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If you’re wondering how to become a surrogate, your friends at Extraordinary Conceptions are here to help you navigate this journey. Together, we can help families grow! You can apply today to learn more about the surrogate experience.

Becoming a Surrogate With Extraordinary Conceptions

If you want to learn how to become a surrogate mother, you’re in the right place. Here at Extraordinary Conceptions, we help people around the world build their families everyday, thanks to amazing and generous women who become gestational surrogates.

At Extraordinary Conceptions, we recognize what a big and exciting undertaking becoming a surrogate is. That is why we take extra care to educate women about the process of surrogacy and provide our surrogates with support, services, and benefits to help them every step of the way.

Becoming a surrogate is a multi-step process and can take some time. It’s all worth it when you’ve matched with your intended parents and begin the unforgettable journey towards helping build a family.

How Do You Become a Surrogate with Extraordinary Conceptions?

If you’re ready to take the first steps towards becoming a surrogate mother, congratulations! You’ve already made an important decision that can enrich the rest of your life.

Women who choose to become a surrogate often do so with the help of a surrogacy agency. That’s why we’re here! Extraordinary Conceptions offers many years of experience and professional guidance to parents who want to grow their families, and also to the amazing women who intend to help. If you’re planning to become a surrogate, get in touch with our team today!

We provide the following services to our surrogates:

  • Financial compensation, including a generous signing bonus and complete benefit packages.

  • Complete benefit packages include fees for childcare, maternity clothing, lost wages, and medication, along with your base compensation.

  • All the support you need; our team of Surrogacy & Care Coordinators are here for you every step of the way.

  • $750,000 to $1,000,000 Life Insurance policies that may be kept after your surrogacy cycle is complete.

  • Peer support; our surrogates attend monthly meetups with women in the same stage of pregnancy.

What is a Surrogate?

Many people long to have a child but cannot become pregnant or carry a child themselves. One of the most popular solutions to this issue is working with a gestational surrogate. A gestational surrogate is a woman who undergoes IVF to carry a baby for somebody else and has no genetic ties to the baby. Instead, an egg donor or the intended mother’s eggs are used to create the embryo, which will be transferred.

At Extraordinary Conceptions, we help intended parents find their perfect surrogate match, making for a more comfortable and reassuring experience for all parties.

How to be a Surrogate: Requirements and Regulations

The list of requirements for becoming a surrogate is a long one; and for good reason. Choosing a surrogate is a massive decision for parents. These regulations have been put into place to help make this decision easier and protect everyone involved in the surrogacy process.

Below, we’ve listed the requirements for surrogates across North America created by ASRM (American Society for Reproductive Medicine www.asrm.org.) However, some states have additional regulations for surrogates and egg donors. Be sure to speak with your agency about any state-specific requirements when you apply.

All Surrogates Must:

  • Be between the ages of 21-45 (EC has a unique program for carriers between 39 and 45 years of age)

  • Have a BMI below 36 (EC has a unique program for carriers with a BMI between 30 and 36)

  • Have no more than 5 c-sections (EC has a unique program for GC’s with 3 or more c-sections)

  • Have no more than 8 deliveries (EC has a unique program for carriers with more than 6 deliveries)

  • Have given birth previously and currently live with their child

  • Not smoke or have any illicit drug use, nor have any history of illicit drug or alcohol dependence

  • Be financially stable and not receiving- section 8/HUD or welfare

  • Be a US citizen or Permanent Resident

  • Have a driver’s license and/or reliable transportation

  • Have no previous felonies (same goes for spouse/partner and any other adults living in the household)

  • Have no history of the following mental health diagnosis- schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or major depressive disorder

  • Currently not on any medication unsafe for pregnancy, including medication for mental health issues (including anxiety or depression) and/or the ability to safely wean from the medication

Becoming a Surrogate Mother: What’s the Process?

There are several essential steps to becoming a surrogate— and we will be here for you every step of the way. In fact, one of the most crucial things you can do to prepare to become a surrogate is to get in contact with a reputable agency. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to check that you meet the surrogate requirements so you can apply.

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Upon processing your application, someone from our surrogacy admissions team will be in touch to discuss the next steps. Eventually, you will meet with the intended parent(s) interested in working with you. You will be referred to legal and medical professionals to ensure that everything is in order and everyone is protected before your surrogacy journey begins. Once legal and medical clearances are given, the chosen IVF clinic will decide which medical protocol is right for you and before you know it, your embryo transfer day will be here.

The embryo transfer is very similar to an IVF procedure. It is a fairly quick and painless procedure, which an IVF doctor will perform, and doesn’t tend to require anesthetics or an overnight hospital stay. Most surrogates take 1-5 days of bed rest following their procedure, but the specifics will depend on both your doctor and your individual circumstances.

Do Surrogates Get Paid for Their Services?

This will depend on several factors, the primary one being location. Although American surrogates are allowed to receive financial compensation for their surrogacy, Canadian surrogates are not. However, this doesn’t mean that Canadian surrogates don’t receive benefits or help! If you are becoming a surrogate in Canada, up to $27,000 USD of your pregnancy-related expenses will be reimbursed.

For American surrogates, the financial compensation will depend on your state, current employment status, and surrogate history. Generally, surrogates receive a base compensation of between $49,000 and $75,000. In the case of a surrogate carrying twins or multiples, they will receive additional financial compensation.

Frequently Asked Questions

your own contract and circumstances. With Extraordinary Conceptions, most payments follow the same timeline. Prior to confirmation of heartbeat, you will receive pre-pregnancy benefits. Once the baby’s heartbeat has been confirmed, you will begin receiving payment in monthly installments.

It’s important to note that these monthly payments are only available to women in places where commercial gestational surrogacy is legal. In Canada, it is completely illegal, while most US states allow it. A commercial agreement means that surrogates are entitled to a generous compensation package paid for by her Intended Parents. The specifics of each surrogacy benefit package varies depending on several factors, from location to her Intended Parents’ financial situation. Please note that altruistic surrogates, while “unpaid,” receive reimbursement  for all of her pregnancy-related expenses, from groceries to time off from work. Commercial surrogates also receive this reimbursement in addition to her payment.

If you are considering to become a commercial gestational surrogate, you’re likely curious about how much you’ll be paid. While we’d love to give you an exact number, this will actually depend on several circumstances unique to you and your Intended Parents. At Extraordinary Conceptions, our surrogates tend to make anywhere between $30,000 and $75,000. Note that this is a ballpark range, not a concrete number. The exact amount that a commercial surrogate gets paid depends on many factors, including:

  • Experience. All eligible surrogates have previously given birth and live with their child(ren.) Some also have been surrogates previously, often with Extraordinary Conceptions. While all eligible surrogates are in high demand, more experienced ones often receive higher payment. 
  • Location. In the US, surrogacy has a higher demand in some states than in others. In places like California, the process is very sought after, and surrogates receive some of the highest compensation packages in the country. In other states, like Louisiana, commercial surrogacy is mostly illegal. 
  • Employment Status. At Extraordinary Conceptions, a surrogate’s payscale can depend on her employment status. This is due to the natural disruption a pregnancy causes in one’s work life! For surrogates with full-time jobs, any lost wages due to doctor appointments, bed rest, or other pregnancy-related needs will be compensated. The same holds true for surrogates entering altruistic agreements.
  • Pregnancy Type. Some surrogates don’t only hear only one heartbeat at their first OBGYN visit! Surrogates who end up carrying multiples can expect a higher pay rate.

Intended Parents’ Circumstances. Intended Parents are the ones who cover surrogate compensation. The rate will depend on what’s realistically in their means and will be determined by elements like employment status and location.

California surrogates enjoy generous compensation packages due to their high demand in the state. Several reasons drive the higher pay, including progressive local legislature and world-class IVF clinics and fertility agencies. However, while it’s known that California surrogates are often paid higher, exact numbers will still vary depending on individual factors. These factors include things like pregnancy type, employment status of both surrogate and Intended Parents, previous applied experience, city/town of residence, and personal financial circumstances. 

If you are a Californian considering becoming a surrogate, get in touch with our team. We have been working with surrogates in California for over fifteen years! In fact, our agency opened its door in San Diego back in 2005. We began Extraordinary Conceptions after our founders welcomed their own twins into the world with the help of a wonderful surrogate. We understand how important this process is to many families and are very familiar with the ins and outs of surrogacy in California!

Surrogacy is very popular in California. As a result, there is a high demand for surrogates across the Golden State—but why?

There are several reasons that California is a hot spot for surrogacy. Here are just a few:

  • History. Surrogacy isn’t exactly a new idea in California. For decades, it has been a widely accepted and embraced option for families unable to carry a child.
  • Laws. In California, specific legislation is in place to protect everybody involved, from the surrogate to her Intended Parents to the coming baby. These laws include the California Family Code 7960, which allows families to establish parentage through a pre-birth order rather than a hearing. California law also requires both the surrogate and her Intended Parents to have separate legal representation for drafting their contract. 

Location. California is home to some of the finest IVF and fertility resources in the country. With so many first-class options available to Intended Parents in California, it increases demand for surrogacy.

Absolutely! 

Surrogacy is one of the best-regarded and sought-after options for family-building. For the many families around the world who cannot carry a baby, surrogacy is a life-changing option. While the process is in high demand, Intended Parents can rest assured that thousands of women across the country want to be a surrogate. Most surrogates find the experience rewarding. Often, we see women return multiple times to help more families!

Depending on where you live, surrogates might be in higher demand than in other locations. For example, there is a very high demand for surrogates in the USA. And due to the legality of commercial surrogacy in most states, plenty of women want the opportunity to be able to contribute financially to their own family while helping someone else create one of their own. Because of this, Intended Parents typically can begin matching with a surrogate and get to begin the process without waiting. In other parts of North America, like Canada, this is not the case. In Canada, altruistic surrogacy is the only legal form of the process. Because there is no “salary” in altruistic agreements, there is a slightly smaller pool of Canadian surrogates than that of its southern neighbor. Typically, Intended Parents in Canada wait for around a year or more, before beginning their surrogacy cycle. 

If you are considering surrogacy for the first time, congratulations! This is a very exciting time. You likely have a lot on your mind—and it’s sensible that payment is one of them. After all, as a mother yourself, you know how disruptive pregnancy can be to things like work. 

While we can’t give you an exact number of how much you’ll make as a first-time surrogate, we can say that most women who become surrogates with us are paid between $30,000 and $75,000. The exact number can still land on the higher end of that scale as a first-timer. Several factors will help determine this, like where you live, who your Intended Parents are, and what kind of pregnancy you have. For example, you will be paid higher if you end up carrying twins or multiples. 

Regardless of whether it’s your first time as a US-based surrogate or you’re coming in for round three, with Extraordinary Conceptions, you can expect the following: 

  • A generous signing bonus following legal clearance 
  • A benefits package worth up to $8,000. This includes reimbursement for pregnancy expenses. 
  • Special gifts from us for your transfer, pregnancy, and delivery
  • A dedicated support network, including your own Surrogacy & Care coordinator and peer connections 
  • A large life insurance policy that can be kept after your pregnancy

Some surrogates love helping another family so much that they come back to us a second time! We are so grateful for these repeat surrogates and know that our Intended Families are, too! In fact, some Intended Parents prefer to work with a repeat surrogate since she has applied experience with the process, understands what it involves, and clearly enjoyed it the first time(s)! Repeat surrogates in places with legal commercial agreements are often offered a higher compensation package than first-timers. They might also be offered additional flexibility with certain eligibility requirements, like BMI or age. This is due to their high demand and overall experience. 

Though we can say that second-time or repeat surrogates tend to make more than first-timers, we cannot give an exact number. The individual compensation package will depend on several other factors besides applied experience. These factors include location, employment status, type of pregnancy, and the financial status of Intended Parents.

In most US states (and across the world,) only gestational surrogacy is legal. With a gestational agreement, the surrogate has no biological relations to the baby she is carrying. There is also always a legal contract included with gestational surrogacy, which protects all parties involved. 

This is not the case with the alternate type of agreement. This other form of agreement, where surrogates can be related to the coming baby, is referred to as “traditional” surrogacy and is only legal in a handful of states. There are many complex reasons for traditional surrogacy to be illegal or have no laws to enforce legal contracts between the intended parents and the surrogate.

At Extraordinary Conceptions, all of our surrogacies are gestational. The exact pay rate will depend on several factors and individual circumstances, like location, experience, financial background, and employment status. However, we can estimate that gestational surrogates entering a commercial agreement can receive anywhere between $30,000 and $75,000. This doesn’t include additional benefits like their reimbursement package and signing bonus. 

Read About Becoming a Surrogate From Women Like You!

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
“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

“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
“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!

Apply to become a surrogate 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 a family’s dreams come true.

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