• The surrogate’s time off for medical appointments is managed through a combination of personal leave and compensation structured in the gestational carrier agreement.

• Surrogates must attend multiple appointments including medical screening, embryo transfer, monitoring, and OB visits throughout the pregnancy 

• Clear legal review of lost wage clauses is critical to avoid surprises during the surrogacy journey 

Hi everyone. Ashley Old, Case Manager with Bright Futures Families, here with your Ask a Surrogate expert question. This week's question As a surrogate, how am I paid and how often? Great question. As a surrogate, once pregnancy is confirmed, you're typically paid in monthly installments. You will also receive additional payments for specific milestones and expenses along the way. Thanks for the great question.

Families choose surrogacy and other paths to parenthood for many personal reasons—including medical need, LGBTQ+ family building, and the desire for a biological connection. This blog explores surrogacy, adoption, IVF, IUI, and reciprocal IVF, and why every family deserves the freedom to grow in the way that feels right for them.

• The main point is that clients can work with Brightff.com families even if they already know their gestational carrier or intended parents.

• Jenn explained the Indy Match program allows independent matches while still providing full agency support from screening through birth.

• • The agency handles all medical screening for the carrier just like in the full-service program.

  • Support continues from the moment of matching until after the baby’s birth.

  • Monthly agency fees start only after medical records are approved by the clinic.

  • This approach reduces financial risk for intended parents if records are not approved.

Hi, it's Janelle with Ask A Surrogacy Expert. Our question is, while in the womb, how is your relationship different with your own children than your relationship with the surrogate baby? So really, I think there's that psychological piece of knowing, hey, this isn't my baby. So when you feel kicks and flutters and things like that, it's like, oh, it's so cute. So it really just does feel like babysitting. For me, it wasn't quite as sentimental. I think everybody's a little bit different with that. But it was cool to be able to text the IPs and let them know baby's kicking like crazy today. But it doesn't feel quite the same because you are aware already that you are just growing someone else's baby for them and that eventually you'll be able to do this awesome thing of giving baby back to them once he or she is born. And it's just, it's incredible. So not the same, but also amazing.

Matching with a Gestational Carrier (GC) in a state with abortion restrictions can add legal, medical, and ethical complexity—but it doesn’t automatically prevent surrogacy. This guide helps intended parents understand what abortion bans may impact during a surrogacy journey, including how pregnancy management decisions (such as medical complications, selective reduction, or termination) are typically addressed through early communication, detailed contracts, and coordinated care planning. Intended parents will learn what questions to ask before matching, how legal protections like conflict-of-law clauses and parental rights safeguards may be handled, and why alignment, transparency, and experienced agency and legal support are essential when navigating surrogacy in restrictive states.

What surrogates should know about travel after delivery.

Pumping as a surrogate is an incredibly generous and thoughtful gift to the baby and their (no longer intended – actual!) parents. Whether you're pumping for a short time postpartum or planning an extended pumping journey, here are some helpful tips and guidance specifically for surrogates.

Key questions to ask during a surrogacy match meeting for a strong partnership.

A breakdown of commonly overlooked costs in the surrogacy journey.

Children’s books can be a beautiful way to help young minds understand the story of surrogacy — whether they are the children of intended parents, surrogates, or family members with questions of their own.

An overview of postpartum counseling and emotional support for surrogates.

A thoughtful conversation about post-birth emotions, boundaries, and healing for surrogates.

Choosing the right egg donor is a big deal. It’s about more than just matching physical traits; it’s about imagining a future, a family, and a life filled with joy. But with so many donor profiles to explore, it can feel a bit like dating, only with way more paperwork! So where do you start?

A clear explanation of why injections are part of the IVF process for gestational surrogates.

OB care during a surrogacy journey follows standard pregnancy care while honoring clear medical, legal, and privacy boundaries. This guide helps intended parents understand how obstetric care works in surrogacy, including patient roles, appointment structure, communication, delivery planning, and hospital protocols.

Just like any pregnancy, restrictions are to be expected. What restrictions can surrogates expect that differ from their own pregnancies? Callie has the answer.

In this Ask a Surrogacy Expert video, Bright Futures Families team member Janelle shares whether potential gestational carriers can apply to become a surrogate through our surrogacy agency if they are currently breastfeeding their own children.

The journey of growing a family through surrogacy is complex, emotional, and full of moving pieces. Each story is unique, shaped by countless variables that bring both challenges and rewards. What is consistent, however, is that surrogacy is a group effort — truly, it takes a village.

Travel rules are a standard part of a gestational carrier contract. These limits help keep the GC and baby safe, and they help avoid legal complications around where parentage orders can be filed. Here’s what to expect — and why these guidelines are in place.