Surrogate FAQs

Surrogacy is an agreement in which a woman chooses to become pregnant through an embryo transfer and carry the resulting pregnancy for the intended parent(s). It is recommended that professionals guide both parties through the medical, legal and emotional processes.

Absolutely! In fact, surrogates and intended parents CHOOSE EACH OTHER. Generally, surrogates are presented with Intended Parent profiles and she can choose which parents she would like to chat with (can be more than one profile). From there, they would get to know each other through email, phone calls, video calls or even in-person meetings. Once the surrogate has had some time to get to know the IPs, they will agree on a match, and the journey will begin.

Requirements:

* Must be at least 21 years of age

* Must have had at least one natural born child of your own (some exceptions made)

* Have had generally uncomplicated pregnancies and births

* Must have no major prior reproductive complications

* Must have no known major health problems or be taking any medication that is unsafe for pregnancy

* Must be in good mental, physical, and emotional health

* Be a non-smoker, and no consumption of illegal substances

* Be financially stable

* Be willing to undergo subcutaneous and intramuscular injections (with some exceptions) and take medications to support a surrogate pregnancy

* Be willing to undergo medical and psychological screening (partner/spouse as well)

* We advise you to be done completing your family before becoming a surrogate due to the risks involved in pregnancy

A surrogate's reimbursement schedule can range from as low as 15,000 up to 50,000 and depends on her specific situation.

Embryos will be created in a fertility clinic lab using IVF or "in vitro fertilization" IVF makes it possible to gather eggs from the mother or an egg donor, fertilize them with sperm from the father or a sperm donor, and place the embryo into the uterus of a gestational surrogate. For the surrogate, this embryo transfer experience is similar to having a PAP test at the doctor’s office. In preparation for the embryo transfer, the surrogate will take a carefully timed series of medications to prepare her body to receive the embryo. In addition, she will be monitored throughout the process and the resulting pregnancy.

Yes, altruistic surrogacy is legal in Canada and is regulated under the federal Assisted Human Reproduction Act (“AHRA”). In Canada, surrogates are only permitted to have certain expenses reimbursed or paid for but not to be paid a salary or otherwise gifted items in lieu of a salary. The surrogate’s reimbursable expenses require documentation, such as receipts, and may require written confirmation from a medical professional that the expenses are necessary. This includes: the surrogate’s travel to medical appointments; the surrogate’s legal fees; counseling services; products or services recommended in writing by a doctor or midwife; and maternity clothes.

From the time a person begins the process to the moment the baby is born, it generally takes one to two years. There are several variables that will affect this: time spent waiting for a match with a surrogate, the amount of time it takes for the surrogate to become pregnant, and more.

Yes. There are times in the surrogacy journey that the surrogate would need to travel. Some of the medical screening can be done where the surrogate lives. Still, most times, a surrogate would be expected to travel to the IP’s fertility clinic to complete medical screening (this is generally a 1-2 day trip depending on how far a surrogate lives from the clinic). A surrogate would also be expected to travel for the embryo transfer. This can be anywhere from 1-3 days, depending on the clinic's protocol for transfer. If there is additional monitoring involved, that time could be increased.

No, a surrogate cannot keep the baby. There has never been a legal case in Canada where a surrogate has tried to keep the surrogate baby. A legal contract is drawn up prior to the surrogacy journey, where all parties express a clear interest in their intentions for the surrogacy journey. Once a baby is born, a fertility law lawyer will ensure that the birth is properly registered and that the intended parents are named as the child’s parents in accordance with the law in the jurisdiction where the child is born.

In a gestational carrier agreement, there is no genetic link to the baby, so the baby is not hers. Surrogates are not interested in keeping the babies they carry; they do this for the IPs and want to see them become parents. Surrogates are also currently required to have had their own children already. They commonly say that their surrogate pregnancies didn’t emotionally feel like their pregnancies with their own children and that it was a happy moment to hand the baby back to their family. It’s common to hear a surrogate mother say they are a 9-month babysitter!

In a traditional surrogacy, the surrogate could possibly have some parentage rights should she choose to fight for those rights in court. This is also very rare.

For gestational surrogacy, the answer is no. There is no genetic tie between the surrogate and the baby she is carrying. The genetic mother would be the woman whose egg helped to create the baby. In Canada, it is not necessary to have a genetic mother listed on the birth certificate.

In cases of gestational surrogacy, the baby will have the genetic makeup of its intended parents. The cells that seep through the placenta from the gestational carrier will not affect that in any way. However, the surrogate mother still affects the baby in other ways. Of course, the nutrition and overall health of the surrogate mother influence the baby. A surrogate pregnancy is fundamentally no different than any other pregnancy.

Potentially, you might experience symptoms close to those you would experience during your monthly cycle. Your hormones will change, and mood fluctuations are normal, as they are during any pregnancy. It is important to take care of your emotional and mental health as a surrogate, ensuring a good support system is in place before beginning this process.

Yes, a surrogate can legally get an abortion. Abortion is outlined in the surrogacy contract and will be considered before any action is taken.

There are never any guarantees in surrogacy. We try our best to ensure everything within our control is done to help support a surrogate pregnancy, but there are no guarantees.

Gestational surrogacy (no genetic relation) is the most common type of surrogacy in Canada.

Legal contracts are in place before a journey begins to ensure that everyone is in agreement with regards to everything that the journey could possibly entail. It is rare that a contract is taken to court, but technically, yes, a surrogacy contract is enforceable to a certain degree.

Surrogates give birth in many ways: in hospitals, birthing centers or even at home. This is something that the IP’s and Surrogate agree on prior to the pregnancy - which can change during the pregnancy depending on many factors. For the most part, IPs are usually in the room when their surrogate gives birth, but this is also discussed. IPs will sometimes be invited to help catch the baby, cut the baby’s cord and/or do skin-to-skin with the baby after birth if possible. A surrogate birth can be a special experience for all.

Surrogates are counseled very well in the beginning and do not change their minds about helping the couple they are matched with. Of course, life circumstances can change, and she could change her mind about pursuing surrogacy - but not once actually pregnant with her IPs baby.