While surrogacy is an option for all prospective parents (whether heterosexual or homosexual couples, or single people hoping to become parents), it’s commonly used as a way for gay men to have a biologically related child. 

A Gay Parenting Surrogacy journey involves in vitro fertilization. This means that the embryo is created outside the womb with IVF technology and then transferred to the surrogate’s uterus. 

For gay couples, surrogacy provides the ideal opportunity to not only have a child but also to have a child that shares their genetics. Advances in assisted reproductive technologies have made the surrogacy process easier than ever, and updated surrogacy laws across the U.S. protect all parties of a surrogacy agreement.

Although surrogacy for heterosexual Intended Parents and same-sex Intended Parents is largely similar, there are a few factors that separate gay surrogacy from surrogacy for straight singles and couples.

It's important to understand your rights as parents, and what the surrogacy laws are in your state or country, and in the state in which your surrogate mother resides. 

Common Legal Procedures For Gay Parents

• Pre-Birth Order (PBO): A court proceeding that establishes parental rights prior to the birth of the child. PBOs are only available in certain states. In other states, it may be possible to obtain a post-birth order.
• Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity: Allows a birth mother to designate a father, sometimes without the need for a court proceeding.
• Custody Order: Grants custody of a child to the Intended Parent(s).
• Second-Parent Adoption: Permanently establishes the non-biological parent’s rights to the child. It’s advisable to obtain a second-parent adoption. Even when it is possible to obtain a pre-birth order or a post-birth order, parents should know that not all states recognize parentage conferred in this way. By contrast, adoptions are recognized nationwide.
• Wills and Estate Planning: Ensures that guardianship of the child is provided for in the event of the death of one or both parents. When a gay couple lives in a state or country where same-sex marriage isn’t legal, it becomes even more important to establish these documents.

Gay Parents who embark on a surrogacy journey will work with many people along the way who will support them. Those involved in a surrogacy journey include:

• Surrogate Agency Professionals
• Gestational Carrier (and her family)
• Egg Donor (through an Surrogate/Egg Donor Agency)
• IVF Clinic Professionals
• Attorneys
• Gestational carrier's OBGYN
• Hospital staff where the carrier will deliver

The average cost of gestational surrogacy starts at $120,000 and is impacted by five main factors: surrogate compensation and expenses, agency and legal fees, health insurance, and medical costs for prenatal care and delivery and number of attempts to achieve pregnancy.

When using an egg donor, the surrogacy cost increases by $15,000-$20,000 depending on the cost of the egg donor and the egg donor agency fee.

• Egg donor Compensation & Expenses:  $10,000-$13,000 
• Egg Donor Agency Fee: $6,500 on average

Please see SurrogateFirst’s list of Services for more details. Apply for a Free Consultation today. 

SurrogateFirst is a proud sponsor of the Men Having Babies’ (MHB) GPAP Program which offers partial scholarships to Intended Fathers who qualify.  SurrogateFirst offers 15% Off of our agency fee.

SurrogateFirst works with many surrogates who specifically want to help gay couples become parents. SurrogateFirst makes sure to match you with a surrogate who is supportive of the Gay Community.

SurrogateFirst is proud to provide you with a network of fertility clinics who specialize in same-sex surrogacy. You can trust that a knowledgeable, same-sex fertility specialist will handle the medical components of this exciting process, and that he or she will be as committed to your success as you are. 

SurrogateFirst referrs you to attorneys who are experts in navigating the legal field for same-sex surrogate journeys. Based on your situation, the genetic donors used, and the laws of your state, your attorney will take the best legal course of action to ensure that both you and your partner are the legal parents of your child.

SurrogateFirst partners with Egg Donor Agencies to ensure you find a great egg donor. 

• Because gay couples and individuals will require an egg donor, we are happy to help you find just the right donor through our partner egg donor agencies. 
• Several packages are available to make using donor eggs more affordable and effective, and we can help you choose the right one for your family-building goals. 
• We are happy to work with you if you already have a donor in mind or are working with another donor egg agency. Once you have chosen your donor and her IVF cycle is complete, a fertility specialist will transfer the healthiest embryo to your surrogate’s uterus.

SurrogateFirst team is dedicated to serving you who is accessible 24/7 to guide you through every step of your journey. 

SurrogateFirst  is driven by our Core Values: we WOW, we provide Guidance with Compassion & Expertise, and we provide Personal Attention & Accessibility.