“Thank you guys for seeing us through. We feel so fortunate that you decided to do what you do, when we decided to do what we’re doing with your help. How’s that for a tongue twister!”
Anthony and Ira, Parents, Los Angeles, Daughter Noelle
“We want to explain our child that he or she is the result of a sum of very generous acts: most of all that of his surrogate mother and the egg donor who also made it possible for him to exist. This gesture of offering the potential of one’s own body to others is something beautiful. This makes us think that this baby will bring with him this sum of generosity, solidarity, hope and understanding. He will not be born by surprise, but rather our surprise will always be in him, in his amazing existence to which so many people have contributed with professionalism, love and dedication.”
José and Miquel, Intended Parents
“I wanted to thank you all for making my experience as a surrogate so amazing! It exceeded my expectations. Very few things in my life turn out better than I expect or imagine.”
Tonya, Surrogate
“We want to express our deepest gratitude for making our lifelong dream of becoming parents a reality. Thank you all for helping us through a process that at times was overwhelming. Your professionalism, support, and love made us feel at ease.”
Eric and Jose, Parents, Boston, Daughter Alexa
“I just needed to let you all know how touched I am by all the support and true concern you have shown me. Through the highs and lows, I have felt so surrounded by kindness.”
Jennifer, Surrogate
“Thank you, for my new family. The twins are beautiful and perfect in every way. After my parents, who gave me life, you have given me the most important gift I will ever receive. I will be forever grateful. What joy this is....like nothing I have ever known! Yours is the work of angels! Much Love.”
Tim, Parent
“Thank you seems like such a small thing to say for how much I feel. How do you thank people for helping me with one of the GREATEST experiences of my life! You each treated me like I was the most important person in your care.”
Jennifer, Surrogate
Today, more and more gay men and women are deciding to have children using surrogacy and egg donation. As the oldest and largest gay- and lesbian-owned surrogacy and egg donation firm, Growing Generations has helped over 800 members of the gay community through the surrogacy and egg donation process from more than 18 countries around the world.
As a professional surrogacy firm, Growing Generations provides a team-oriented approach to carefully match prospective parents with a surrogate and/or egg donor and manage all aspects of the surrogacy process. Our professional staff, with more than 16 years of combined successful surrogacy experience, understands the unique issues facing prospective gay parents. In addition, our network of outside physicians, psychologists and attorneys are some of the most highly respected professionals in the industry and have extensive experience in assisting members of the gay community create families through surrogacy and egg donation.
The first step on your path to becoming parents through surrogacy is a private, no-cost, 1 1/2 hour consultation in our offices. At this time, we guide you through the entire surrogacy and egg donation process, as well as giving you the opportunity to meet our staff. During this visit, you will also visit one of the labs we work with to undergo a semen analysis to determine program eligibility.
If you decide that surrogacy is the right choice for you and your family, then you will retain our services and we will begin the admissions process. Once the admissions process is complete, you will be eligible to be matched with a surrogate, and when the appropriate candidate is determined you will be sent her profile for review. If you decide that you would like to meet the surrogate, we will set up a match meeting in our offices. After choosing a surrogate and egg donor (if applicable), you will then enter the legal contract and medical phase. From start to finish, the process for most Intended Parents takes between 15 and 18 months however, it can be shorter or longer depending on preferences.
The state of California provides one of the most favorable legal climates in the world for surrogacy and egg donation arrangements, which is one reason why clients choose to undergo their procedures here. Located in Los Angeles, Growing Generations works closely with California attorneys who are experienced in handling surrogacy and egg donation arrangements. These attorneys frequently represent clients who reside in other states, as well as in foreign countries, and will assist intended parents throughout the surrogacy process from contract drafting to establishing parental rights.
For the majority of Growing Generations' clients who deliver in California, pre-birth parental judgments offer the opportunity for two men or two women (or one man, one woman, if single) to be named parents of their offspring, born through surrogacy, prior to the birth. These judgments direct the hospital to place the named parents (i.e. two men, one man, etc.) on the original birth certificates and are available to clients regardless of where they live in the world, as long as the child is born in California.
Growing Generations works with a network of IVF physicians, who are some of the most highly regarded in the industry. All of our IVF physicians are located in the Los Angeles area. Procedures to achieve pregnancy through surrogacy will take place at one of their locations. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a method of assisted reproduction in which a man's sperm and woman's egg are combined in a laboratory dish, where fertilization occurs. The resulting embryo is then transferred to the uterus to develop naturally. Usually, several embryos are transferred with each cycle. There are more than 70,000 babies born in the United States as a result of all assisted reproductive technologies (ART), including 45,000 as a result of IVF.
Egg donation and surrogacy are two methods many gay and lesbian couples turn to in order to build families. In egg donation, the donor and recipient (gestational surrogate) are given medications to synchronize their menstrual cycles. The donor receives medication to produce multiple eggs and undergoes egg retrieval. Concurrently, the recipient (gestational surrogate) receives natural estrogen and progesterone to stimulate proper development of the uterine lining. The eggs are then fertilized in-vitro and incubated. Three days later, several embryos are transferred into the recipient's (gestational surrogate's) womb. A pregnancy test is administered two weeks after the transfer.