Every parent deserves to have a child of their own. However, things don’t go according to plan every time. Some couples can have complications having a baby, and if they don’t want to go for adoption, surrogacy is an excellent option for them. Surrogacy is a process where a person agrees to carry and give birth to another person’s baby.
There is no need for intercourse for such a procedure. Surrogacy requires one of two methods — In Vitro fertilization (IVF) or artificial insemination (AI) — to get the results. In simple words, sperm cells are inserted into an egg in a laboratory dish. Then comes the tricky part: transferring the embryo to the woman looking to carry the baby.
The second process requires a mother to raise and give birth to her genetic child. The rest of the process is the same, except the woman must give up the child custody after the delivery to the parents.
Since the surrogacy process is challenging, many agencies have taken part in it to ensure safe results. After all, it demands expertise and patience, plus finding a person willing to spend nine months carrying a baby is not easy. So, if you plan to choose a surrogacy agency, we share the best surrogacy agencies below.
These companies offer a safe surrogacy journey for the person carrying the baby and provide surety to both intended parents. What’s more, these surrogacy agencies work in both traditional surrogate and gestational surrogacy.
Best Surrogacy Agencies
We found the best surrogacy agencies to keep things safe and avoid unnecessary complications during and after the surrogacy. They allow the parents to choose the egg donors and the process. If they already have eggs in the lab, they’ll let you know their health and who donated them. You have all the time to choose, but once they insert the sperm, you’ll have no choice but to pay for the process. So, here are the agencies we chose.
1. Hatch Egg Donation and Surrogacy
Founded more than three decades ago with a success rate of 99.5% and over 8,000 completed journeys, Hatch Egg is the best surrogate agency on our list.
This agency is not only about finding an egg donor or a surrogate but also gives you the option to become one. If you have what it takes to carry someone else’s child in your womb, this agency is the best place to start.
Hatch Egg has a fixed fee to cover all medical and agency expenses, unlike many other agencies. Their representative will disclose all the costs and methods of payment and when you must pay them. Their staff members are super friendly and warmly welcoming to anyone visiting them. Hatch Egg operates in over 52 countries worldwide, giving anyone a chance to become a surrogate or a donor.
Features
For those looking to become a parent, Hatch Egg has the easiest process. Visit their websites and fill out the form, be specific and clear about what you want. Once that is over, a representative will call you to book the consultation session. Fill out another form, and they’ll schedule a session for you to elaborate further.
During the entire journey, the agency will keep you updated and care for you, so you won’t feel like a client but a family. If you have any problem or query at any time of the day, give them a call, and they’ll gladly help you out.
Hatch Egg is an excellent egg donor agency because they have fresh eggs and care for their donors. However, they require qualifications you must fulfill to become their surrogate or egg donor. You must first go through their screening test to check your physical and mental health.
Their compensation is handsome; you won’t feel like you are being underpaid for your donation or surrogate. On the other hand, the family you’ll help with can also provide extra compensation for your efforts.
If you decide to become a surrogate, the company keeps track of your health until you deliver the baby. They also have experienced surgeons to help deliver the baby safely without causing any harm to the mother.
Pros
- Industry-high success rates
- Peace of mind Program
- Unlimited medical and agency services until live birth
- 99.5% success rate
Cons
- The extensively strict screening process
2. Circle Surrogacy
Compared with Hatch Egg, Circle Surrogacy has a success rate of 99.3%. Not a big difference, but it brought this agency to the number two spot on our list. More than 73 countries are on their list of donors, surrogates, and parents. With a delivery of 2,600 babies and counting, this surrogate agency should be a good choice for international parents.
This agency has everything to cover their patients, donors, or surrogates. They don’t take help from others and would like to solve the conflicts within. More than 40% of their staff are experienced surrogates, parents, or egg donors. If this is your first time getting a baby via surrogate, this company can be the best choice.
Their experienced staff are always there to explain the process and its importance. They aim to deliver the baby and ensure the mother’s health remains at best.
Features
One unique thing about Circle Surrogacy is the variety of family-building programs. You don’t have to come fully prepared but you should have a vague goal in your mind. This agency has multiple plans to offer, and their professional team will guide you. They also offer dual and sibling journeys for those who would like to have two kids. The best part is that you can choose the previous gestational surrogate to have another child. Moreover, they even have eggs for twins, in case you want to spice up your life to the maximum level.
Circle Surrogacy is transparent about the compensation they offer to surrogates. On average, a surrogate can earn around $30 – 40 thousand. With the benefits the agency offers, the total payment can reach $50 thousand. There are four cycles of compensation for surrogates. They get the money to purchase all the necessary stuff they’ll require during and after delivery. For things like maternity clothes or housekeeping, the company covers its cost.
However, the compensation won’t end with the delivery; you’ll still get compensation for months to improve your health. The agency might need you again, so they like to keep their surrogates in top-notch condition.
The egg donors must first see if they fulfill the requirements; you can visit their website to learn more about that. Each donation cycle can get you around $9000-$16000. Circle Surrogacy ensures that it’s not only the intended parent who enjoys the future but also the donors and surrogates.
Pros
- Offers a delightful and personalized experience
- 99.3% success rate
- 73 countries with circle parents
- Transparent agency
Cons
- The fixed-cost program can be an issue for people with low budget
3. Conceive Abilities
It has been 25 years since ConceiveAbilities arrived in the surrogacy business, and it has been a favorite ever since. They keep the intended parents updated about every step of the process and keep an eye on the surrogate mothers. For them, money won’t matter much, but the mother’s health and customer satisfaction make it the best surrogacy agency for those looking for peace of mind.
The unique thing about ConceiveAbilities is its matching system. While most agencies might provide an 80% match between surrogate and parents, this agency ensures to reach at least a 90% matching score.
For example, every parent wants to get a child that looks exactly like one of them. This is where ConceiveAbilities ensures that the surrogate or the egg donor they provide for the parents share somewhat similar physical traits. Moreover, more than 97% of their customers instantly liked the first surrogate they were presented with.
Features
Since this company works internationally, the entire fee structure is laid out on the website. You don’t have to call anyone to learn about the fixed cost, escrow cost, or any other fee they might charge during or after the process. The only additional charge is the fee for a remote donor. That only happens if the parents are not interested in the available surrogates or donors, and the agency has to look further.
ConceiveAbilities has different criteria when it comes to choosing the surrogate. Instead of choosing the best healthy candidates, they choose women who love their families and are willing to care for the unborn baby like their own. This is what makes ConceiveAbilities unique from other surrogate agencies.
They have a ten-point screening process to ensure you get the best match on the first attempt. Abiding by all the surrogacy laws, this agency delivers the best results while keeping the baby and the surrogate mother safe.
As a surrogate, you get insurance to cover any extra expense during or after the process. A new surrogate can make up to $62000, depending on their location. Some surrogates can even get an additional $10000 as a bonus. The basic egg donor pay is $8000; it goes up from there and can even reach $16000 per session.
Pros
- Huge compensation compared to other agencies
- Best agency to start your gestational carrier
- 24/7 legal support is available
- One of the oldest and highly reputed surrogacy agencies
Cons
- The remote egg donation makes the whole process expensive
4. Growing Generations
Starting its operations in 1996, having more than 3000 satisfied customers put Growing Generations at number four on our list. They only choose 1% among the top qualifiers for their donors and surrogates. So, while they don’t have a huge donor or surrogate database, what they have is the best.
In fact, Growing Generations was one of the first agencies to bring this surrogation process to the market. Their idea was to help men with HIV+ to become a biological father; thus, they specialize in In Vitro fertilization. Since this process doesn’t require any human-body interaction, men can get a biological child despite having severe diseases.
Thanks to this, Growing Generations is popular among elders, especially those who tried but failed to have a baby. They aim to provide the best match to ensure the best possible outcome. However, you might have to wait a bit more when dealing with this agency since they consider each situation and explore options before confirming an answer.
Features
Their process starts with consultation for parents, surrogate mothers, and donors. Growing Generations wants its partners to learn more about the entire process before deciding, so their consultants are always there. Fill out the form, and their representative will let you join a consultation session to clear up any confusion.
After the consultation, you can fill out a small profile to share your preferences with the agency. This process is necessary so the agency can find a surrogate to meet your preferences. Since they have the best matching percentage, this online form is thorough and requires many details.
Another good thing about this agency is that they hold a video call or in-person session between the intended parents and surrogates for better understanding. The pirates can communicate with each other at any time they want to keep an update on the baby.
The company only chooses the top 2% of applicants as their surrogates, but they didn’t share any information regarding the compensation. However, their reviews state that every surrogate is paid handsomely enough to chase their dreams.
The same goes for egg donors, who get higher compensation with every session. However, one cannot donate eggs more than six times as per American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines.
Pros
- Best agency for men with HIV+
- 47 US states with surrogates
- A personalized journey for every client
- The transparent process at all stages
Cons
- You must reach the center 45 minutes before the closing time
5. IARC Surrogacy
IARC Surrogacy was established in the 1980s, making this agency the most experienced on our list. With 35 years of experience helping families and facilitating surrogacy journeys, this agency is the one you approach when you don’t get satisfactory answers from others.
Not only is IARC good at surrogacy, but it also offers emotional and physical support to its surrogates and their parents. If a couple is confused about whether to choose surrogacy, this platform has experienced consultants to help clear their vision.
One unique perk of this company is personalized coordination. They don’t treat all customers the same. Instead, they’ll hear the story and treat them in a way that they feel safe and at ease.
Features
One thing you might like the most about this agency is their guarantees on the process. It doesn’t matter whether you are a surrogate or a parent; this company offers multiple guarantees, so you stay loyal to them.
IARC Surrogacy has the best compensation plans for surrogates, covering everything, even their traveling expenses. Once pregnant, you are under the company’s care, and they’ll do everything to ensure your health stays at its peak. Even after the delivery, the company keeps you under supervision for two to three months to ensure you won’t face any adverse side effects.
For parents, they offer free consultation sessions until you are clear about what you want. During that time, they’ll share their clients’ experiences so you can get an idea of their work.
The screening process makes things even more apparent as this agency does its best to get a match in your first meeting. After that, they’ll keep you updated during the process and share every report with you.
Pros
- Most experienced surrogacy agencies in the USA
- Their team includes experts with decades of experience
- Legal support and medical insurance support are available
- The best company for parents who don’t want an egg donor
Cons
- No option for gestational surrogacy
How to Choose a Surrogacy Agency
Here are some factors you can use to find the best surrogacy agency.
- Location
Remember to check for a surrogacy agency in your area so you can visit the nursing mother, and the company can easily deliver the baby. The same goes for donors and surrogate mothers. The closer they are to the location, the fewer expenses they have to bear to donate the eggs or meet with the intended parents.
- Pricing
Surrogacy is expensive; you might end up paying more than $50000 for a session. If the agency is among the top ones, they might charge up to $100000. Before you decide to choose a surrogate agency, check their pricing. If no information is available on the website, contact customer support or fill out the free form to get the information.
- Screenings
Not all agencies offer the same screening levels, so you must choose the one you are comfortable with. When selecting, look for an agency offering legal, medical, psychological, and social screenings. This helps candidates to get medically cleared and prepare well for the coming time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is the difference between traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy?
In traditional surrogacy, a woman gets pregnant via artificial insemination (AI). In this process, sperms are inserted inside a vagina using a long, thin, flexible tube. This simply requires a slight push for the sperm to reach the uterus.
The intended father has to deliver the sperm, and first comes their health test. If the sperms are healthy, then the agency would proceed with traditional surrogacy. Otherwise, the parents have no other option but to opt for gestational surrogacy.
In gestational surrogacy, an egg in the laboratory gets healthy sperm. A total of 50,000 healthy sperm are enough to initiate the process. As the eggs show any signs of progress, it is transferred to the woman to carry and raise the baby for the next couple of months. Since the egg came from a laboratory, the raising woman has no biological connection with the baby.
Q2. What are the complications of surrogacy?
Although traditional surrogacy is much safer and healthier for the baby, things get complicated since the baby has a genetic mother. Since the custody process takes place after the delivery, some mothers develop a love for the baby and might find it hard to give away the baby.
Some parents sign a contract with the delivering mother before the surrogacy. However, that is easy to revoke via repaying the advance or all the payments. On the other hand, reports can cause complications since every parent wants a healthy child. If the woman can’t deliver a healthy baby or reports are “false positive”, things can go south quickly.
Besides this, a suitable woman with healthy genes is a requirement for most parents, which is hard to find. Moreover, if the woman’s genes are stronger than the intended father, the child will look nothing like their parents. There is no way to determine whose genes the baby will adopt more before the delivery.
Q3. What state pays the most for surrogates?
California is the number one state paying the highest compensation to surrogate mothers. Moreover, this state has the best surrogate agencies helping local and international families. Not to mention, the demand for surrogates is relatively high in this state, so you’ll see most women carrying a child for someone else.
Q4. How much is the cheapest surrogacy?
There is no such thing as the cheapest surrogacy, the base price starts from $50000, and it can go up to $150000. However, with some research, you can find surrogacy agencies with a $75000 fee, but if you want peace of mind, be ready to pay a lot for it.
Final Words
Every parent wants a child to carry their legacy and to help them in their old age. However, people with HIV+ or infertility cannot become a parent, so they have to rely on surrogacy agencies. We shared the best surrogacy agencies that are functional in the USA and work internationally. Be sure to have clear goals and get a consultation session before you decide to choose a surrogate for your child.