The Ultimate Guide to Surrogacy in New York

New York is a great place to live if you're considering parenthood through surrogacy and/or egg donation.

You'll find some of the world's most notable hospitals and IVF clinics in New York and the surrounding Tri-state area. Intended parents and surrogates from New York – and international intended parents who travel to the US via New York – will have access to respected reproductive endocrinologists.

Circle Surrogacy also has an office in New York which has allowed them to have established relationships with well-known New York clinics and a community of NY-based parents through our program. Intended parents interested in surrogacy would meet with our New York-based support team, both parents through our program.

For intended parents in New York, the best place to start a surrogacy journey and find a surrogacy agency is by researching. This can be through online research, speaking with IVF doctors, or connecting with others who have been through the surrogacy process as parents.

Find a Surrogacy Agency in 3 Steps:

1. Do your research! You can learn all there is to know about surrogacy.

2. Write down what's important to you in a surrogacy journey. What type of surrogate/intended parent relationship are you looking for? What level of surrogacy support?

3. List agencies that fit your criteria and reach out. Finding an agency that "feels right" is important!

Next Steps for New York Intended Parents:

Once intended parents have identified 1-3 agencies that seem like a good fit, it's a good idea to fill out an interest form and connect with the parent intake team. Once they reach out, you can decide if you're ready for a surrogacy consultation. If you've selected an agency that you'd like to meet with, the first step is to schedule a consultation.

Finding your surrogate match is an exciting time in your journey to parenthood. Circle works with many surrogate mothers from New York and surrounding states. Circle's main office is also in Boston, with a small office in New York. Our strong representation on the east coast makes it even easier for surrogates and intended parents to connect.

Getting started

The first step in finding a surrogate mother match is to determine what you're looking for in a surrogate, your relationship with your surrogate, and your expectations for your journey.

It's important to be honest when thinking about your answers, as your Matching Team will use these answers – as well as your geographic location and views on termination – to find you the best match.

You'll be asked to fill out an intended parent profile that allows us to get to know you better and helps your Matching Team find your surrogate match.

For your profile, you'll be asked to share information about yourself, your relationship (if you are coupled), your family, your hobbies, your plans for parenthood, and what brought you to surrogacy. We'll ask that you also share photos of yourself, your loved ones, and anything else that gives a good sense of who you are as people. This profile paints a picture of who you are as intended parents for potential surrogate matches.

In addition to your profile, Circle will use other criteria to find your gestational carrier match, including your preferences on:

• Communication. What level do you hope to have with your surrogate?

• Surrogate's location. Do you prefer she lives in a specific state?

• Number of embryos to transfer

• Your views on selective reduction and termination

If you are making an independent surrogacy journey, you can use the above as guidelines for what you should look for in a suitable match.

Some intended parents require an egg donor in order to grow their family. Finding the right egg donor match is key! Here's how to go about finding your egg donor, whether or not she lives in the Empire State!

Finding the perfect egg donor can feel like an overwhelming task. How do you begin to find an egg donor who will help you grow your family?

The first step to finding your perfect egg donor match is to consider the type of woman you're looking for. Some intended parents look for a young woman who has similar qualities that they possess. Other intended parents look for an egg donor who complements their personality or appearance.

And remember, nature vs nurture – not every characteristic or trait is hereditary!

Most intended parents start their egg donor search in an egg donor database. Most Egg Donor databases are set up so that you can search for an egg donor by certain criteria. Circle's egg donor database is easy to use and easy to navigate.

Making a list of search criteria before you begin can be helpful. Some considerations are:

• Physical attributes (hair/eye color)
• Race/ethnicity
• Education
• Previous fertility
• Geography

You may not know what you're looking for in a donor, and that's okay! Some intended parents take the "I'll know her when I see her" approach.

New York is one of the most active states for intended parents who work with Circle Surrogacy to grow their families. Circle has excellent success in helping New Yorkers become parents. With its active LGBTQ+ community, New York is a wonderful place to live if you want to become a parent!

Is surrogacy legal in New York? The answer to that question is now yes! The New York Surrogacy Law – the Child-Parent Security Act – has made commercial surrogacy legal in New York. Intended Parents from New York can continue working with Circle Surrogacy as they have in the past and take advantage of the new law.

Here's what the new law means for intended parents:

• Intended parents who use third-party reproduction to conceive will have a secure legal relationship with their child from birth
• Legalizing compensation gestational surrogacy agreements
• A simpler process for securing parenthood for non-biological parents
• Ending legal uncertainty for single intended mothers who use a sperm donor

Here's what the new law means for gestational carriers:

• Surrogates will have the right to make all health and welfare decisions regarding themselves and their pregnancy, including termination
• Surrogates will have independent legal counsel of their choice, paid for by intended parents
• Surrogates will have access to a health insurance policy, paid for by intended parents
• Surrogates will have access to counseling and life insurance

There is a lot of information out there about becoming a surrogate, but here are 5 quick things for you to know before you begin!

1. Surrogates do NOT use their own DNA (eggs) for the babies they carry
2. Surrogates are paid throughout the entirety of their journey (not at the end) and start before pregnancy
3. Surrogates have a say in with whom they match; all matches are mutual
4. Surrogates DO need to give themselves injections as part of the IVF process; most surrogates say these needles are no big deal
5. Surrogates will have to say goodbye to the baby; they look forward to "giving the baby back" to their intended parents; because they are not genetically related to the baby, surrogates do not feel an "attachment" to the babies they carry

Ready to learn more? Read on!

Women in New York can begin to apply now to be gestational surrogates!

Women who apply to become surrogate mothers are women who want to be part of something bigger than they are. They understand the importance of family, and want to give the gift of parenthood to those who cannot achieve it on their own.

Women who apply to become surrogate mothers are those who have had easy, uncomplicated pregnancies, and who have enjoyed being pregnant. One thing they have in common is that surrogate moms are generous, adventurous and kind.

Women from the Empire State must meet the below requirements in order to qualify to become a gestational carrier:

• Has delivered a child of their own, and is currently parenting at least one child.
• Has had uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries, as documented by medical records.
• Is between 21 and 44 years of age.
• Typically has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of no higher than 32. Calculate My BMI.
• Is a citizen, legal resident or legal immigrant of the United States. If a surrogate is a legal resident or legal immigrant of the United States, the surrogate must be able to provide documentation that is valid for at least 2 years.
• Does not participate in the following government aid programs: cash assistance, welfare, public housing and section 8. All other forms of government assistance will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The above requirements, plus this full list of requirements, are what women must meet in order to become surrogate mothers in New York.

As a New York gestational surrogate, the question of who you help is almost as important as your decision to help. After all, you and the prospective parents will embark on a monumental journey together. You want to be sure that you connect with and trust them fully. That’s why Circle Surrogacy built an extensive and thorough matching process.

As a first step, your Surrogate Support Team will try to find the perfect intended parent(s) for you, based on personality fit and legal circumstances. You’ll get to review each other’s profiles, ask questions, and generally feel each other out. There will also be an initial Skype call, and possibly an in-person meeting. It’s all about making sure both you and the intended parent(s) feel completely comfortable with the match. And of course, the surrogacy agreement only moves forward if you do.

Circle works with single parents, LGBTQ+ and heterosexual couples, domestic and international couples, and more. We’re confident you’ll be able to find a great match.