Yes! You can absolutely come to Oregon Reproductive Medicine (ORM) if you already have a surrogate.
We work with surrogacy agencies all over the world and have wonderful relationships with many of them. We also work with private matches that involve either a family member or close friend carrying the pregnancy. We would be happy to discuss the incredibly personal and complex process of choosing the right gestational carrier for your family.
Our Third Party Reproduction team specializes in helping create families using surrogates and egg donors. Give us a call and set up an appointment to discuss the process with one of our wonderful doctors!
What is Third Party Reproduction?
Third Party Reproduction (TPR) is the name of our team at Oregon Reproductive Medicine that specializes in families that are using an egg donor, sperm donor or a gestational carrier to create their family. This means there is a third person involved in conception – hence the name third party.
What is surrogacy?
Surrogacy is a form of assisted reproductive treatment in which a woman carries a child in her uterus on behalf of another person or couple. The woman carrying the pregnancy is often called a surrogate or gestational carrier. There are two types of surrogacy, gestational and traditional. At Oregon Reproductive Medicine we only do gestational surrogacy. So what is the difference between traditional and gestational surrogacy?
Traditional surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman is inseminated with the sperm of a man who is not her partner in order to conceive and carry a child for another person or couple. The sperm may be provided by the intended father or a sperm donor and the surrogate’s eggs are inseminated. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is genetically related to the child. Usually, the intended parents must adopt the child after birth.
Gestational surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries a pregnancy for another person or couple. The woman undergoes the transfer of an embryo created through IVF using the eggs and sperm of the intended parent(s) and/or a donor. The gestational carrier herself does not contribute eggs to the creation of the embryos. She is not genetically related to the child. A legal agreement between the intended parents and the gestational carrier is established prior to the embryo transfer. Most often, the intended parents are able to establish parentage prior to the birth of the child. Gestational Carriers go through a process of medical clearance to ensure they are able to provide the best environment for a growing baby. We perform all our embryo transfers here in our clinic in Downtown Portland. We provide close medical care and monitoring throughout early pregnancy to ensure the best possible outcome for the carrier and the baby.
Does your carrier need to live in Oregon?
No, your carrier does not need to live in Oregon. We have surrogates from all over the United States. We do pay close attention to the laws in the home state of the carrier to make sure that they are surrogacy friendly. The carrier will need to come to Oregon Reproductive Medicine at least twice – once for a comprehensive consultation and uterine evaluation and again for the embryo transfer. We work closely with fertility clinics across the United States for local monitoring throughout the treatment process to ensure the best possible care of the surrogate and pregnancy.
What is the process I will go through at ORM?
Your journey with us will start with a new patient consultation with your doctor. This can occur over the phone, Skype or in person. Your doctor will discuss your medical history, your expectations and your goals for pregnancy. You may choose to discuss your carrier at this visit or not. You will also discuss your plans for creating embryos – whether that is through IVF or through an egg donor. Your doctor will create a personalized plan for your family of how to proceed. After your appointment, you will be connected with your TPR Coordinator who will be your point-person here at ORM. Your TPR Coordinator will help guide you through all aspects of your cycle from beginning to the graduation of your surrogate to their OB/GYN.
When can my surrogate get pregnant?
Our clinic has very high standards for surrogates. This means we review all pregnancy and delivery records for your carrier before approving her to work with us here at ORM. We want to be sure that the woman carrying your baby is healthy and ready to begin the wonderful journey of surrogacy. If you are working with an agency, we will communicate and work directly with them to gather these records and get your carrier Oregon Reproductive Medicine approved. If this is a private match, we will work with the prospective surrogate directly to get all her records to the clinic. Once we have received all the records, our Oregon Reproductive Medicine Surrogate Committee, comprised of Doctors and Nurse Practitioners, will go through and review all the records. We are looking to see that the prospective surrogate has a history of uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery. Here at Oregon Reproductive Medicine, we do have high standards for approval. We want to be sure that we are moving forward with the best chance possible of achieving a healthy pregnancy and birth for both the carrier and the child. After the prospective surrogate has been approved through our clinic, we can begin pre-cycle testing and start the journey toward the embryo transfer.
If you have any questions or have any special circumstances, you would like to discuss – please connect with us! We love working with our patients and creating families in all types of scenarios. We look forward to meeting you!
