The Surrogate Application and Screening Process
My name is Britney Herringhsaw. I'm a 32 year old mum first, wife second and I have longed for this very opportunity to help another family bring life into theirs. I was born in the UK and lived in Florida for many years. Many of those years, Surrogacy has been on my mind. After moving to Upstate New York 3 years ago and learning that Surrogacy was a tough possibility here, I never thought for a second that the process in becoming a Surrogate would be this indescribable. You see, before NYSC and also before Covid showed its face, I actually
Positive Pregnancy and Discharge From the IVF Clinic
After second BETA test, which was on 12th day after embryo transfer my IVF clinic finally, gave me the good news that I am officially pregnant with my second surrobaby. I continued intralipid and blood work and ultra sound in each week. When I shared this news with my IPs they were ecstatic with this news. The first scan was on the 5th week’s checkup at my IVF clinic where it was confirmed one out of the two embryos had stuck as confirmed by one gestational sack and fetal pole. On my 6th weeks pregnancy I went for heart beat
Medical and Psychological Screening
Once I was matched with my Intended Parents Mike and RJ, I headed to their clinic in Buffalo for medical clearance. Living five hours away, I hopped a train so I could work on the way there and back. The medical clearance was straightforward. The reproductive endocrinologist performed a saline hysterogram, which is when a catheter is used to put a small amount of saline into your uterus. Then, via ultrasound, the doctor can visually check for any potential issues. She also performed a mock transfer, and all went well. We also discussed potential risks I’d be taking on as
The Surrogate Screening and Application Process
Having been an independent surrogate for a family member in the past, where there was no application process and minimal screening, I wasn’t sure what to expect when working with an agency. I knew it would be more in depth, and indeed I was impressed with all the bases that NYSC covers at this stage of the journey. The application itself was several pages long and touched on almost all aspects of my life: my health history (pregnancy and otherwise), what I do for work and how much I earn, what kind of surrogacy situations I am open to (carrying
The IVF Process for Embryo Transfer and the Wait After the Transfer
After legal paperwork was done, the agency provided the legal clearance to the IVF Fertility clinic to go ahead. Then everyone waited for my monthly cycle so I could go to the IVF clinic for a blood test and ultrasound. This was quite weird, this is one of the few occasions when I am happy with the start of the menstrual cycle since this marks the beginning of the medical process of IVF!!!! I called the clinic and informed the IPs too when my menstrual cycle started. I called the clinic the day my cycle started and went in for
The Matching Process
Sometimes I describe the matching process as being like dating, with NYSC as the matchmaker. And for me and my IPs, they got it right on the first attempt! When I was ready to match, Joe and Casey, the agency co-directors, helped me create a profile. It included a photo of me, my age, occupation, and a few other details. I also had a discussion with Joe about what kind of people I’d like to work with. I had a list of match preferences including: a gay couple, pro-vax, single embryo transfer (rather than double), willing to carry twins but
Psychological Tests and Legal Process
Once the two families, mine and the IP's, agreed to go ahead, I proceeded for the psychological test. The 1st test was on Zoom with my family. It was an introductory meeting with a psychologist. The psychologist wants to make sure that I have a supportive family, I do not have any mental health issues and mainly I am aware that I will give the baby or babies to the IPs after birth. Once she was convinced that I was a good candidate for surrogacy, then we processed for 2nd round. Then 2nd round was quite long, about 3 hours,
Matching with IPs
The agency found a couple based on my criteria and with my consent, they shared my surrogate profile with the prospective IPs. We mutually checked our background information. The agency set up a pre-match meeting over Zoom. It was about an hour call. They asked me why I am doing surrogacy, about my family background, education, my kids, my husband and medical issues. I also asked why they are pursuing surrogacy, about their family, about their marriage. Both parties were very happy after meeting and ready to go ahead.
The Surrogate Screening and Application Process
I am ‘S’, I am 39 years old, mother of two and happily married to my sweetheart husband for 15 years. I have a master's degree in History and a diploma in Accounting. I used to work before but currently I am a stay home mom. The reason I wanted to do surrogacy is I love to be pregnant. But I have completed my family. I don’t want any more babies of my own. I knew of a same sex couple. They were coincidentally looking for someone to carry their baby. I did my first journey for that known family
NY Surrogates & NY Intended Parents: What to do before the CPSA becomes Law in February 2021
It’s just over 2 months until the New York Child Parent Security Act becomes effective on February 15, 2021! This law changes everything about surrogacy in New York – most importantly, it will legalize compensated surrogacy – finally! Since compensated surrogacy is still illegal in NY until February, surrogates and intended parents can’t officially start the surrogacy process until then, but there are definitely things NY surrogates and NY intended parents can be doing to prepare for February. NY Intended Parents If you’re reading this as a prospective intended parent, I’m sure you’re anxious to get started on your journey
