This FAQ answers the twenty questions surrogate candidates ask most: compensation ($50,000–$65,000 base, negotiable higher by experience and location), genetics (gestational surrogates share no DNA with the baby), eligibility (age 21–39, one prior healthy delivery), the impact on work and family, medical safety, legal protections including escrow and independent counsel, and what happens after delivery. Every answer reflects the actual policies of the EggDonors4All / Surrogacy4All program.
For anything not covered, call 1-212-661-7177.
Ans. Base compensation is $50,000–$65,000, and higher compensation is negotiable based on experience and geographic location. On top of that: monthly allowance, transfer fees, maternity clothing allowance, milestone payments, and every expense covered. Full breakdown: Surrogate Compensation.
Ans. Early — allowance payments begin at signing and screening, and base installments begin at confirmed heartbeat. You are never waiting until delivery to be paid.
Ans. Your entire package is deposited into a licensed escrow account before your medical cycle begins. Payments release on a contractual schedule regardless of anyone’s change of heart.
Ans. No. Medical, legal, travel, screening, insurance — all covered by the intended parents. If you’re ever asked to pay for something, that’s the moment you call your coordinator.
Ans. Yes — $1,000 for each qualified surrogate you refer, payable once she is pregnant. No limit.
Ans. No. As a gestational surrogate you carry an embryo created from the intended parents’ or donors’ egg and sperm. You share no DNA with the baby.
Ans. Surrogates consistently tell us the emotion at delivery is joy, not loss — because from day one, this was always someone else’s baby that you were keeping safe. The psychological screening in Stage 2 exists exactly to confirm you’ll experience it that way, and postpartum support is built in.
Ans. That’s designed by you and the intended parents during matching — from annual updates to lifelong friendship. Many of our surrogates receive birthday photos for years.
Ans. Age 21–39, at least one healthy full-term delivery, currently raising a child, healthy BMI, non-smoker, living in an eligible state. Full list: Surrogate Requirements.
Ans. Usually not. Most clinics accept surrogates with prior C-sections after records review.
Ans. No — it’s a brief outpatient procedure most women compare to a Pap smear. No anesthesia, back to normal life quickly.
Ans. The protocols use well-established fertility medications administered under IVF-physician supervision, the same regimens used across reproductive medicine, consistent with ASRM practice guidance. You’ll review every medication with the clinic before starting, and our program content is physician-reviewed by Dr. Rashmi Gulati, MD.
Ans. Surrogacy carries the normal risks of pregnancy, which is exactly why screening insists on candidates with a demonstrated history of healthy, uncomplicated delivery — the strongest known predictor of another healthy pregnancy. Your health history is reviewed by physicians before anyone proceeds.
Ans. Nearly all surrogates do. Medically required absences are reimbursed as lost wages.
Ans. Simply and proudly — most surrogates say something like “we’re helping another family have a baby, because their mommy’s tummy can’t.” Children tend to accept it beautifully, and your screening psychologist can help you find the words.
Ans. Participate in psychological screening, complete basic medical testing, sign the agreement, and — most importantly — be your support system. Partners are part of the journey by design.
Ans. Yes, within the normal medical guidance of any pregnancy plus any specifics in your contract (late-pregnancy travel limits are standard). This is a pregnancy, not confinement.
Ans. Always — independent counsel representing only you, paid by the intended parents. In New York, this is guaranteed by law under the Child-Parent Security Act; our program is NYS-licensed (GSP220903). See State Eligibility for how your state handles it.
Ans. Before contracts are signed, you can withdraw at any time, no questions asked. After signing, your commitments are contractual — which is why we make sure you understand every line before you sign, with your own attorney beside you.
If you haven’t had children yet, egg donation may fit your life stage better right now — see the honest comparison on Egg Donor vs. Surrogate.
Whatever wasn’t answered here, a coordinator will answer live. Call 1-212-661-7177, email in**@***********ll.com, or start your application — it takes five minutes.
Medical review: Dr. Rashmi Gulati, MD. Author: Dr. Kulsoom Baloch, MBBS/MPH.
Egg donation is a process where a woman (the egg donor) provides one or several eggs (also known as oocytes) for purposes of assisted reproduction, with the eggs being fertilized in the laboratory. Once fertilized, the resulting embryos are transferred to the recipient’s uterus to initiate a pregnancy, or they can be cryopreserved (frozen) for future use.