Your Guide to Surrogacy During COVID

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Discover what you need to know about surrogacy during COVID

In a normal year, embarking on your surrogacy journey as an intended parent or a surrogate can be emotional. However, trying to pursue surrogacy during COVID times can seem downright overwhelming. With so much going on in the world, you’re likely asking yourself whether it’s the right time to create a family through surrogacy.

Thankfully, you don’t have to explore surrogacy on your own. The Center for Surrogate Parenting is the oldest surrogacy agency in the world, and we have continued to work with surrogates and intended parents throughout the COVID crisis. Our team is here to help individuals and couples realize their dream of creating a family, while also assisting the amazing surrogates who make it all possible.

To help you learn what to expect from surrogacy in the era of COVID-19, our team has put together a handy guide for intended parents and surrogates. Read on to learn more.

How have surrogacy agencies and fertility clinics responded to COVID?

In response to the pandemic, fertility clinics and surrogacy agencies have adopted additional safety protocols to protect the health of all parties. This was motivated in part by the July 2020 recommendations from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). The desire to keep intended parents, surrogates and staff healthy and safe also inspired these changes.

Below are some COVID-related changes you may notice at fertility clinics and surrogacy agencies.

  • Utilizing telemedicine visits when possible.
  • Using enhanced cleaning procedures.
  • Requiring everyone to wear a face mask.
  • Having surrogates and intended parents complete a COVID questionnaire.
  • Asking surrogates and intended parents to wait in their cars before appointments.
  • Limiting the number of people who can accompany the surrogate to appointments.

Some clinics are also asking surrogates to get tested for COVID-19 before undergoing an embryo transfer. If the test is positive, the surrogate can move forward with the cycle once she has a negative test.

What do you need to consider when pursuing surrogacy during COVID?

You may be asking yourself whether it’s the right time to pursue surrogacy. This is a personal decision that only you and your partner can make. However, know that the Center for Surrogate Parenting has been successfully supporting both surrogates and intended parents with surrogacy during COVID.

To find out whether you should move forward, please ask yourself the following questions.

  • If you’re an intended parent, do you feel emotionally ready to pursue surrogacy? Additionally, do you feel financially ready to start or grow your family?
  • If you’re a surrogate, do you and your family feel ready and confident about pursuing surrogacy?

These questions aren’t the only considerations for intended parents and surrogates. If you’re an international intended parent who is pursuing U.S. surrogacy, you need to think about the impact of potential travel restrictions.

Attorneys have been able to work with immigration officials to allow many intended parents to get into the United States despite travel bans. However, the immigration officials determine this on a case by case basis, so we recommend talking with an immigration lawyer and/or a reproductive rights attorney before moving forward with U.S. surrogacy.

Will COVID affect my ability to be present for my baby’s delivery?

As a measure to protect against COVID, some hospitals have limited the number of people who can be in the delivery room. In some cases, the staff at certain hospitals have denied entry to the baby’s genetic parents while their surrogate gave birth.

We recommend that you research the hospital where your surrogate will give birth. This can help you learn more about the hospital’s current protocols. Also, keep in mind that these protocols could change between the embryo transfer and the delivery, so you need to consider the possible birth scenarios now.

The Center for Surrogate Parenting will work with you and your surrogate to create a comprehensive and flexible plan for the big day. Our goal is to provide peace of mind and help reduce your stress during this time of uncertainty.

Reach out to learn how we’re helping with surrogacy during COVID

If you want to learn more about pursuing surrogacy during the coronavirus pandemic, we invite you to contact us. The Center for Surrogate Parenting is here to answer all your questions about gestational surrogacy and how we’re safely creating families in the face of COVID.