Intended Parents FAQ

A Gestational Surrogate is a woman who carries a baby for another couple or individual, but she is not genetically connected to the baby(ies) since she is not using her own eggs. With Gestational Surrogacy, the egg source will either be the Intended Mother or an Egg Donor, and pregnancy is achieved via IVF.

A Traditional Surrogate is a woman who carries a baby for another couple or individual, but she is genetically connected to the baby(ies) since she is using her own eggs. With Traditional Surrogacy, pregnancy is achieved via IVF or artificial insemination. Shining Light Baby only works with Gestational Surrogacy arrangements and we refer to Gestational Surrogates as “Surrogates” throughout this website.

There are a variety of Intended Parents who need family building assistance: heterosexual Intended Parents, with the Intended Mother being infertile or having a medical condition making pregnancy inadvisable or impossible; Same-Sex Intended Parents, Single Intended Fathers, Single Intended Mothers, International Intended Parents, Domestic Intended Parents, Intended Parents who may be considered “older” (50+) and HIV+ Intended Parents. Shining Light Baby will address with each Surrogate what her preferences are, if any, regarding Intended Parent scenarios, and will make sure profiles are shared accordingly.

No problem at all, there are many single men and women who want to become parents and need the help of a Surrogate to make this happen. There are also many Surrogates who are happy to work with single Intended Parents. Shining Light Baby will match you accordingly, as well as assist you with any of your Egg Donation or Sperm Donation needs through our many resources.

Shining Light Baby is happy to work with HIV+ Intended Parents. While there may be some Surrogates who are not open to matching with HIV+ folks, there are still many others who are pleased to be a Surrogate for any deserving Intended Parents and do not have any issue with matching with someone HIV+. We are fortunate to have the SPAR (Special Program of Assisted Reproduction) in Bedford, Massachusetts, making it safe for washed sperm to be used to create embryos for transfer to a Surrogate. As with any Intended Parent and Surrogate match, we will match you based on your criteria and the Surrogate’s criteria.

The amount of time from when Intended Parents sign up with Shining Light baby until the baby’s birth will vary and is based on several factors. You will need to take into consideration the number of weeks or months to match with a Surrogate, the number of months to complete medical screening and legal clearance (typically three), whether or not the embryo transfer is successful on the first attempt or additional attempts are needed, and finally, the length of the pregnancy.  With all the above taken into account, a realistic timeline expectation is 14-17 months from signing up with our agency until your baby(ies) is/are born.

Once you have signed up with Shining Light Baby, you may expect to match with a Surrogate in one to four months, depending on your criteria, the criteria of the Surrogates currently available, and the number of Intended Parents who have signed up before you who need to be matched. In order to have the most accurate estimation of the matching time frame, we recommend that you ask us this question in real-time.

The Surrogacy process is a major commitment and a journey that, like anything significant in one’s life, begins with a single step. We at Shining Light Baby are grateful you are reviewing our website, as this may be your first step! Now that you are here, let us review the steps involved from beginning to baby.

Contact Shining Light Baby to share your interest with us; call us at 847-466-1628,  email us, or submit an inquiry through our website.

We will speak with you to address your initial questions and send you our Intended Parent information via email.

CONSULTATION

We will arrange a phone call, video meeting, or in-person appointment at your earliest convenience; we will review everything with you in detail to ensure you have a good understanding of the process with our agency and all additional related information. Our consultations are free of charge of course. We understand you will have many questions, as choosing an agency is a very important decision in which you must be comfortable.

SIGN-UP WITH SHINING LIGHT BABY

Once you are ready to sign up with our agency, you will sign the Agency Intended Parent Agreement and submit the agency retainer. It is at this time you will be considered waiting to be matched with a Surrogate. You will simultaneously complete the Intended Parent paperwork, including your Profile that will be shared with your potential Surrogate. Also, if you have not already chosen a fertility doctor/center, we can refer you to one of the top-notch and highly reputable fertility doctors/centers with whom we work.

MATCH WITH SURROGATE

We will share Surrogate profiles with you based on your criteria, preferences addressed in your Intended profile and Confidential information form, and primarily, our conversations

with you regarding matching. Once you are interested in Intended Parents, we will arrange a match meeting to be conducted at everyone’s earliest convenience.

We at Shining Light Baby believe that a great Intended Parent and Surrogate match is of utmost importance. To ensure this occurs, we evaluate all aspects of a potential match rather than placing people together based only on a checklist. With our attention to each party’s preferences and our extensive matching experience, the pieces are in place for a smooth and united experience together.

OPEN YOUR ESCROW ACCOUNT

Congratulations on your match! Now that you are at this point, you will need to open your escrow account. Shining Light Baby works with a reputable and efficient escrow account company with whom we will refer you. You will also need to initially fund your account at this time.

SURROGATE MEDICAL SCREENING

Once you are matched, your Surrogate’s medical screening appointment will be arranged to meet with your fertility doctor/clinic. We will handle your Surrogate’s travel arrangements and we will make certain all details are taken care of as your Surrogate’s screening plans are in place.

LEGAL AGREEMENT

Upon your Surrogate’s fertility medical clearance, the Direct Intended Parent Surrogate Agreement will be drafted and signed by all parties. All parties must be represented by separate attorneys. Shining Light Baby will connect you with one of the attorneys with whom we work specializing in Third Party Reproduction, including contract negotiation and any pre-birth or post work legalities. You may also come to our agency with someone of choice already, providing they are experienced in the area of Assisted Reproduction. Either way, we will make certain you are in the best legal hands and pertinent information needed from our end is handled in a timely fashion.

ESCROW ACCOUNT, FULL FUNDING

By the time your Direct Legal Agreement is signed by all parties, you will need to have fully funded your escrow account. This step must be taken before your Surrogate is able to begin her medication protocol in preparation for the embryo transfer.

BEGINNING OF MEDICATION PROTOCOL

Once you and your Surrogate have signed the Direct Agreement and your escrow account is fully funded, your Surrogate will begin the medication protocol for the embryo transfer. From the time she begins the protocol until your transfer it will typically be approximately 3.5 – 4 weeks.

INSURANCE DEADLINE:

If you are purchasing health insurance for your Surrogate pregnancy, it is important to know that some insurance plans require the insurance has been applied for previous to pregnancy—or it may be much more costly to purchase insurance after the pregnancy has been achieved (i.e. the embryo transfer has taken place). With this in mind, Shining Light Baby will make sure that any such health insurance is purchased before your embryo transfer.

EMBRYO TRANSFER

After the Direct Agreement is signed, your Surrogate will begin the medication protocol for your upcoming embryo transfer. Such an exciting time for everyone! Intended Parents able to do so may attend the transfer in person; otherwise, you may video in via FaceTime, Whatsapp, Skype, or Zoom or the like.

PREGNANCY & BIRTH

Your Surrogate will have her beta test ten days post the embryo transfer to find out if you are pregnant. This is an exciting and nerve-wracking time all rolled into one! Once pregnancy is confirmed you can begin the countdown to your baby in your arms nine months or so later. Shining Light Baby will remain in frequent contact with you and your Surrogate frequently throughout the pregnancy to ensure everything is taken care of and all on track. We are here for you each stage of your process and through the birth of this miracle baby/these miracle babies. We are also happy to stay in touch with you after your journey is complete as our Intended Parents and Surrogates are forever family to Shining Light Baby.

Surrogates are women who are mothers themselves, they are sometimes married or in a committed relationship, sometimes single, they are stay-at-home moms, work-from-home moms or work-out-of-the-home moms. Surrogates are women who are healthy and do not have fertility problems, they enjoy being pregnant and want to utilize their gift of fertility to help someone else become a family. They are women who appreciate the miracle of parenthood and want to make a huge difference by bringing a baby/babies into the world for those who cannot do so without their help.

If you did not have a successful first transfer, as long as your fertility doctor felt there was no reason not to try again with the same Surrogate, you would plan for a transfer in a couple or few months, depending on the medical advice you all received. If your doctor felt you should not have another transfer attempt with your Surrogate due to a medical reason or concern, we would rematch you with another Surrogate without an additional agency fee due.

We are glad to refer you to one of the reputable fertility doctors/clinics with whom we work. We will discuss with you your needs such as location requirements and any additional specifics and will recommend options for you.

In the rare case a Surrogate were to back out of the process before she was pregnant or if she were to not medically clear, we would rematch you with a different Surrogate for no additional agency fee.

NEED AN INTERNAL LINK IF YOU HAVE ONE

Surrogacy Laws By State

This is a question we encourage you to ask yourself. What type of relationship are you hoping to have with your Surrogate? Do you have anything in mind or are you open to whatever unfolds either way? Many Surrogates wish to have at least some element of contact and connection during the process and after, especially during the pregnancy. This may include very frequent communication to contact only regarding the medical appointments (or other logistical items) to everything in between. This is another area Shining Light Baby will cover with you to make certain you are being matched appropriately, with a Surrogate who is on the same page and who has the same vision for your relationship.

This depends on your preferences and any specifics addressing the minimum contact requirements, as outlined in your Direct Intended Parent Surrogate Agreement. During the matching process, this will all be taken into account as we consider Surrogate options for you. It is important that you and your Surrogate have the same idea in mind regarding contact frequency and required contact conditions, however, much of this will depend on your relationship and how often you choose to connect naturally.

Absolutely, we offer the option of “Facilitation Only” for Intended Parents who have located a Surrogate on their own and would like Shining Light Baby to facilitate their journey together. Our agency will provide all our normal services with a reduced agency fee for Intended Parents who have already been matched with a Surrogate.