Benefits of Repeat Surrogate Journeys: Why Some Women Choose To Be a Surrogate More Than Once

Being a surrogate is an incredible experience for everyone involved—the intended parents, you, and your family. When you become a gestational surrogate, you give someone else the remarkable gift of bringing a child into the world. 

Many of our surrogates describe the experience as life-changing and even decide to return to us and do it again! Some of our repeat surrogates have even worked with a different agency before coming to Circle. We believe our experience-informed approach, which prioritizes helping surrogates communicate their needs and boundaries with intended parents, encourages surrogates to return to us for another journey. 

What else might inspire someone to do it again?  While every journey is different, many women are often motivated by a sense of purpose, connection, and pride. 

What Inspires Multiple-Time Surrogates?

After decades of helping surrogates connect with intended parents and bring their babies into the world, we have seen a common thread amongst all of our surrogates. They are strong women with big hearts and giving spirits. Fully supported and backed by our team of experienced professionals who have been in your shoes, our surrogates help grow families every day, and many return to become multiple-time surrogates.

Driven by the fulfilling urge to help others a second or third time, our surrogates come back for a myriad of reasons. When they become repeat surrogates, they can expect higher compensation, a more streamlined process, the joy of helping a new or prior family, and the satisfaction of helping others grow their families. 

Considerations for a Repeat Surrogate Journey

Timing

We generally recommend waiting 3 months after a vaginal delivery or 6 months post C-section to apply for another surrogacy journey. This gives you time to heal and focus on yourself before diving into another journey. Ultimately, however, a surrogate can apply whenever she wants, and we'll support you.

We do advise you to speak to your OBGYN before coming back. While there is no mandated amount of time, it’s important to note that most IVF clinics will not transfer again until you are 9 to 12 months post-delivery. For more on IVF timelines and recovery considerations, see MedlinePlus’s overview of in vitro fertilization.

Family and Support

It is essential to have your family’s support before becoming a surrogate. Now that you’ve done this before, you know what to expect, as does your family. After their experience with you on your previous surrogacy journey, are they ready for you to have those commitments again?

Matching Preferences

You may want to come back to help your former intended parents have a second child, which we refer to as a sibling surrogacy journey. You also have the choice to work with entirely new intended parents. Regardless of your choice, we are here to support you in this decision and facilitate any conversations that need to happen.

Next Steps

We ask that our returning surrogates complete these initial steps when they decide to return for another surrogacy journey.

Speak With Your OBGYN

Your doctor will be able to recommend when it will be best for you to do another transfer after your most recent delivery. Therefore, we require all experienced surrogates to get an OB approval letter as part of their re-screening process with Circle. Your Circle team can email you a copy of this form to bring to your OBGYN appointment or directly fax it to their office.

Speak With Your Family

Just as you did with your first surrogacy journey, make sure your support system will be on board with a subsequent surrogacy. Speak with your partner, your children, and whoever else a 14- to 16-month surrogacy journey might affect.

Submit a New Application

You will need to resubmit the surrogate application. This ensures we have your most up-to-date information in our system!

Compensation

Returning surrogates typically receive higher compensation. Our experienced carriers often request additional compensation on top of their base fee to reflect their prior experience and successful previous surrogacy journey(s).

We’ll work with you to determine the exact additional amount that fits your unique situation, as many returning surrogates have a clearer understanding of their financial needs the second time around. For more about how compensation is outlined and agreed upon, read our post on surrogacy contract negotiations.

Differences Between First and Second Surrogacy Journeys

In addition to receiving higher compensation, repeat surrogates have a slightly different experience for subsequent journeys. For instance, they go through a quicker, more streamlined screening process compared to first-time surrogates. As a returning surrogate, you will have fewer documents to fill out, fewer medical records to collect, and a shorter screening with your social worker.

If you decide to participate in a sibling journey with the same intended parents that you previously worked with, the process looks very similar from an application and screening perspective.

Typically, with sibling journeys, you might be ready to return for a subsequent journey before your intended parents are ready. After all, intended parents now have a newborn at home and have already invested a lot of finances into growing their family. We encourage all parties to discuss their timeline expectations so that everyone is on the same page.

If your first-round intended parents are not interested in a sibling journey or you simply want to help another family, you can choose to match with a new set of intended parents for your returning journey!

Our Mission

Helping families welcome babies into the world is our drive, but we cannot do it without committed, selfless, brave women like you. You make it all possible—so, thank you! If you are interested in becoming a surrogate with us once again, fill out an application today!