Surrogacy Options Available
A full service agency.
SMI coordinates all medical, travel, and administrative matters. Our founder and director Steve Litz can refer you to a number of attorneys who can assist you with the legal matters of surrogacy, or you are welcome to use your own lawyer if you choose.
There are actually five options available for clients looking to select a
surrogate, and for women considering being in our program.
surrogate, and for women considering being in our program.
- AI: Artificial Insemination
- IVF/ET: In vitro fertilization/Embryo transfer
- IVF/ED: In vitro fertilization with egg donor
- AID: Artificial Insemination by Donor
- ED: Egg Donor
AI: Artificial Insemination
The surrogate is artificially inseminated with the sperm from the husband of the couple, or from a single man. The child is genetically related to the surrogate. If a husband and wife are participating, the wife of the couple adopts the child via a stepparent adoption. If two men or two women are participating, the non-biological partner may adopt.
IVF/ET: In vitro fertilization/Embryo transfer
An egg (or eggs) is retrieved from the wife of the couple, combined with her husband’s sperm, and the resulting embryo(s) is implanted in the surrogate. The child is not genetically related to the surrogate, and the couple’s names go on the original birth certificate.
IVF/ED: In vitro fertilization with egg donor
A donor’s eggs are combined with the sperm from our client, and the resulting embryos are transferred to a surrogate. The child is not genetically related to the surrogate, and only the male’s name goes on the birth certificate (unless you are from certain international countries where surrogacy is illegal, in which case your and the surrogate’s names may both need to be on the birth certificate). If married, the wife of the couple then adopts the child, as with the AI procedure, or the non-biological partner would adopt.
AID: Artificial Insemination by Donor
The surrogate is artificially inseminated with donor sperm, because both the husband and the wife of the couple are infertile. The child is genetically related to the surrogate, and both the husband and wife must adopt it.
ED: Egg Donor
The “surrogate” donates an egg (or eggs) which is fertilized with the husband’s sperm, and the embryo is then transferred to his wife. The child is genetically related to the surrogate, but because the wife delivers the child, she does not need to adopt it. This is sort of a reverse surrogacy.
AI: Artificial Insemination
The surrogate is artificially inseminated with the sperm from the husband of the couple, or from a single man. The child is genetically related to the surrogate. If a husband and wife are participating, the wife of the couple adopts the child via a stepparent adoption. If two men or two women are participating, the non-biological partner may adopt.