Can you start a surrogacy journey in the US or Canada during the Coronavirus pandemic?

The desire to have a baby is greater than any virus. Recent news of a potential effective vaccine gives some hope and reassurance that things will get better, though this doesn’t mean we have an end date for the pandemic. The big question for intended parents remains, ‘Is surrogacy in Canada or the US possible whilst the world is in the midst of a global pandemic?’ and the answer is, yes.

Upcoming event on December 1st 2020

We are hosting a free event on zoom on the 1st December 2020 at 5pm, which will be focussing on surrogacy in the US and the things to consider. If you miss the event, you will be able to find further information on our website or can check out our events page for the next event.

You can gather information about surrogacy in the US or Canada

Any intended parent considering surrogacy will need to gather and evaluate any destination offering surrogacy and work out if it is right for them. Google will help with this whilst you are at home, and so can we: You can also find guidance on our website pages for US surrogacy and surrogacy in Canada.

We have first-hand experience through the intended parents we help, and have continued moving intended parents forward with surrogacy journeys in the UK and USA and Canada. We have seen which organisations work well, and importantly at this time, which are well established and robust enough to weather any longer term issues.

In the first instance we are able to help intended parents through our US or Canada service to settle on the initial but crucial considerations on what their goals, priorities and budgets are, but also introduce them to the right organisations for them.

Speak to us about your options

At Brilliant Beginnings, we are working remotely, and are available for advice and further information. For those still navigating the choices via a face-to-face video call to work through your particular circumstances through an options review meeting.

If the US or Canada is the right route for you, you can get started as soon as you are ready.

You can meet the organisations who will work alongside you

The organisations that we work with regularly are available for initial consultations and discussions with intended parents. Surrogacy and egg donor agencies are happy to register intended parents so that they can start to view potential egg donors, and start the process of waiting for a match with a surrogate. Clinics are open, and creating embryos and doing embryo transfers all the time.

You can be matched with a surrogate

Surrogates continue to enquire with agencies, which means there has been very little change here, and the agencies are still able to conduct the screening and preparation of surrogates safely.

Matches are still being made all the time even with intended parents that have only just started out, and this allows surrogates and intended parents to get to know each other, and also get legal contracts in place whilst getting embryos created or moved at the same time.

Many surrogacy agencies will also offer services which means they will rematch intended parents for free if needed. This means that registering with an agency now is actually a good idea as there is likely to be a sharp rise in intended parents registering once the pandemic has passed and as restrictions ease. Getting established now will help avoid this rush and the impact it might have on match times.

You can create embryos

Even now intended parents can speak with a US or Canadian clinician, establish themselves as patients, start treatment and select an egg donor with a view to creating embryos.

Throughout 2020 we successfully helped intended parents to export sperm and embryos to the US, even if they themselves cannot physically travel out to do this just yet. It is also possible to coordinate treatment between US and UK clinics and create embryos in the UK and then move these to your US clinic.

What you can do from the UK

Intended parents are able to do virtually everything from the UK to move forward with a surrogacy journey in the US or Canada.
Current limitations on travel may mean that you will not have an opportunity to visit the surrogate during the pregnancy, but you will be able to communicate via video or phone, and importantly there are established routes for travel to the US and Canada for the birth or your baby.

We have helped a number of intended parents get there in good time, and also return back to the UK as family without any significant delay. The signs are all that this will only become easier over the months to come.

If you are interested in hearing more about surrogacy in the US, Canada or the UK alongside other destinations, do get in touch and we are happy to help.