Surrogacy Journey (Single Dad) - Anxiety, Covid-19 and Cost
Posted 07-15-2021 at 07:49 AM by prospectheightsresident
Where do I begin?
I've been thinking about surrogacy for quite some time now, but have always had so many questions and concerns about whether I'd be a good father and whether it made sense for me to start this journey alone.
Additionally, the cost factor was a huge concern, as I knew that agencies (particularly those agencies located on the coasts) and IVF treatment could run close to (and over) $200k!
The blasted pandemic--already responsible for so much death and destruction--also weighed on me, as I was not sure if it was wise to try to bring a child into the world when concerns and issues over the health impacts of a surrogate infected with Covid-19 were unknown. Not to mention that the pandemic caused many surrogates and agencies to have a lengthy pause in taking on new clients/intended parents.
One positive thing to come out of the pandemic hell, though, was that not being able to travel as planned and teleworking for months allowed me to save additional funds to be in a better position to fund this journey!
Fast forward to July 2021 and I have already engaged with several surrogacy agencies--to include agencies in DC, California, and Texas--and have begun the journey of working with an IVF facility here in the DMV area to create embryos.
The surrogacy agencies varied wildly in cost, with one offering a package for $160k, which would lead to the entire journey costing close to $200k once IVF was factored in. Another agency, which I ultimately selected, has a journey of just under $100k, which would lead to an estimate total cost (including IVF) of just over $130k. Note, the agency I selected came very highly regarded through multiple, independent reviewers and was cheaper than the rest not due to lower quality, but due to being in a lower cost of living state that also does not have a state income tax. As a result, this agency was able to cut out many of the overhead expenses that agencies I viewed located in other states were not able to do.
I'm still at the early stages of this journey, but have already submitted to blood tests and the required physical exam. Next up is a psychological exam, which will take place the week of July 23, 2021.
Due to the pandemic environment putting many surrogacy journeys on hold, I am finding that agencies--both the agency I selected and other agencies--generally have a 6-8 month waiting period before matching an intended parent with a surrogate. So, even assuming that I was able to create embryos tomorrow, I wouldn't realistically expect a birth until late Fall of 2022. Until then, I'll continue to blog about my journey with the hope that my blog is able to help others considering the surrogacy process.
I've been thinking about surrogacy for quite some time now, but have always had so many questions and concerns about whether I'd be a good father and whether it made sense for me to start this journey alone.
Additionally, the cost factor was a huge concern, as I knew that agencies (particularly those agencies located on the coasts) and IVF treatment could run close to (and over) $200k!
The blasted pandemic--already responsible for so much death and destruction--also weighed on me, as I was not sure if it was wise to try to bring a child into the world when concerns and issues over the health impacts of a surrogate infected with Covid-19 were unknown. Not to mention that the pandemic caused many surrogates and agencies to have a lengthy pause in taking on new clients/intended parents.
One positive thing to come out of the pandemic hell, though, was that not being able to travel as planned and teleworking for months allowed me to save additional funds to be in a better position to fund this journey!
Fast forward to July 2021 and I have already engaged with several surrogacy agencies--to include agencies in DC, California, and Texas--and have begun the journey of working with an IVF facility here in the DMV area to create embryos.
The surrogacy agencies varied wildly in cost, with one offering a package for $160k, which would lead to the entire journey costing close to $200k once IVF was factored in. Another agency, which I ultimately selected, has a journey of just under $100k, which would lead to an estimate total cost (including IVF) of just over $130k. Note, the agency I selected came very highly regarded through multiple, independent reviewers and was cheaper than the rest not due to lower quality, but due to being in a lower cost of living state that also does not have a state income tax. As a result, this agency was able to cut out many of the overhead expenses that agencies I viewed located in other states were not able to do.
I'm still at the early stages of this journey, but have already submitted to blood tests and the required physical exam. Next up is a psychological exam, which will take place the week of July 23, 2021.
Due to the pandemic environment putting many surrogacy journeys on hold, I am finding that agencies--both the agency I selected and other agencies--generally have a 6-8 month waiting period before matching an intended parent with a surrogate. So, even assuming that I was able to create embryos tomorrow, I wouldn't realistically expect a birth until late Fall of 2022. Until then, I'll continue to blog about my journey with the hope that my blog is able to help others considering the surrogacy process.
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