Yes, depending on the clinic you select. Generally, the shipping of frozen embryos requires the filing of documents with Customs as well as specialized shipping containers.  We will work, on your behalf, with both the clinic that has the frozen embryos and the hospital in India to ensure safe and proper handling of the embryos.

No. While it would be great to be able to carry the embryos and see them safely to their destination, the frozen embryos cannot be transported on regular, commercial passenger flights. Because the embryos need to be shipped in special containers, they must travel on non-commercial flights that accommodate the freezing and pressurization required.

Yes and no. Nothing in life comes with a guarantee. However, the likelihood of an Indian surrogate changing her mind in the middle of a pregnancy is very small. That said, if this were to be the case, we would most certainly accept the financial responsibility associated with finding another surrogate and related medical procedures.

Should a pregnancy and successful birth not result, Intended Parents who choose to participate in our Guarantee Program will have no additional costs for subsequent attempts for a period of 27 months and will be eligible for a refund at the end of the 27 months period. The Guarantee Program is only available to Intended Parents using an egg donor. Intended Parents who do not choose the Guarantee Program will incur additional costs for subsequent attempts.

Fertility is not an exact science and, as much as we wish we could, we cannot guarantee a child. To qualified Intended Parents, however, we do offer the option of our guarantee program. Under the terms of this unique program, if, after 27 months, there is not a successful pregnancy, nearly all of the costs incurred will be reimbursed.

A surrogate is a woman who agrees to carry a pregnancy for another person or couple, called the Intended Parent(s). You may also hear a surrogate referred to as a carrier. With a gestational surrogate, such as those contracted through Proactive Family Solutions, the carrier is implanted with an embryo created from either sperm and/or egg from the intended couple or a donor. The baby has no genetic relationship to the carrier, who is only responsible for gestating the baby until birth.

Adoption is a wonderful choice for many people. However, surrogacy has, what some would consider, advantages. When genetic material from the Intended Parents is used, there is an actual genetic relationship to the child. Moreover, unlike in most adoptions, Intended Parents are closely involved in monitoring the health and progress of the pregnancy and birth and are involved in decisions pertaining to the health of the unborn child. The surrogate’s obligations and compensation are governed by contract, which provides a distinct measure of security to all involved. In contrast with adoption, the carrier in a surrogacy has significantly diminished, even non-existent, parental rights once the baby is born.

We work with the physician in the hospital to recruit and identify suitable surrogates. Unlike many clinics/hospitals, we prefer to contract with married women who have already had children. While there is no guarantee, by contracting with women who already have families, we have a level of certainty that the surrogate has a history of being able to conceive, carry and produce a successful pregnancy. Additionally, we opt to leave the surrogate in the comfort of her own home. While some clinics/hospitals provide for a “dormitory,” presumably to be able to monitor progress and deliver care, we believe that for a woman with a family this is a stressful situation. Instead, our surrogates are under the medical care of the physician attending routine check-ups and receiving home visits from the doctor’s staff.

If the Intended Parents fulfill their contractual obligations, it would be virtually impossible for a gestational carrier to acquire legal custody after the birth. The surrogate has no genetic relation to the child. The legal guardian of the baby is the parent with the genetic link. All applicable legal agreements are drafted and signed before fertilization and implantation takes place.

The Baby M case [109 N.J. 396, 537 A.2d 1227] (1988) was a traditional surrogacy, in which Mary Beth Whitehead used her own egg and was inseminated with the intended father’s sperm. Unlike in a gestational surrogacy, Whitehead was the genetic mother of the child. The final ruling granted custody to the intended parents with visitation rights for Whitehead, based on the best interests of the child. The court refused to enforce the terms of the original contract.

A surrogate provides a very special gift to a couple or individual incapable of bearing children on their own. She is also compensated financially for her time and effort providing the opportunity for her family to have a quality of life that might otherwise be unattainable in India. Nearly all of the surrogates working with PFS are married, raising at least one child and do not desire any more children of their own. Surrogates, and their husbands, are interviewed by the doctor and his team, including a mental health professional, prior to selection for participation in our program.

You will need to check with your medical carrier. Many insurance plans will not cover medical procedures outside of the resident country (except in cases of emergency). However, the costs of the medical procedures in India are a fraction of the costs for the same procedures in most other countries, making this not only a viable but also an affordable option.

Yes. PFS supports the right of all people to have the families they desire, irrespective of marital status or sexual orientation. In fact, in many cases, surrogacy is the best option for singles and gay couples.

Unlike in the United States, in India it is against the law to divulge the sex of an unborn child. The history of this comes from India’s system of dowry. Over the course of time, families in India would abort a pregnancy if they learned the unborn child was female, just to avoid the financial obligation of a dowry.

A physician first, the doctor will always make life and death decisions pertaining to the health and welfare of the surrogate and the baby. However, any other medical decisions that might need to be made will not be made without your participation. The doctor treats the pregnancy as if it is yours and respects your rights as they pertain to the baby.

We would be kidding you if we told you that we could be sure. However, the sentiments about surrogacy in India are much different than in the United States. In India, women step forward to be surrogates because of the financial rewards. The financial remuneration that an Indian woman receives to be a gestational surrogate provides the opportunity for a quality of life that she and her family would not otherwise have. The surrogates that we work with are, generally, married women with children. To them, this is gainful employment.

PFS' staff matches the Intended Parent(s) with the egg donor who most closely physically resembles her in ethnicity, height, body build, skin type, eye color and hair color and texture. Sometimes, personal characteristics, such as intellect, athletic ability and/or interests are also important to Parents and we do our best to make a good match. Once a possible match has been found, the recipient is given information about the donor and decides whether to proceed or wait for another donor. Alternatively, recipients are given information about several possible donors and select the match they would like to pursue.

Generally, no. We work very hard to protect the privacy of all of our clients: Intended Parents, Egg Donors and Surrogates. In addition to respecting privacy, we are respectful that the decision to participate in Assisted Reproductive techniques is very personal as well as very emotional. By keeping “relationships” out of the formula, we are able to lessen the emotional connection.

The egg donor will be notified that you are interested in her profile. She will only be told your gender and relationship status. The egg donor will not receive your personal information, names, or photos.

Every egg donor is required to undergo a series of screenings including: general medical, physical, psychological, inherited disease and infectious disease. On occasion, Intended Parents wish to require very specific medical screenings, which can be arranged for an additional cost.

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that this is the most common question we receive. And our answer, simply put, is “for what?” Every client has a different situation and we recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach is neither practical nor fair. Once our intake coordinator gathers the most critical pieces of your particular situation, we will provide a good faith estimate that takes into account all costs. We pride ourselves on being a provider of end-to-end services and take our commitment to deliver very seriously. Our pricing includes everything from ground and air transportation, to medical services, legal fees and food and lodging. Aside from unanticipated medical complications, the only money you will need for your trip is when you want to buy souvenirs to bring home.