Scarcity of surrogate mothers in the US

Charlie Lee (31 years old) and his husband want to have children. However, they are facing a major obstacle: they have 12 healthy embryos but cannot find anyone to accept them, according to the report. New York Times.

Lee and her husband spent more than a year looking for a surrogate. In January 2021, the surrogacy service company said it would find a suitable woman within 6 months. But 15 months later, Lee and her husband are still waiting.

Before the pandemic, surrogate mothers were usually paid about $35,000. Fees are not specified, usually set by the surrogate and the company representing them. In addition, couples take 3-6 months to find a suitable uterus.

After Covid-19, the number of people willing to carry out surrogacy decreased by 60%, leaving a very limited supply. Photo: September Dawn Bottoms/New York Times.

Now Lee and her husband, the couple have successfully created embryos using donor eggs, increasing the payout 50,000 USDplus medical and other expenses like maternity clothing and travel expenses.

“We are very impatient but can only wait. We can’t do anything else at the moment,” said Lee, who lives in Madison (Wisconsin state) and is studying for a master’s degree in business administration.

Scarcity of surrogate mothers

Lee and her husband are facing the same problem as thousands of other parents in the US, most of them same-sex couples or couples struggling with fertility.

The number of potential surrogates has now decreased by about 60%, along with twice the waiting time and significantly higher costs, according to 10 agencies talking to New York Times.

According to Jeff Hu, founder and director of SurogateFirst company in Los Angeles (California state), the Covid-19 vaccine is the problem driving the shortage of surrogates.

Some women do not want to be vaccinated, while parents want them to because the mother can pass antibodies to the baby in utero. In addition, recent studies suggest that Covid-19 poses a risk to pregnancy.

James Washington (39 years old, left) and her husband Rob, from Norfolk (United Kingdom) use surrogacy services in the US. Photo: Amanda Lucier/The Guardian.

Disagreement over vaccines is just one problem. Some surrogate mothers are mothers themselves. Like everyone else, they’re having a hard time parenting and all of that.

Therefore, potential surrogates – many of whom are unemployed and looking to surrogacy services to increase their income. family — is reluctant to make a decision now, says Dr. Deepika Garg, associate professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University School of Medicine.

Moreover, surrogacy contracts require a commitment of 9-12 months and this will greatly limit their travel needs. This may be undesirable for some people after 2 years of the epidemic.

Surrogacy is also often very expensive. It is among the reasons that some American couples are turning to seek similar services abroad at a significantly lower cost.

However, the process can be very complicated and takes many months, including preparation for egg retrieval, undergoing fertility treatment, embryo transfer, and confirmation of a healthy pregnancy.

Furthermore, many countries ban surrogacy for same-sex couples. As a result, having a surrogate living close to home is an appropriate or only option for some parents.

Communicate often

Eran Amir (44), founder of fertility marketplace GoStork, where intended parents can find, compare and connect with fertility providers, says there is a need to find one. Surrogacy is becoming more and more urgent.

Eran Amir (right) and his husband, Mike Gowen, started the process of surrogacy for the third time this year. Photo: Yehyun Kim/New York Times.

Amir and her husband, Mike Gowen have used surrogacy services twice and are now starting a third process.

They pay a total of about 200,000 USD for the first surrogacy in 2017. The second, which took place in September 2020, was cheaper 50,000 USD by changing service providers.

Amir, who lives in New Haven, Connecticut, says the relationship with surrogates has always been very important to him. The first woman lives in Ohio, and the second in Tennessee.

“We video call each other as much as we can. But due to the long distance and then the pandemic appeared, we were only able to meet in person for the first time when the baby was born,” he said.

Shea Eschman, a photographer living in Yukon (Oklahoma state) with a 4-year-old daughter, is expected to give birth to twins on July 4 to a gay couple in Italy.

In the past, Eschman spent time chatting with people on social media about the possibility of surrogacy when she was having trouble conceiving a daughter. Now, she wants to help people who can’t have children on their own.

“I’m happy to give them the family they’ve always wanted,” she said.

Shea Eschman, a mother of one, is pregnant with twins for a gay couple in Italy. Photo: September Dawn Bottoms/New York Times.

Eschman, 31, accepted help last October. She is happy that the pair of parents she supports are gay, because Eschman himself is in the LGBT community.

She said she talks to these father-to-be regularly, but refuses to disclose how much she is paid.

Team price

Amir said the surrogacy process has become a bidding war, especially in large service companies. With the current supply shortage, they are trying to attract as many surrogates by any means possible.

“For example, add spending money each month, maternity clothes, prenatal massages and providing psychotherapists. The bigger the company, the more promising the surrogate mother is. And we, as parents-to-be, have to pay for that,” he said.

Some companies tout that parents are willing to give cash bonuses to surrogates willing to get vaccinated. Others increase advertising budgets and launch surrogacy campaigns.

Surrogacy services can be very expensive with a multitude of costs. Photo: Shutterstock.

Tristen LaRue (33 years old), prepares to become a second surrogate for a foreign gay couple. You will be paid 50,000 USD. Previously, she was a surrogate mother for another couple.

During the interview, Larue, a mother of two, asked about her vaccination status. But she said she wasn’t ready to get vaccinated, and the parents-to-be accepted that view.

“It was like a calling for me. I know the joys, and sometimes the chaos, of being a parent. Watching your own child grow up and learn something new every day is so wonderful and satisfying. I want to help other parents go through the same thing,” she said.

According to Zing