Become a Surrogate in Tampa, Florida

Become a Surrogate in Tampa

Due to its close location to the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa has been a popular place to live for centuries. The Spanish arrived and searched the area for silver and gold. When nothing was found, they moved on to other parts of Florida. The area was largely left unpopulated due to the indigenous people dying from European sicknesses brought over by the Spanish.

Eventually, the United States would take hold of Florida in the mid-1800s. Fort Brooke was first built in the area in 1824. Tampa was a frontier town that was largely isolated. When phosphate was discovered in the 1880s, Tampa’s economy turned for the better. A railroad was also built in the area.

More people began to flock to Tampa and industrialized it further. Due to its close location to the Gulf of Mexico, the area has become renowned for its tourist industry. It is now Florida’s third-most populated city with an estimated population of 392,890 people living there.

Because Florida is a surrogate-friendly state, it’s possible for those who live in Tampa to become a surrogate. If you’ve been thinking of getting involved with surrogacy in Florida, then here’s everything you need to know.

Time and Energy Commitments

The process of surrogacy is long. Before you join a surrogacy agency in Florida, it’s important that you understand how long the process can take. Once you start, it’s in bad taste to quit unless your life is at risk. Most surrogacies last anywhere from a year to two years.

There are a few reasons why it can take this long.

The first is due to the nature of the IVF and embryo transfer process. During IVF, the intended parents are given several fertility treatments to help boost their fertility. Their egg and sperm cells are collected to create an embryo in a petri dish.

The surrogate, meanwhile, is given fertility treatments to help boost the chance of her body accepting the embryo. Since most surrogate agencies only support gestational surrogacy, IVF and an embryo transfer are the methods used to create a baby. The fertility clinic will be responsible for creating the embryo and determining which fertility treatments each person needs to take.

When the embryo is created, the fertility clinic will place it inside of the surrogate. The delay comes if the embryo is not accepted by their body. The entire process then has to start over. Since it can sometimes take several weeks for the fertility drugs to have an effect, each time an embryo is lost, it can take on additional months to the process.

Another reason behind delays is matching. For most surrogate agencies, it can take anywhere from three to four months to match a surrogate with an intended parent. Many factors go into deciding the match. A surrogate agency takes its matching seriously since it has to rely on the two parties to get along in order for the process to be successful.

You also have nine months of a healthy pregnancy to look forward to after the embryo is successfully transferred.

Additionally, travel should also be considered. It is sometimes required that a surrogate travel a long distance to see the fertility clinic or doctor. While traveling is often compensated, it does still require time and energy on the surrogate’s part.

If you’re unsure if you can devote a year or two to the process of surrogacy, then it might not be for you.

Surrogate Compensation

For those who do choose to become a surrogate with a surrogacy agency in Florida, then you can expect considerable compensation. This compensation, when added to your existing income, might be enough to put away for a new home or save for your child’s college fund.

Surrogates can expect to make around $40,000 to $50,000. There are a few variables that can determine how much you can make. Some of the aspects that you’re paid for are as follows:

• Base compensation: $40,000
• Twins/multiples: $5,000
• Monthly allowance: $250
• Experienced Surrogate bonus: $5,000
• Maternity Clothes: $1,000
• Housekeeping: $2,000

The total amount is broken down into monthly installments of $4,250. For those who have a spouse that works, the intended parents who have hired our surrogate agency, Made in the USA Surrogacy, will also cover up to 10 days worth of their regular income.

Surrogacy Qualifications for Tampa, FL

In order to join an agency and receive surrogate compensation, you first have to pass the surrogacy qualifications that an agency lists. These are qualifications are to help ensure you can offer a healthy pregnancy for parents who are struggling with infertility. It’s also to ensure that you don’t unnecessarily put your own life at risk.

Some of the qualifications we have are as follows:

• You must be a US Citizen, or permanent resident of the United States, or a legal immigrant.
• You must be between the ages of 21 and 38 since that is when you are at your healthiest and most fertile.
• Your BMI should be between 19 and 30. Obesity can lead to other problems like gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. Both of these can cause a healthy pregnancy to suddenly become problematic.
• You must be financially secure. This means you do not receive financial assistance from the government or other cash assistance programs.
• You do not smoke.
• You do not take drugs.
• You are not an alcoholic.
• You have had at least one successful pregnancy and birth before applying to the agency.
• Finally, you must be able to go through and clear physical and psychological screening.

Steps to Get Started with Surrogacy in Florida

If you believe that you pass those qualifications, then you can begin with the process to join our agency. To become a surrogate with us, you first need to fill out our online intake form. This form demonstrates whether or not you pass the qualifications listed above.

You’ll be given the official surrogate application form if you pass the online intake form. At this time, we’ll also assign you an agency coordinator. This coordinator will help you with the application and can further assist you through the process of surrogacy.

The application requires you to submit paperwork. The easiest of those to obtain are photos of yourself and your family. The hardest is medical records. We’ll need medical records that cover the successful pregnancy that you had before applying with us. Not only does it show that you can carry a pregnancy successfully, but the medical records will also inform of us any medical conditions that were developed while you were pregnant.

Since medical records can take hospitals some time to collect, it’s important that you contact your hospital as soon as possible. Waiting can cause further delays on the process beginning which can extend how long the job lasts.

Once your application is submitted, you’ll need to have a PAP smear performed.

Your OBGYN will also need to send us a clearance letter to demonstrate that you are suitable for working as a surrogate.

Why Join an Agency

When you’re thinking about whether or not you should become a surrogate in Tampa, FL, you may also think of potentially going freelance. While some women do prefer to be freelance instead of working through an agency, it isn’t always the wisest choice. When you work freelance, you’re free to set the amount of money that you want to earn. That doesn’t mean that you’re going to make that amount.

You’ll have to get the intended parents to pay for a bulk of the medical expenses and travel expenses for you. They may not be willing on top of paying whatever amount you set. As a result, the amount that you actually make after paying those expenses yourself may be minimal.

An agency sets an amount that intended parents have to pay. This amount ensures that the expenses are also covered for the surrogates. You get to bring a lot of money back home with you.

Another reason that an agency is better than independent surrogacy is that the agency does a lot of the legwork for you. When you’re freelance, you have to put in the time and effort to locate intended parents. Even those that you find may not be a great fit for you.

Contact Our Agency Today

If you want to become a surrogate in Tampa FL, then contact our agency. We’ll help you jump start the surrogate process.