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How To Become a Surrogate in West Palm Beach, Florida
Founded in the mid-1800s, West Palm Beach FL was immediately attractive for its farming. The early settlers started to grow citrus and other fruits in the area. Although a good part of the population was made up of employees of nearby Palm Beach’s hotels, the area started to grow its own tourism and fruit industries.
Although the area struggled during the Great Depression, it grew rapidly in World War II when the Palm Beach Air Force Base was installed in the area. This area also saw some contact from German forces. They would frequently sink merchant ships right off the coast of West Palm Beach.
Once air conditioners started to spread across the country, more northerners found Florida’s climate to be more hospitable. They began to move down to Florida and made West Palm Beach their new home.
Today, West Palm Beach offers a thriving entertainment center downtown. There are also many shopping centers and beautiful parks.
For those who live in West Palm Beach FL and are interested in taking on a job that changes people’s lives, then you may want to consider surrogacy in Florida. Florida is a surrogate-friendly state that supports both traditional and gestational surrogacy. Most surrogate agencies, however, only offer contracts for gestational surrogacy.
This means that the embryo that is formed comes either from the intended parents or from an egg or sperm donor. The surrogate does not provide her eggs. Here’s everything you need to know about joining a surrogacy agency in Florida.
Time and Energy Commitments
One of the most important aspects that you need to know about becoming a surrogate with a surrogate agency is that it requires a lot of time. You do not merely have nine months of a healthy pregnancy to get through. Often, you can spend a year or two years on a single surrogate job.
There are a few reasons as to why the process of surrogacy can take so long. One of them is during the time spent at a fertility clinic. After being matched with intended parents, you and they will have to start taking fertility medications given through a fertility clinic.
These medications are to help IVF and the embryo transfer be successful. For intended parents, IVF is the collection of their egg and sperm cells. They are placed in a petri dish where they combine and form an embryo. Since the intended parents are already struggling with infertility, it may take several attempts with the medications until they can make a viable embryo.
It may come to the point where the intended parents need to use donated eggs or sperm. depending on where they are getting those donations, it may take a few weeks for them to arrive at the clinic.
You’ll also be taking fertility medications for the embryo transfer. This is when the embryo from the petri dish is placed inside your body. If all goes well, the embryo will be accepted by your body and will start to grow into a healthy pregnancy. Yet this isn’t always the case.
If the medications don’t quite work, then the embryo will be rejected. As a result, you’ll need to start the medications over again. The intended parents may also need to make another embryo if only one was formed.
This process can occur again and again if neither IVF nor the embryo transfer is successful. As a result, you could see the addition of several months to your surrogate journey.
Another possible delay is in matching. When you join a surrogate agency, they will work diligently to match you with intended parents that they believe is the best fit. Depending on your criteria and theirs, this process can take a few months.
One final aspect of the process of surrogacy to consider is travel. While your expenses will likely be covered by the intended parents, you still may need to travel a few days in order to go to a clinic. Both the time and energy costs of travel should be considered before you decide to become a surrogate.
Surrogate Compensation in West Palm Beach, FL
If surrogacy in Florida still sounds great to you, then you should be aware of the surrogate compensation that you may receive. Each agency offers different compensation rates and benefits packages. Our agency, Made in the USA Surrogacy, offers its surrogates around $40,000 to $50,000. Some of the expenses that are covered include:
- Base compensation: $40,000
- Twins/multiples: $5,000
- Monthly allowance: $250
- Experienced Surrogate bonus: $5,000
- Maternity Clothes: $1,000
- Housekeeping: $2,000
The amount that you receive is roughly broken up into monthly installments of $4,250. We also offer a surrogate benefit package that pays up to 10 day’s worth for your spouse for missed work.
Clearly, when added to your own income, this amount can be a great investment for other opportunities.
Surrogacy Qualifications
Every surrogacy agency in Florida has its own surrogacy qualifications though many of them are similar. When you want to become a surrogate with our agency, you’ll find that our qualifications are primarily based on your health. This is because we want to give you the best chance possible of providing a healthy pregnancy for the intended parents. Here are some of the qualifications that you will need to meet in order to join our agency.
- You must be between the ages of 21 and 38. This is the period of time in which you are the most fertile and healthiest to carry a baby.
- Your BMI should be between 19 and 30. Being overweight or obese can have a negative impact on the health of the child, as well as your own, during pregnancy.
- You must have had at least one successful pregnancy and birth before applying. This shows us that you are capable of carrying children full-term.
- You must be financially stable and secure without receiving cash assistance.
- You must be a citizen, legal immigrant, or permanent resident of the United States.
- You must not be an alcoholic.
- You must not be a smoker.
- You must not use drugs.
- You must be able to pass physical and psychological screenings.
Steps to Join Our Agency in West Palm Beach, FL
If you’re ready to take the leap and become a surrogate with our agency, then here are the steps to do so. First, you’ll need to complete an online intake form. This helps determine whether or not you are healthy enough to be a surrogate.
When you pass the intake form, you’ll be given the official surrogate application form. You’ll also be assigned an agency coordinator who will help you through your entire surrogate journey. They’ll help remind you of appointments and make you aware of the tasks that you need to complete.
While you’re submitting your application, you will also need to submit certain pieces of paperwork to us. One of those is photos of yourself and your family.
A bit more difficult round of paperwork is medical records that detail your previous pregnancy. You’ll need to contact your hospital as soon as possible to get those records as it can take them several months to put the records together. In order to keep your surrogate journey on track, you’ll want to contact them quickly.
You’ll also need to obtain a clearance letter from your OBGYN which clears you for being used as a surrogate.
Finally, you’ll need to complete a PAP smear within a year of applying with us.
Why You Should Join an Agency in West Palm Beach, FL
Since Florida legalizes the use of surrogates, you may wonder if you should become a surrogate on your own or join an agency. It may seem more lucrative to go on your own, but this isn’t always the case. An agency works as a mediator to help both the intended parents and the surrogate reach a reasonable agreement on things like payment and benefits.
For example, an agency offers an entire surrogate benefit package that intended parents to pay for expenses such as you such as travel and other expenses noted above.
An agency can also help you find surrogate health insurance and a surrogate attorney.
Contact Us Today
If you’re ready to become a surrogate in West Palm Beach FL, then contact our agency. We can help you get started with your journey.