First Rodeo or Seasoned Expert? Pink and Red Flags when selecting a Surrogacy Agency

Welcome to Part 2 of our Series on…… Pink and Red Flags to Look For when selecting a Surrogacy Agency.

If you missed Part 1 of our series – Compensation Concerns, check it out here.

Whether you’re a gestational carrier or a parent-to-be in search of a surrogacy agency, there are a few things you can look for to help you select a surrogacy agency that will be there for you when you need them and provide the services you will want and you deserve!

Because the Parents-to-be and the Gestational Carrier, ideally, will be a unified team in pursuit of a common outcome (successful embryo transfer, healthy pregnancy, delivery, and post-partum recovery), Parents-to-be and Gestational Carriers can look for the same Red (or sometimes pink) Flags as they search for a surrogacy agency to help them navigate the process.

In this article, we suggest some questions for you to ask the surrogacy agency as you’re doing your research about which agency to select, either as a gestational carrier OR as the parents-to-be.

Pink Flags: If an agency has one or two of these – you can choose to look past them and still decide to work with the agency.  With more than two or three, look elsewhere!

Red Flags: If you see a red flag, don’t pursue this agency.  You deserve better and other options exist! (HINT:  www.forwardfertility.com)

The Forward Fertility Way: We share how we handle the questions, so you know if we might be a good fit for you!

 

Question to Ask: How long has the agency been in business? Did anyone from the agency previously work at another agency?

Why this is important:

With AI and all the various apps, it seems that Aunt Mary or Cousin Jessica could open a surrogacy agency these days. They are both cool, but maybe not really the person you want to help guide you through a detailed, sensitive, emotional, personal experience.

If the staff left another agency to start their own – inquire about that situation.  Was it contentious?  Were there lawsuits?  Sometimes bad actors can re-invent themselves as a new agency with a fresh face, but the same lackluster care and service.

Pink Flag:

Open less than 5 years. You may wish to proceed but do so with very serious vetting on your part (talking with parents/surrogates/attorneys/IVF clinics who have worked with that agency).

Red Flag:

The agency has been open less than 2 years. There are just so many other options out there for you. There is no reason their first rodeo should have you as the star!  Even the first two years of matching at Forward Fertility – there were some steep learning curves – shout out to the Forward Fertility Ogs (Original Gestational carriers)!

The Forward Fertility Way:

After being a women’s health nurse practitioner for 14 years in reproductive health care and IVF clinics, Christie Olsen, NP, started Forward Fertility.  On that foundation of patient-centered care with a focus on women and reproduction, she began Forward Fertility.  She was not previously a surrogate or Parent via surrogacy.  She did not previously work for an agency.

In 2018, Amy Osgood joined Forward Fertility with 10 years of work as an MA (Medical assistant) for a busy ob/gyn office and a lab tech.  Her attention to detail, hard work ethic, and deep passion for our clients makes her a true gem to help guide you through this process.  Amy has not worked for another agency or been a surrogate previously or parent via surrogacy.

Learn more about Amy and Christie Here.  

Learn more about what a Gestational Carrier is and Who might need the help of one!

 

Question to Ask: Wow long have the staff been working at the agency?

Why this is important:

From surrogacy application to delivery, it is going to take some time!  Or, at least it should (it’s a big commitment!). When searching for an agency and selecting one, having continuity with the agency staff you are working with will help ensure you have a smooth journey.  Getting to know who you are, what’s important to you, and what you’ve been through along the way are all critical jobs of the agency.

If you have a new coordinator every 3-6 months, you will not be getting the continuous, ongoing support that you deserve!  Sure, you’re tough and smart and can figure it out.  But, that’s also NOT YOUR JOB.  Some of these agencies are charging the parents more than they are compensating the gestational carrier, so they should do some work on your behalf.  You’re supposed to be taking care of yourself, following medical advice, and connecting with the Parents-to-be, not reminding your agency where you’re doing your monitoring appointments at or tracking down records!

High turnover in health care is linked to miscommunication, medication errors, and long wait times.  Read more about the impact of high turnover on patient care here.

Ask the agency to speak with a surrogate/Parent-to-be who has gone through the entire process with the agency and also one who is ‘in the middle’ of the process.  Ask these people if they’ve had multiple coordinators or consistent contact with someone who knows them, cares about them, and is knowledgeable!

Pink Flag:

If your first contact at the agency has been working at the agency for less than 12 months, this is a huge pink flag. When you are searching for an agency, you deserve to talk with someone who is seasoned in this work.

Red Flag:

If more than 20% of the staff has been there less than 2-3 years, this is a good sign they have high staff turnover or they are in a rapid growth phase, and you don’t need to be their training wheels for the next 12-18 months.

The agency will not connect you with someone who currently or previously went through their program.  Deal breaker – move on  with your search.

The Forward Fertility Way:

Christie brings 26 years of work in reproductive health care as a nurse practitioner to support gestational carriers and parents through this process.  Christie Olsen and Amy Osgood have been a dream team together since 2018 and Forward Fertility has been in operation since 2013.

The strengths of the team have only gotten stronger as time goes on!  We care deeply about you and how you’re doing.  You can rely on us – we will be there for you.

Parents – learn more about our process here.

Interested in becoming a Gestational Carrier?  Check out our FAQ page.

What Pink or Red Flags Have you Seen? We’d love to hear from you!   Were there flags you did not see until you’d already selected an agency?  Please email your input to christie@forwardfertility.com or amy@forwardfertility.com or share in the comments on our social media posts!