FAQs: The Surrogacy Journey in the Time of Covid-19

We are living in a new world, one where every day brings new challenges as we all grapple with the global pandemic of COVID-19. And yet, the desire to build a family is as strong and enduring as ever.

That's why we at ConceiveAbilities want to give you straight talk on some of your most commonly asked questions about your surrogacy journey at this most extraordinary time. We are determined to bring all of our multi-disciplinary skills to bear on helping others build families, especially now. Because, after all, family is everything.

Is ConceiveAbilities still accepting surrogates and intended parents during the outbreak?

Absolutely. Done well, these early steps of your journey take time, research and preparation, and can all be completed virtually from the comfort of your own home. As described in our process timeline, we pace these steps based on your needs - emotionally, physically, and financially. We are with you at each step.

If, at any time and for any reason, you would like your process to be placed “on hold,” perhaps in consultation with your healthcare provider, we can make that so. And, if you would like to resume your journey, we can promptly do so and you’ll have your reserved place “in line,” so to speak.

There are, of course, many disruptions to normal travel and clinic schedules. If those disruptions wind up impacting your journey, we feel that you will be in a strong position to continue your journey sooner if you start your onboarding process today.

Should I meet with ConceiveAbilities now, or wait until after the outbreak subsides?

We welcome having a conversation now to map out what your personal journey will look like. We believe, very strongly, that the more time you have to research and get to know us, and us you, the better. Because we have almost 25 years of experience with a tremendously loyal client following, we have a wide range of surrogates and intended parents to whom we can make introductions. There’s nothing better than speaking with someone who has been through the entire journey where you can learn from their stories and insights.

And, as has been our practice for many years, we conduct all these activities virtually. While we love any chance to meet with you in person, we are highly practiced in leveraging the power of modern day technology to manage the surrogacy journey.

You’ll find that our process is quite a thorough one. The more time you have to see us in action, the more you’ll find that the details and specificity of our approach makes all the difference to ensuring you have a successful journey.

We value and respect the healthcare providers that you work with. And, we support your decisions as you make the safest and most responsible decisions about the timing of embryo transfers, and other medical procedures, to safeguard the health of surrogate mothers and babies. We offer no views of our own with regard to the prevailing guidelines and medical insights about the relationship between healthy pregnancies and COVID-19. We know your healthcare provider is the best source for that information. If your journey pauses for a period of time, so be it; we’re there with you and will expeditiously pick things back up as circumstances safely allow.

Will COVID-19, and what is happening economically, have an impact on ConceiveAbilities?

Yes, as is true for every business in the world. And we are ready.

For ConceiveAbilities, we have consolidated our cases to a team approach, with the number of expert people we need to bring our full focus to the families we serve. We have streamlined our resources because we know this is how we ensure we have staying power through this time, for you and all of our clients.

During these times, we’d encourage you - now more than ever - to work with ConceiveAbilities. We’ve successfully weathered the industry’s ups and downs over these last many years and have a strong reputation, a rock-solid foundation, devoted employees and a robust process. Those who know, know to work with our agency.

Is becoming a surrogate a good way to earn extra income during and after this outbreak?

Yes, it certainly can be. Establishing a safety net for your family, having money for a down payment on a home, or paying off student debt are all frequent benefits that our surrogates value from their compensation with ConceiveAbilities. And that’s only one of several motivators for our surrogates, who work from a common foundation of confidently empowering others to build a family who otherwise could not.

That said, the surrogacy calling is not for everyone. Those that are accepted as surrogates at ConceiveAbilities succeed through a careful approval process. The intended parents you meet are just as carefully screened. With a 97% success rate after the first meeting, you can be confident that we know how to make matches that make sense.

Do intended parents have certainty about what they will spend to build a family with ConceiveAbilities during this economic shift?

Yes. With all that we’ve mentioned above, we know your financial investment in building your family is important to secure. With our generous All-In approach to capping your expenses, you know up front how much your family building journey will cost when you work with ConceiveAbilities. No surprises. As one clear example of this pledge at work, we will rematch you at no additional cost should your surrogate not pass medical clearance.

Can ConceiveAbilities help Intended Parents to navigate clinic and other delays?

Yes. With almost 25 years of experience, delays - while frustrating - are nothing new. We are already hard at it to tackle today's challenges and see your journey to a successful conclusion. For instance, we are working closely with clinics to ensure they can review surrogate medical records and order preliminary tests as needed, prior to the scheduling of any medical workup. Additionally, we work with you on preliminary drafts of your Gestational Carrier Agreement, allowing you to build your understanding of the relationship and its terms ahead of schedule. Because we know how frustrating delays can be for all concerned, we use our expertise to find productive, smart actions that anticipate and address clinic as well as any other delays.

Finally, should you need to hit pause due to any uncertainty, we commit to working with you when the time is right, and never with any additional fees from ConceiveAbilities.

We are all finding our way through these extraordinary times, with as strong a commitment as ever to building families. Our process supports you at every stage of the journey. Contact us today, and let’s make your match.