After completing their first surrogacy journey, it’s extremely common for surrogates to want to do another cycle. More often than not, the surrogacy experience is unique, enjoyable, emotional, and beautiful. Many women want to be able to experience the joy of building families again, and some even do multiple cycles over a period of a few years. But how may a second cycle differ from your first time?

Knowledge and Experience

As a second-time surrogate, you will have a lot more confidence navigating the intake process, medical screening, legal process, transfer cycle, and appointments since you will already know what to expect! You may find that you breeze through the steps with minimal confusion and rely less on your intake manager and case coordinator than you did the first time. You will be familiar with the surrogacy medications and likely will be a lot less nervous about administering the injections since by this point you will probably have done hundreds of shots before! You’ll also be less nervous on the day of your embryo transfer as well since you understand and have prior knowledge of the process. You may have joined surrogacy groups on Facebook and learned a lot more about the surrogacy world, which can be a valuable resource of information and the ability to interact with other surrogates and surrogacy professionals.

Financial

One of the perks of doing a second cycle is the financial aspect. The pay for an experienced surrogate is normally considerably higher than a first-time surrogate. This premium takes into account that you have successfully completed a healthy surrogate pregnancy and gives the intended parents peace of mind that you are a trustworthy, reliable candidate. They will also have confidence in your ability to take your medications correctly as instructed. Generally, a surrogate’s pay increases with each cycle, except in the case that she had any issues during pregnancy, more than 5 prior pregnancies or her last pay level was extremely high.

Doctor and Clinic

When entering into another surrogacy cycle you may be matched with intended parents who are working with a different doctor and clinic than you worked with previously. They may have slightly different protocols for their medical screening process and transfer medications, as well as for post-transfer instructions such as the length of time they want you to rest. While clinics do tend to have their own way of doing things, they are generally very similar in many ways and this is not something you need to worry too much about!

OB Doctor

If you found an OB you liked during your first cycle, it is advisable for you to see the same doctor again for your second cycle. Some obstetricians still refuse to take surrogates as patients and deliver surrogate babies, and occasionally it can be difficult to find someone who takes surrogate patients and also accepts your insurance. Additionally, knowing that your doctor is familiar and comfortable with surrogacy will give you more peace of mind.

Delivery and Recovery

Many first-time surrogates have the concern that they will become attached to the baby and have an issue giving the baby to the intended parents following the birth. Others are concerned with having intended parents in the delivery room since giving birth is a very personal and emotional experience. As an experienced surrogate, you will know how you responded to the last delivery, and since you’re wanting to do another journey you know that you handled it well the first time around! Most surrogates coming back for another cycle go into the delivery with confidence and want their intended parents to be a part of that most special moment, the birth of their child! Following delivery, you will know what to expect physically and emotionally. If you have agreed to pump for the intended parents, you might already be familiar with the process and decided whether to buy or rent a pump (and how to do so). You’ll also understand when and how your final payments will be issued so there will be less concern about the financial aspect.

Conclusion

Although the experiences between your first journey and subsequent journeys will be similar in many ways, the main thing you’ll find is that your second journey should feel a lot easier in terms of knowing what to do and what to expect. The familiarity with the process is a major advantage over your first journey and will eliminate some of the worry and confusion that can be fairly common the first time around. You will also have come to know yourself a little better when it comes to surrogacy, and will have some idea about what type of relationship you’d like with the IPs this time around; where you want to deliver, which doctor you want to see for your prenatal care, etc. This experience will help you to be better prepared in turn which will allow you to have an easy and enjoyable journey. From all of us at GSHC, we wish you the best of luck!

If you are interested in beginning your next surrogacy journey with GSHC Surrogacy Agency, please complete our Surrogate Intake Form.