Greetings Prospective Gestational Surrogates:
You Can Make Dreams Come True!

As you may know, a surrogate helps parents build a family by carrying their babies through birth.  Bundles of  Joy (“BoJ”) recruits gestational surrogates who use another woman’s eggs rather than their own.  These eggs are used to create embryos that are then transferred to her to carry through birth. Therefore, we at Bundles of Joy are looking for healthy, compassionate, and dedicated women to carry our intended parents’ embryos to birth.

The surrogate we recruit must want to help parents start or build a family. Further, they must be ready and willing to enter into a relationship with the intended parents during the pregnancy.  The reward for a Bundles of Joy gestational surrogate is the fulfilling relationship they have with the intended parents as well as the joy involved in the miracle of birth for other people in need.  Of course, surrogates are also generously reimbursed for all of their expenses and inconvenience.

Bundles of Joy will guide you through the process by carefully matching you with intended parents who have the same goals, desires and joys of parenting. Bundles of Joy will also spend time with you to learn about you, your needs and your expectations. We offer unlimited guidance and support during the process of matching you with your intended parents as well as throughout the surrogacy. You will learn what to expect throughout the surrogacy process and of course, we are available for our surrogates throughout the pregnancy.

Our services include a background check and psychological screening to make sure you, your husband/partner and the intended parents are all appropriate candidates for this important undertaking. We will also assure your legal needs by providing you with competent legal representation.  Bundles of Joy also uses escrow agents to assure that your expenses will all be reimbursed and paid in a timely fashion.  A few of the other criteria to become a BoJ gestational surrogate are:

• You must be between the ages of 21 and 40
• You must have had an uncomplicated pregnancy and birth at least once (C-section ok).  Note that some medications are OK
• You must be healthy (no STD's, HIV, herpes)
• You cannot have a criminal history or record
• You must have stable household income
• You must have your own transportation to attend appointments
• You must be a non-smoker and not exposed to smoke
• You cannot be a drug user or have alcohol problems nor have a history of drug or alcohol problems
• Your spouse/partner must be supportive of the decision to become a gestational surrogate
• You must have a healthy weight/height ratio (BMI index)

Please fill out the on-line application and submit it. We will contact you shortly after receipt. We look forward to working with you. Thank you for considering Bundles of Joy as your partner throughout the surrogacy journey!

Gestational Surrogates’ Medical Responsibilities

For those prospective gestational surrogates who want to learn more about the surrogacy process, we offer the following:

A gestational surrogate will decide about any and all medical treatments done to her and her unborn child or children. However, a surrogate pregnancy is different from a personal pregnancy because the intended parents (“IP”) will want to be involved. Below are the medical procedures that a surrogate will undergo, although some may not be applicable in your particular surrogacy. We provide this information to help you decide whether becoming a gestational surrogate (GS) is right for you.  Please contact us with any questions or concerns.

• The GS must complete all physical tests and medical screenings required by the doctor.
• The GS must sign a release for all medical records
• The GS must have blood drawn and ultrasounds and undergo various testing including gynecologic testing
• The GS must agree to complete three (3) cycles of in vitro fertilization
• The GS must agree to take various hormones, birth control drugs, fertility drugs and any other drugs to support the pregnancy as required by the doctor. These drugs may be in the form of shots, pills, patches or vaginal suppositories
• The GS must agree to abide by all the doctor’s requirements which may include abstaining from sexual relations and/or restrictions on physical effort, exposure to contaminants, chemicals, etc.  The GS must therefore consider the requirements of her current job to determine if she is able to become a gestational surrogate (for example, restrictions on heavy lifting, exposure to chemicals, etc.)
• ALL sexual partners must be tested for HIV and all STD's and must complete medical questionnaires
• The GS must have a normal course of obstetric care, including ultrasounds, during the pregnancy
• The GS will agree to use the services of a high risk obstetrician if pregnant with multiple babies or as directed by the doctor  
• The GS will inform her IP and BoJ of her chosen doctors including phone numbers and addresses. She will also sign release(s) of medical information so the IP and/or BoJ can obtain medical records
• The GS will agree to have alpha fetal protein testing or any other screening or testing as required by the doctor
• The GS will consent to having an amniocentesis(es) as required by the doctor
• The GS understands and agrees to in vitro procedures with either the eggs of the intended mother or an egg donor or a donated embryo
• The GS will do everything in her power to maintain the pregnancy, even if it is difficult, unless the doctor decides it is necessary or advisable to terminate the pregnancy
• The GS will agree to have drug and HIV screenings as required by the doctor
• The GS will agree to undergo genetic screening and testing as required by the doctor
• The GS will agree to paternity and or maternity testing which may involve providing a blood sample from herself, the child, and/or her husband/partner
• The GS agrees to participate in all individual and group counseling and psychological testing sessions as required including sessions with the intended parents
• The GS agrees to background checks being conducted on her and her husband/partner
• The GS agrees to abstain from or restrict all sexual activity as required by the doctor and/or the various surrogacy agreements
• The GS agrees to use the funds received during the course of the surrogate pregnancy to reimburse her for her ordinary and necessary living expenses as well as the expenses that arise from the pregnancy
• The GS agrees to have open and positive communications with the IP and BoJ and agrees to take all reasonable steps deemed necessary to promote a healthy, positive surrogacy relationship with the IP

The foregoing list of responsibilities is not all-inclusive and is provided for your information. Note that the doctors may have other requirements. Please be prepared to follow all doctor-ordered protocols and procedures to have a safe and successful surrogacy pregnancy. If you have any questions, please call Bundles of Joy and we will assist you