Intended Parents

At Extraordinary Conceptions, we approach all aspects of fertility with sensitivity, respect, and dignity. We are committed to the success of our intended parents and are here to support you through this exciting journey.

Intended Parents: Overview

At Extraordinary Conceptions, we know that building a family through the help of a surrogate or egg donor is a beautiful and exciting time. We also know that it can be an emotional or delicate experience for intended parents. Here, we know how complex these feelings can be, and that’s why we can offer a discreet, sensitive, and hands-on experience to our intended parents.

At Extraordinary Conceptions, we have lived the experience with fertility treatments. Our founders, Mario and Stephanie Caballero, are proud parents of now-adult twins, all thanks to the wonders of surrogacy. Their long struggle with infertility and eventual surrogacy journey inspired them to open the doors of Extraordinary Conception. This level of understanding allows our intended parents to rest assured that we will approach every aspect of your fertility and parenting journey with respect, dignity, and care.

gay parents and young child

What is an Intended Parent?

When a baby is born with the help of a surrogate or donor, the folks who raise the child are referred to as intended parents or intended family. This term is used throughout the entire surrogacy or egg donation cycle.

Who Can Become a Parent With Extraordinary Conceptions?

At Extraordinary Conceptions, we work with intended parents from all walks of life and all over the world. Each family has different stories that brought them to us, but they share one trait: they need a helping hand to bring a child into the world. This can be for many reasons; some parents have medical reasons for infertility, such as illness or having undergone surgery that prevent them from naturally conceiving. Many gay or transgender couples also choose to build their family through surrogacy or egg donation.

Dad with daughter at home

Why Take the Intended Parents Surrogacy Journey With Us?

With Extraordinary Conceptions, we always provide our intended parents with unwavering support.

Here, we speak your language—literally. We have taken care to employ an internationally multilingual staff from all over the world to help serve more families. Many of our staff members also have personal experience with fertility treatments, both as parents as well as donors or surrogates. We have many resources for intended families to use, from mental health professionals (LMFT), former IVF nurses, insurance specialists, travel coordinators and onsite notaries, and we can connect you to fantastic third-party legal services.

Many intended parents choose to work with Extraordinary Conceptions because of our S.A.F.E and Stress-Free programs. The former stands for Single Agency Fee Experience, which means that if medically advised, you can match with a new donor or surrogate in the case of an unsuccessful fertility cycle—at no additional cost. We are the only agency in the country that offers this! Furthermore, our Stress-Free program ensures that intended parents do not pay their full fees upfront when matching with their surrogate or donor.

*Special Terms Apply

Finally, many intended parents choose us because of the attention and care we show to every person in their fertility journey. Our surrogates and donors are treated with the utmost respect and receive impressive benefits packages—after all, we think they are amazing! Our surrogates even receive a two-year $750,000 life insurance policy, which is three times as much as other agencies offer. For additional information about our services and programs with premier surrogates, please email [email protected].

Intended Parents: Help With Choosing an Egg Donor

With Extraordinary Conceptions, choosing an egg donor is straightforward and exciting. Once you have completed your Intended Parents application, you will have access to our entire egg donor database. We are proud to say that it is the largest egg donor database in the nation! You will be able to browse the database from your own computer, so you can comfortably consider your options in your own time and space. For more information, get in touch with our team—we are here to assist you!

Young attractive mom with newborn

Intended Parents: Help With Choosing a Surrogate

Choosing a surrogate is easy with Extraordinary Conceptions! If you are considering working with a surrogate to bring a child into your world, we are here to walk you through the process. Your first step is to fill out and submit an intended parents application. Once you have registered with us, you will be able to create your profile. Next, you will be able to start searching for a surrogate who fits your needs. When you have found someone who seems right, we will arrange for a meeting between you all, and the excitement can really begin. If you have any questions about the process, please get in touch with our team. We are happy to help.

Intended Parents Looking for a Surrogate or Egg Donor?

At Extraordinary Conceptions, we have been helping families grow through the wonders of fertility treatments for over fifteen years. In that time, we have seen countless “miracle babies” grow into healthy, young adults. From day one, it has been our mission to provide support and resources to intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors throughout every step of their exciting journey. We help find intended parents for surrogate mothers, egg donors for hopeful families, and much more. If you are ready to begin your family-building experience with us, please reach out to our team. We will be happy to answer any of your questions and walk you through the process from start to finish. We are here to support you— and we are honored to be a part of your journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

The length of the surrogate process differs slightly and depends on individual circumstances. Some families find a surrogate match right away, and others spend longer choosing the right one. Certain aspects of the process, like medical screening and drafting a contract, will also depend on the individual circumstances of both the surrogate and her Intended Parents. And while our US and Hybrid programs allow for families to jump right into the surrogate process, that’s not the case everywhere. For Intended Parents planning their surrogate journey in Canada, a longer standby period is to be expected. In Canada, most families spend around a year on a waiting list.

From matching to screening to drafting a legal document, the process of surrogacy has many steps, each of them equally essential. Albeit complex, these steps of the process have all been developed to protect everybody involved: the surrogate, her Intended Parents, and of course, the coming baby. That’s crucial! 

The surrogacy process will involve working with several professionals, including attorneys, therapists, and doctors. If this sounds slightly overwhelming, we really do understand because we’ve been there and are able to help. At Extraordinary Conceptions, we know how critical it is to have a trusting relationship with all of these professionals. That’s why we’ve spent years developing close ties with many reputable attorneys, family therapists, and IVF doctors. We trust them completely, and we are always happy to make recommendations and put you in touch.

To help you understand the surrogate process better, we’ve broken it down into bullet points.

  • Establishing eligibility. For potential surrogates, the first move is to ensure that you are eligible to step into this role. The specifics will depend on what country you’re in; regulations for surrogates differ across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Once you know you’re eligible, you can fill out one of our applications online. After your application is submitted, you’ll be invited to an interview with us.
  • Registration. For intended parents, the first step is to register with us. This is also an excellent time to get in touch with our team and ask any specific questions you might have.
  • Searching for your surrogate. Once you’ve applied/registered, the matching process begins. Intended parents will be able to view our database to find a surrogate. When they see someone they’d like to consider as their surrogate, our team facilitates a meeting for everyone to get to know each other. If everything goes well, it’s time to proceed!
  • The screening process. After a match is made, the surrogate screening process begins. The screening involves two main types of testing: a psychological evaluation by a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and comprehensive medical screening performed at an IVF clinic.
  • Legal contracts and birth plan. Following medical and psychological clearance, all parties work together with their respective lawyers to draft a legal contract. During this time, you will also develop a birth plan that suits all parties. 
  • Timeline and medication schedule. Once the contract has been signed, it’s time for medication and monitoring. If you are the surrogate, you will be given a calendar and a list of meds by your doctor. And while the exact time frame depends on your chosen clinic, this preparatory time generally lasts around 3 weeks.
  • The embryo transfer. Your IVF doctor will transfer the embryo. We will cover all travel costs for the surrogate and a companion, if necessary. 
  • Pregnancy confirmation. Two weeks after the embryo transfer, a beta blood test will determine pregnancy. The first ultrasound appointment will be around 4-5 weeks after pregnancy is confirmed. 

The big arrival. Delivery day will depend on the birth plan drafted by everybody during the legal portion of the process. Most often, the Intended Parents are right there supporting their surrogate and welcoming their baby to the world.

If you consider becoming a surrogate, it’s natural to have plenty of questions about the process! Yes, several surrogacy steps apply to both you and your Intended Parents, and some are only for you. As a surrogate, you will be expected to:

  • Submit a comprehensive application that includes photographs from your childhood and recent shots
  • Remain within your eligibility. For instance, surrogates must not use recreational drugs, smoke, or take certain medications.
  • Undertake comprehensive medical and psychological screening
  • Take required medications before embryo transfer
  • Undergo medical monitoring prior to embryo transfer
  • Comply with bed rest orders following embryo transfer
  • Deliver baby according to the birth plan and conditions drafted in your legal contract

For surrogates in the US, you will receive a compensation package for your incredible gift to your Intended Parents. In Canada, this type of payment is not allowed for surrogacy, but you will be reimbursed for all pregnancy-related expenses.

A match happens when Intended Parents find a surrogate who suits their requirements!

When it comes to something as personal as finding a surrogate match, It’s incredibly important to honor specific asks. It’s crucial that Intended Parents are comfortable with their chosen surrogate, and vice versa! At Extraordinary Conceptions, we have worked hard to make the matching process as comprehensive as possible. 

When Intended Parents register with Extraordinary Conceptions, they are given access to our entire online database that can be accessed 24-hours a day. This way, Intended Parents can choose a potential surrogate match in a safe space on their own time. This database is filled with detailed profiles of keen surrogates all across the country who have all been interviewed and selected by our team. 

Once you find someone who seems like the right match for your family, you’ll let us know, and we’ll begin planning a meeting for all. And if that meeting goes well? Congratulations! You’ve found your surrogate match and can begin the screening process.

There are lots of ways to describe how it feels to embark on a surrogate journey: exciting, long-awaited, emotional, special… However, most families wouldn’t describe it as “simple.” After all, surrogacy is a fairly complex experience, and it varies depending on where you live and local legislature. Even in the most surrogate-friendly states, there are several crucial but involved steps involved in the surrogate process. While all of these regulations make complete sense and protect both you and your coming child, they can be overwhelming to navigate on your own. That’s where we come in.

With an agency like Extraordinary Conceptions, we’re here to hold your hand and help you every step of your surrogacy journey, from matching to delivery day. Plus, we’re fertility experts, and many of our team members have had firsthand experience with surrogacy—we’ll always have answers to your questions.

We’ve spent years developing strong relationships with top IVF doctors, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, and attorneys, so our Intended Parents have the best contacts available. Working with an agency is also the best way to ensure that you find a qualified surrogate who matches your unique asks!

Surrogates are women who carry a baby for another family! 

Surrogates are “matched” with Intended Parents through the help of an agency like Extraordinary Conceptions. Once a match is made, surrogates undergo a series of psychological and physical tests and sign a contract before becoming pregnant through an embryo implantation procedure similar to IVF. Eventually, the surrogate will give birth at a clinic chosen by the Intended Parents, who are generally present to welcome their child to the world. 

Being a surrogate is a rewarding and special experience that often leads to lifelong friendships and bonds. Many women treasure their experience so much, they become surrogates several times. 

In the US, surrogates receive payment. That is not the case in Canada, where only Altruistic Surrogacy is legal. However, Canadian surrogates receive reimbursement for all of their surrogacy-related expenses. This includes expenses like maternity clothes and groceries. 

Read About Becoming an Intended Parent!

Take a look at what some of our own surrogates have said about their experience with Extraordinary Conceptions:

“I just wanted to thank you guys for working so hard with us to make this happen! I feel so grateful being able to help such an awesome couple.”
Ashley

“Any “difficult” parts of the pregnancy were immediately erased the moment I saw the look on my Intended Parents’ faces. It was pure joy for all of us!”

Jennifer
“Extraordinary Conceptions really made the process of surrogacy a wonderful one. Always making me feel comfortable and being there to answer every single question. Thank you for introducing me to my intended parents and letting me help make their dreams come true.”
Natalie
“Seeing the parents hold their baby for the first time was the best part of my journey and I knew immediately that I wanted to do this again”
Karen

We’re Honored to be Part of Your Journey!

Register to become an Intended Parent with Extraordinary Conceptions today, and someone from our team will be in touch with you very shortly. We are honored and excited to help you take the steps to making your family’s dreams come true.

Hands forming a heart