On 25 March 2023 in London, Growing Families is running a series of ‘You Can’t Ask That!’ talks and panels on cross-border surrogacy and donor issues
Industry expert Sam Everingham explains why…
An infertile UK couple completed a consult with me this week about their options. The intended mum had an auto-immune condition which meant her body was failing to recognise her own embryos. Not one of many embryo transfers had worked. A UK ‘agency’ had told them a donor-egg US surrogacy program would cost them US$250,000. I was horrified. There are US donor-egg surrogacy programs available for little more than half that, including legal fees, IVF costs, surrogate compensation and all medical costs.
Middleman ‘agents’ are common in this space, but increasingly they are brazenly adding huge commissions to already expensive arrangements. Infertile singles and couples desperate for family can be vulnerable, and there are sharks willing to exploit them.
Whether it is donor IVF or surrogacy, these processes include many moving parts – lawyers, IVF clinics, surrogates, donors, surrogacy professionals, counsellors and often specialist couriers. Added to the uncertainty of IVF, without careful planning and support there is a lot that can go wrong.
In over a decade supporting and educating patients on ‘cross-border’ family building, what I’ve learned is the importance of dealing directly with reputable organisations and professionals in the country you are engaging in. Different cultural norms and English language competencies can lead to misunderstandings but these are outweighed by avoiding the huge mark-ups of middleman agents and the streamlined communication of dealing directly.
Even then, sorting out the mediocre from the good providers can be difficult. Costs can vary hugely. Some IVF clinics will not accept embryos shipped from the UK. Some agencies have huge wait lists and timelines that are a year more than others. With a decade’s experience supporting many thousands of singles and couples, Growing Families has been able to save intended parents months of research and tens of thousands as they go down the rabbit hole of cross-border arrangements.
Investing in an expensive offshore program to recruit, screen and care for the woman carrying your child requires enormous trust. That can only be developed by meeting face-to-face with providers and talking with past parents they have assisted.
Growing Families ‘You Can’t Ask That!’ talks and panels provide rare insights from recent parents and experts from nine different countries
Taking away the middleman, the afternoon provides the chance to engage directly with IVF clinics, lawyers and surrogacy agency staff. Sessions address difficult questions about risks, costs, timeframes and protections in regard to donor IVF & surrogacy in the US, Canada, Argentina, Greece, Georgia and elsewhere. There will also be an update on the current situation in the once massive Ukraine surrogacy landscape.
Whether you are struggling with infertility, have already embarked on donor IVF or surrogacy or considering this path, the afternoon provides a rare chance to learn from others who have gone before you. Full details here
Growing Families is a global non-profit which provides education to assist intended parents achieve their dream of family safely and ethically.
If you are an individual or couple considering parenthood, navigating the family-building process with donors and/or surrogates can be an overwhelming experience, so, Growing Families is holding a Surrogacy and Donor UK Seminar on the 25 March in London to offer support and guidance. Click here to learn more and to book your tickets.
You can follow Growing Families on social media: @GrowingFamiliesGlobal for Facebook, @growing_families_global for Insta
Learn more about surrogacy:
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