The Match of a Lifetime
One of the most exciting parts of the surrogacy process thus far, matching. Everything about this process was a constant reminder of the reason I chose to become a surrogate. I finally moved past paperwork and was able to move to a step that made this whole process finally seem real. The butterflies I got when we received the profiles of intended parents were intense. I was happy, nervous, and anxious all rolled into one. Let me slow down and explain how the process went for me. I was first sent a draft of my surrogacy profile. This is what the
Matching đź–¤
I can't find any other word but "giddy" to describe how I felt when I received the first draft of my surrogate profile. It was all becoming so real!! The profile was created using my answers from my initial application to NYSC and contained a photo, basic demographics, my hobbies/interests, a medical history overview, the cost of my monthly (surrogacy friendly!) health insurance premium, a brief social history, surrogacy terms such as transfer attempts and feelings on termination/reduction, and blurbs on why I want to be a surrogate and how I'd describe my ideal Intended Parent(s). It was really important to
The Matching Process
Have you ever had it set in your mind what your perfect match would be like? Well as I was gearing up for journey number 2, I had a lot of boxes to check off of my list for this match. I thought the biggest box on my list was to only match with a same-sex couple. I remember when it came time to view profiles I told Joe, only same-sex. Well, I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and with that being said, the same-sex just wasn’t the one this time. So, after much talking, I
Matching Process Turning out so Much Better Than Expected!
The matching phase started with a zoom call with Joe. I was so nervous; we had talked on the phone before but this time felt more official; it would be the beginning of really starting surrogacy! The call was very nice and laid back. Joe has a unique ability to make everyone feel natural and comfortable. We went over what to expect from here, what expenses I would have to travel (i.e. child care and wage reimbursements), and what I did and didn’t want in IPs. My list wasn’t very long. I just wanted to be matched with someone who
Matching
Once I was ready to start matching my profile was created. My final profile consisted of a picture of me, age, medical history, the type of IPs that were ideal for me, and a few requirements that I would/wouldn't do during a surrogacy journey. All of this information is important to find the perfect match. I was open and honest about who I wanted to be matched with. The first IP profile Joe showed me was the last one I needed to see! I wanted my profile to be shown to them asap! Not a day later we all decided
Matching with Intended Parents
I've never actually experienced online dating before, but I love to describe my matching process with NY Surrogacy Center as the closest I've been to it. I'm not proud to admit this, but I imagined this part of my journey with any agency feeling more like a business transaction. I assumed there was a long questionnaire that would put me into a pool of couples that were eager to have me. It's not the experience I wanted, so I was obviously happy to be wrong. Once In-Take and Pre-Screening were complete, I was excited to move to the next step. Matching. I
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
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.
Independent Surrogacy vs. Agency Surrogacy: the Surrogate’s Perspective
Unless you are considering being a surrogate for a friend or family member, the advantages of working with a surrogacy agency often far outweigh the disadvantages. If you choose not to work with an agency, that’s considered an independent surrogacy journey. Screening & Eligibility Surrogates working with a surrogacy agency do have to be carefully screened before they’re approved to be matched (read about the details of that process here: Surrogacy Process - New York Surrogacy Center (nysurrogacycenter.com)). Although the surrogate screening process may seem like a lot of work, it’s a very important part of the overall process. The
