive endocrinologist will answer any additional questions you have in regards medications and their possible side effects.
A Gestational Surrogate has no genetic link to the child/ren she is carrying. A Gestational Surrogate becomes pregnant through the IVF procedure, in which the eggs of the Intended Mother (or Egg Donor) and the sperm of the Intended Father (or a Sperm Donor) are combined to create embryos, which are then implanted into the womb of the Surrogate.
Yes.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has established guidelines regarding the maximum number of egg donation cycles an egg donor can undergo in their lifetime. According to their recommendations, egg donors should participate in no more than six egg donation cycles throughout their lifetime.
Women typically become Egg Donors due to a genuine desire to help infertile couples or individuals conceive. Many are inspired by empathy for friends, co-workers, or relatives who have faced infertility or pregnancy loss. Motivated by a strong sense of compassion, others are driven to assist once they learn about egg donation.
Prospective Egg Donors should be healthy, responsible, committed, and familiar with their family’s health history. While physical appearance can influence selection, Recipient Parents often prioritize personality traits, hobbies, interests, and intellect. Compensation is an added incentive, but Family Source believes it should not be the primary motivator.
In summary, egg donation offers personal gratification and financial compensation for women who do not view their eggs as offspring, are healthy with attractive mental or physical traits, are willing to follow an intense medication protocol, and have support from a spouse, partner, friend, or family member.
https://www.familysourceconsultants.com/egg-donors/#edrequirements
There are many reasons why women consider becoming Surrogates. The primary motivation cited by Surrogates is a deep sympathy for those unable to have children on their own. Often, women are inspired by compassion for friends, co-workers, or relatives who have experienced infertility or pregnancy loss. Some Surrogates feel empathy for gay or lesbian friends and family members who face additional challenges in building their families, including prejudices from certain adoption agencies. Even after those close to them become parents, the desire to help others in similar situations often remains strong.
Surrogates typically have a history of uncomplicated and enjoyable pregnancies. They value the gift of parenthood and usually have healthy, supportive relationships with their spouse or partner (if applicable). Many Surrogates have a general desire to help others and view surrogacy as an opportunity to make a meaningful impact. While Surrogates receive compensation, Family Source believes that financial incentive should not be the primary motivator.
In summary, personal gratification and financial compensation are significant benefits of surrogacy for women who enjoy being pregnant, are prepared for the physical and mental aspects of pregnancy and childbirth, are confident they will not form a maternal attachment to the child, are willing to follow an intensive medication protocol (including injections), and have a stable and supportive home environment.
https://www.familysourceconsultants.com/surrogates/what-are-the-requirements-to-become-a-surrogate/