Gestational Surrogates

00:00:04.467 --> 00:00:07.467 Our center does a lot of what we call third-party reproduction. 00:00:07.533 --> 00:00:09.567 We do a lot of egg donation surrogacy. 00:00:09.633 --> 00:00:14.667 Nowadays, the use of surrogacy expanded, and it goes from pregnancy losses 00:00:14.733 --> 00:00:18.833 that we cannot find the reason, women that have implantation failure 00:00:18.900 --> 00:00:21.367 that we keep putting embryos back and we don't know why, 00:00:21.433 --> 00:00:25.333 psychological women that went through severe postpartum depression 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:28.800 or just don't feel like they can emotionally deal with a pregnancy 00:00:28.867 --> 00:00:29.900 because of body change. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:32.667 There are many, many reasons why women use surrogate nowadays. 00:00:33.100 --> 00:00:36.663 Usually when a couple, a single, is looking to use a surrogate, 00:00:36.729 --> 00:00:38.733 the first thing we need is embryos, of course. 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:42.433 IVF process, we have embryos ready. Now we start looking for a surrogate. 00:00:42.680 --> 00:00:46.134 We introduce them to agencies that we work very closely with. 00:00:46.200 --> 00:00:48.574 If they have an agency that they work with, great. 00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:52.300 If they have a surrogate, they fund independently, great. 00:00:53.100 --> 00:00:56.600 The first thing that we always say, you need to feel comfortable 00:00:56.667 --> 00:00:58.028 with the surrogate yourself. 00:00:58.100 --> 00:00:59.100 That's the first. 00:00:59.167 --> 00:01:03.700 The first thing is really a very thorough review of the profile, the medical record, 00:01:03.800 --> 00:01:06.467 making sure she is a suitable candidate. 00:01:06.533 --> 00:01:11.694 She goes through the whole screening, which is a pelvic exam, blood screening, 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:16.267 and so on, to make sure that she is a suitable candidate, 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:18.200 and that takes a bit of time. 00:01:18.900 --> 00:01:21.400 After she passed all of that screening, 00:01:21.556 --> 00:01:24.800 only then we recommend start working on the legal contract. 00:01:24.880 --> 00:01:28.333 Legal contract for surrogacy, it's complex. 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:31.567 It needs to be done by attorney that's specialized 00:01:31.633 --> 00:01:33.760 because sometimes we have patients say, "Hey, I'm an attorney." 00:01:33.833 --> 00:01:34.667 Or, "My friend…" No. 00:01:34.733 --> 00:01:37.733 You need somebody to really understand the process. 00:01:37.800 --> 00:01:41.600 We have a whole specialized team because surrogacy and egg donation 00:01:42.100 --> 00:01:45.400 is a field by itself and require a lot of experience 00:01:45.467 --> 00:01:50.054 not only from the fertility specialist, but the coordinators and the nurse. 00:01:50.120 --> 00:01:53.254 We have a team of about four or five coordinators, 00:01:53.320 --> 00:01:54.560 they do only that. 00:01:54.967 --> 00:01:56.800 Another concern, although we hear it last, 00:01:56.867 --> 00:02:00.494 the surrogate will want to keep the baby, and believe me, 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:02.367 the surrogates have enough of their own. 00:02:03.100 --> 00:02:05.221 A lot of the time, they actually do surrogacy 00:02:05.300 --> 00:02:07.933 also to support their own children, their own family. 00:02:08.933 --> 00:02:11.574 That scenario is extremely unlikely. 00:02:11.640 --> 00:02:15.203 Lastly, I want to say because we do see a lot of international couples, 00:02:15.269 --> 00:02:18.933 that the state of California is one of the most protective states 00:02:19.040 --> 00:02:23.414 from a legal perspective for parents as far as the surrogacy process 00:02:23.480 --> 00:02:25.500 and that's why I think we have so many patients 00:02:25.570 --> 00:02:27.200 that are coming to us internationally.