Geographical Distance between IPs and Surrogate

Whether you are an intended parent considering matching with a surrogate in another state, or a surrogate entering into a contract with IPs in a couple of counties over; here are some things to take into consideration and a few helpful tips.

 

As an intended parent you may want to think about how frequently you would like to receive updates from your surrogate and in how much detail. Regular updates keep everybody involved in the pregnancy. Especially if travel is involved, are there certain appointments you would like to be physically present for? Some big ones to consider would be transfer, heart beat confirmation, and anatomy scan. This is an excellent discussion to have with your potential surrogate during your initial conversations.

 

During the contract phase there may be a necessity for the surrogate to travel for health screening and psychological screening. Some therapists may offer to conduct a virtual interview over the phone or video chat. If the surrogate travels for health screening they will also need to travel for the transfer. Once transfer is complete and the surrogate has followed the Reproductive Endocrinologist’s (RE) instructions on length of rest, then she may return home. All monitoring appointments would be at a RE office near the surrogate until she graduates to her OB/GYN’s office. The monitoring RE would submit their reports to the RE overseeing the surrogacy and all decisions and reports would come from that doctor, typically via email.

 

Most RE offices are very supportive of bridging the distance gap by allowing video, face time, and/or pictures during appointments. It’s always a good idea to ask ahead of time so that IPs and surrogate know what the options are.

 

A little further down the road, some points for IPs to discuss with their surrogate, include:

• When to travel to the area where your surrogate plans on delivering
• Where you will be staying
• Methods of contact in the event of spontaneous labor
• Plan B for if the baby arrives before you do
• Do you want your surrogate to pump? Does that include shipping the milk?

 

At the end of the day be comforted knowing that many matches between IPs and surrogates cross state and country lines on a regular basis. The amount of travel and communication is different for each group according to their preferences.

 

Look for a future post about what to pack for baby when preparing for the big day.