At The Law Offices of Denise M. Bierly, our professionals are dedicated to helping create families — and one of the increasing popular methods of doing so is through surrogacy in Pennsylvania.

We recognize that there are many intended parents hoping to have a genetically related child through a surrogacy pregnancy, and that there are just as many women looking to help them by becoming surrogates. To aid in this life-changing process, our surrogacy program offers the guidance you need to start exploring your surrogacy options and begin your surrogacy whenever you’re ready.

We encourage anyone considering surrogacy in Pennsylvania to call our professionals at 814-237-7900 to learn more about how surrogacy works in our state and how to begin with our surrogacy program. We will discuss your surrogacy options in detail to help you determine whether this is the best path for your family.

To start, we’ve listed some of the basic information you should know about surrogacy in this article.

First, What is Surrogacy?

The first step toward completing a surrogacy in Pennsylvania is understanding exactly what’s involved in the process. Many times, the first question that intended parents and prospective surrogates have is, “What is a surrogacy pregnancy?”

In its simplest terms, surrogacy involves a woman choosing to carry a child for someone else. Whether or not a surrogate is related to that child will depend on the type of surrogacy pursued, and more detailed aspects of the process are determined by individual state laws.

Most surrogacy professionals today, including those at The Law Offices of Denise M. Bierly, only complete gestational surrogacies, in which a surrogate is not genetically related to the child she carries. Instead, the intended parents create an embryo using their own sperm and egg (or a donated gamete) for transfer into the surrogate’s uterus. From there, she carries the baby to term under terms of a surrogacy contract. When she gives birth, the baby is legally the intended parents’, and they are able to take their child home from the hospital and start the family they’ve been dreaming of for so long.

There are many reasons why surrogacy professionals only complete gestational surrogacies rather than traditional surrogacies (where the surrogate is related to the baby) — mainly because of the legal and emotional complications of the latter option. Fortunately, gestational surrogacies in Pennsylvania are safe and straightforward to complete, and our surrogacy professionals will guide you through every step of this process.

How Does Gestational Surrogacy Work with The Law Offices of Denise M. Bierly?

Gestational surrogacy with our surrogacy program is an option for most intended parents and prospective surrogates. You can always speak to our surrogacy professionals to learn more about the requirements to be a surrogate or an intended parent, but here are some examples of those who typically work with our program:

• Intended Parents
  • Heterosexual couples who cannot carry a child to term themselves
  • Single men and male couples who want to have a genetically related child
  • Single women and lesbian couples who cannot carry a child to term themselves
• Surrogates
  • Women between the age of 21-45 who:
  • Have already had a child
  • Are healthy enough to carry a pregnancy to term
  • Want to help other parents create their family

Once you are confident that surrogacy in Pennsylvania is right for you, our surrogacy professionals can start guiding you through the process. You’ll need to meet certain medical and background check requirements before you can be matched with an intended parent or prospective surrogate. Once that is complete, our professionals will assist with this matching process and help draft a legal surrogacy contract that protects your rights and interests and sets out expectations for the surrogacy pregnancy moving forward.

From there, our professionals will coordinate with a surrogacy clinic to make sure the medical process of surrogacy is completed properly and efficiently. After a surrogate is confirmed pregnant, we will continue to be available to answer questions until she gives birth. At the same time, our lawyer will ensure that the intended parents’ rights are protected with necessary pre-birth or parentage orders, making the post-birth process of the surrogacy pregnancy as smooth as possible.

What Else Should Be Considered About Surrogacy?

A surrogacy pregnancy is not right for everyone, so we encourage all intended parents and prospective surrogates to do their research before pursuing this family-building method. Remember, our professionals are always available to answer whatever questions about surrogacy you may have.

When you choose to pursue surrogacy in Pennsylvania, keep in mind that the process usually takes about a year or more to complete, if every medical step is successful on the first try. In addition, while a surrogacy pregnancy is free for prospective surrogates (and they can receive surrogate compensation), surrogacy can be an expensive process for intended parents — and should be one that is budgeted for before starting.

Even with the help of our surrogacy professionals and other surrogacy counselors and support, a surrogacy pregnancy can be a challenging journey of emotional ups and downs. The process is an intimate partnership between intended parent and surrogate, especially when there are so many personal details involved in the screening and medical process. It’s important that all of those who are considering surrogacy in Pennsylvania understand these potential challenges ahead of time for the most positive surrogacy experience possible.

While this article answers the basics of what surrogacy is and how it works, there are also many things about surrogacy that are tailored to individual situations and circumstances. Therefore, prospective surrogates and intended parents should contact our surrogacy professionals today to learn more about surrogacy in Pennsylvania and whether it’s a possibility for them.