Surrogacy Services in Illinois

Illinois has one of the best environments for surrogacy services. Why? Because there is a statute highly favorable to gestational surrogacy which governs the process from contracts to birth certificates. Gestational surrogacy uses In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to create an embryo using the eggs from the prospective mother and/or the sperm from the father that is then implanted in a surrogate mother, who carries the baby until birth. The Illinois statue applies to single parents and heterosexual couples where at least one person has furnished their own genomes.

What is Surrogacy?

Surrogacy can be thought of as an arrangement in which a woman agrees to carry a baby to term on behalf of “intended parents” who cannot or choose not to conceive the traditional way.

What is the difference between Traditional Surrogacy and Gestational Surrogacy?

Traditional surrogacy is when the surrogate mother, who is pregnant with her own child, makes an agreement with “intended parents” to bring the baby to term and then turn over the baby to the “intended parents”. The surrogate’s egg may be fertilized using an intended father’s sperm or with donor sperm. Gestational surrogacy is when the surrogate mother has no biological connection to the baby, as both the egg and sperm come from the “intended parents” or donors. The surrogate or gestational surrogate is implanted with the fertilized embryo through In Vitro Fertilization. In both case, the baby is turned over to the intended parents.

Some states specifically outlaw surrogacy, some states are favorable, and many states have no statues at all and leave the entire issue to individual cases in the courts. Illinois is one of the most favorable states for surrogacy. Generally, the state where the child is born is the state whose laws apply. So, it makes sense for the intended parents of a surrogate baby to choose a surrogate mother living in Illinois. Picking a surrogacy agency in Northern Illinois is a great way to start the surrogacy process for intended parents.

Once you have chosen a state that is favorable for surrogacy, you need to find a surrogate mother, advisably through a reputable surrogacy agency, who has the experience to guide all parties through the process. An agency can help parents find a surrogate mother, help with the agreement between the parties, and make helpful referrals to other parties such as attorneys, counselors and fertility clinics.

Some agencies are quite large and spend a lot of money on finding surrogate mothers and advertising, which makes their overhead costs higher. These large firms charge much more for their services. A small firm can save intended parents thousands of dollars and keep the services much more personalized. Parenting Partners, Inc., is a smaller surrogate agency in Chicago, Illinois, with years of experience and who has successfully managed many surrogate experiences. The owner is an advocate for surrogacy and is also a parent through surrogacy herself. This experience leads to higher quality surrogacy services and lower costs.