STUART BELL

International surrogacy laws vary significantly by country, and for intended parents building a family across borders, understanding those differences is one of the most important steps you can take. Growing Generations explains what families need to know about legal recognition, citizenship, and why the U.S. remains the most legally stable destination.

For intended parents, the legal side of surrogacy can feel like the most unfamiliar part of your surrogacy journey. Learn what a pre-birth order in surrogacy is, how it works, when it’s filed, and how it establishes legal parentage before birth. Understand state differences and what to expect as intended parents.

For intended parents, feeding decisions after surrogacy involve considerations that standard postpartum resources rarely cover. This guide offers practical insight into infant feeding after surrogacy. Whether you are considering breastfeeding through induced lactation, working with your surrogate to provide breast milk, or planning to use formula, each path is valid. There is no single “right” choice.

At the heart of every surrogacy journey is a relationship built on trust, communication, mutual respect, and shared goals. While the process itself involves medical and legal procedures, the connection between you and your surrogate becomes the emotional foundation that carries the experience forward. Learn how to foster that connection from matching through post-birth.

Surrogacy is a family-building process in which a surrogate carries and gives birth to a child for the intended parent(s). Discover 10 facts about surrogacy in 2026, including success rates, screening standards, and financial planning.

The choice to become a parent on your own reflects a clear vision about the family you want to build. Single-parent surrogacy is empowering, and more people are choosing to pursue the path to parenthood independently. Learn how single-parent surrogacy works, including costs, legal preparation, timelines, and emotional support for solo intended parents pursuing parenthood.

For many two-mom families, including lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, and non-binary individuals with female reproductive anatomy, the journey to parenthood can include the opportunity to share a meaningful role in bringing their child into the world. Learn how reciprocal IVF works for lesbian couples, including the medical process, emotional considerations, and what to expect when building a shared motherhood journey.

Finding a gestational surrogate is the first step towards your parenthood journey. This involves identifying, screening, and matching with a gestational carrier who meets medical, legal, and personal criteria. Explore safe options, agency vs. independent paths, legal considerations, and expert guidance for intended parents.

For gay dads pursuing surrogacy, deciding whose sperm to use is one of the first major decisions in their path to parenthood. Here we explore your options for shared cycles, the medical realities, emotional factors, and practical guidance for family building.

For many LGBTQIA+ couples, finding an egg donor is one of the ways they are able to start a family and build their legacy. And if it feels like a very emotional decision, you’re not alone. See our guide for gay dads on choosing an egg donor, covering donor options, genetic considerations, emotional factors, and how to approach this first major surrogacy decision.

For LGBTQIA+ intended parents choosing surrogacy as a path to parenthood, the choice of using a donor in your family-building process carries emotional and practical considerations that will shape your family’s story. Explore the emotional, legal, and long-term considerations of choosing a known vs. anonymous donor for LGBTQIA+ families in this article. 

Meeting a potential surrogate brings up a mix of emotions, and it is completely normal for you to feel this way. After all, this is a big step in your surrogacy journey. This guide is here to help you approach that first conversation with confidence. It’s designed to help you make a connection with your surrogate, not as legal or medical advice.

When you begin exploring surrogacy, it is natural to wonder how long the journey will take. Understanding the surrogacy timeline can help you feel more prepared as you begin planning your path to parenthood. Learn more in our article. 

Choosing a surrogacy agency is one of the most important decisions you will make on your path to parenthood. Explore this agency interview checklist with questions to help you find the right fit for you and the family you are building.

Starting a family doesn’t always follow the path we imagine, and for many people, that journey can come with questions, challenges, and hope all at once. Third-party reproduction offers another way to build your family when traditional conception isn’t possible or doesn’t match your circumstances. Learn more here. 

When you begin your surrogacy journey, you carry a hope for welcoming a baby with you. Alongside that joy and anticipation, there is also a real need for clarity and protection. That’s exactly where a surrogacy agreement comes in. Let’s walk through why it matters. 

Choosing the right surrogacy agency is one of the most important decisions you will make on your path to parenthood. Download our checklist and comparison worksheet designed to help you ask the right questions, evaluate key criteria, and document each agency’s responses side by side.

Intended parents are the legal parents of the child carried by a surrogate. In gestational surrogacy, the model used today by most U.S. agencies, the surrogate has no genetic or parental claim to the baby. Read more about the role in our guide. 

For many people exploring surrogacy as a path to parenthood, one of the very first questions is, “Do I qualify to become an intended parent?”, more specifically, “Is there an age limit for intended parents?” This guide answers your questions about age limits, emotional challenges, or legal considerations.

Beginning the surrogacy process is a significant step toward building your family. This guide offers an overview of what you can expect as an intended parent.

Learn how surrogacy insurance works — what’s covered, what’s not, and how to protect your journey.

Learn whose eggs are used in surrogacy — from intended mothers to egg donors. Understand your options and the IVF process with Growing Generations.

Learn what surrogacy really costs, from agency fees to IVF, and how first-time intended parents can plan and budget with confidence.

Explore each stage of the surrogacy process—consultation, matching, embryo transfer, legal steps, and delivery—in this clear step‑by‑step guide for intended parents.

Discover everything you need to know to start your journey as first-time intended parents, from how surrogacy works and what it costs to the legal steps and what to expect. 

Thanks to medical advancements like sperm washing and viral load monitoring, surrogacy for HIV positive couples is now a safe, empowering path to parenthood.

Not everyone is eligible to become a surrogate—but understanding the key medical, legal, and lifestyle disqualifiers can help you assess your readiness and next steps.

This comprehensive guide explains how surrogate compensation works, from signing bonuses to post-delivery payments—plus find out what you should know about taxes on your surrogate pay.

Growing Generations is dedicated to helping LGBTQIA+ intended parents build their families through surrogacy Discover what you need to know to navigate the surrogacy process and how Growing Generations supports you through each step.

Wondering how to find an egg donor who looks like you and feels like the right match? Learn how emotional and physical compatibility can shape your connection and support your path to parenthood.

Egg donors are a valued and vital partner in helping others build their families. Explore the ideal age range for egg donors, the factors that influence eligibility, and how donor egg success rates by age are impacted.

Wondering whether your baby will share DNA with the surrogate? Learn how genetics work in surrogacy, including whose DNA the baby inherits and how factors like blood type are determined.

As an egg donor, what you provide is something so necessary that none of this could happen without you. But why should you consider becoming an egg donor? Discover 5 reasons egg donation might be a great path for you.

The surrogacy process can seem daunting to a single intended parent. Discover what to expect from these unique challenges and learn some tips for preparing for single parent surrogacy.

Let’s set the record straight. Find out the the truth behind 6 common surrogacy myths as you get started on your surrogacy journey.

It's natural for a surrogate to be concerned about whether they'll feel emotionally attached to the baby they'll carry. Discover why this attachment is uncommon.

Gay and LGBTQIA+ intended parents often face unique hurdles and challenges during the family-building process. Discover how Growing Generations helps same-sex couples navigate the surrogacy process. 

As you consider surrogacy to grow your family, understanding the pros and cons of gestational versus traditional surrogacy is vital. Discover what you need to know before making this important decision.

Learn about the D&C procedure, often recommended after a miscarriage or abnormal pregnancy, including its process, potential complications, and signs to monitor during recovery to ensure proper healing.

One question we commonly receive when surrogates are preparing for embryo transfer is whether embryos can fall out after a transfer. Get the answer and the reasons behind it here.

When you begin your surrogacy journey, you will have to be paired with an IVF doctor. Don’t let this stress you out; you have options.

Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a condition that often drives women to seek out a surrogate. Learn all about it and how it relates to surrogacy.

Yeast infections are very common for surrogates. See how you should address a yeast infection as a surrogate, as it may differ from what you’re used to.

The time following a miscarriage or D&C can be confusing. We have some answers to the question of when do you get your period after miscarriage or D&C. Read more about when you can expect your period to return here.

Gestational diabetes is a hormone-driven resistance to insulin and is not due to dietary choices. Learn more about the diagnosis and its treatments.

As with many parts of the surrogacy process, it is important to employ empathy while you create your profile. See why here.

During every surrogacy journey, we complete a screening for Vitamin D. See why this vitamin is so important to a successful journey.

A stay in the NICU can be challenging both emotionally and logistically for new parents. It can be helpful to have a quick guide of what to expect and how to react. Get it here.

Parents using IVF to achieve pregnancy are often confused about when they should announce the pregnancy—the reality is there is no right answer. Get three perspectives on the matter here.

Many of our surrogates wonder if the go-to rules about announcing pregnancy apply to surrogacy as well. Get a breakdown of our thoughts on a few different strategies here.

Selecting an egg donor can be stressful for intended parents. Growing Generations gives you some characteristics to should consider when starting the process.

Navigate the crucial first meeting between surrogates and intended parents with confidence. Growing Generations shares insightful tips on preparation, communication etiquette, and setting expectations, ensuring a smooth start to your surrogacy journey.

While having altruistic motives, surrogates at Growing Generations do receive compensation. We dispel the myth, however, that surrogacy commoditizes women.

Even before an embryo transfer occurs, a surrogate is considered “pregnant.” Read the reason why and learn more about the stages of embryo development.

Discover the multifaceted considerations of providing breast milk in surrogacy journeys. From the decision-making process, preparing to pump, potential challenges, and alternative feeding options, Growing Generations offers insights and support to make informed choices.

Explore the importance of future contact with egg donors and how The Donor Sibling Registry facilitates secure connections without compromising personal privacy.

Delve into the intricacies of surrogacy with Dr. Kathy Salari of Mitera, exploring maternal-fetal medicine, recommendations for surrogates and intended parents, and the significance of early genetic screening.

It’s important during this phase of your process to establish the foundation of your relationship with your surrogate. Here’s what I hear from surrogates about what they are looking for.

Children are curious creatures. Share with them the story of how they were born by utilizing these children’s books that cover the topic of egg donation.

As an egg donor or intended mother about to go through the egg retrieval process, we can better educate you on what to expect.

"Mock cycle" and "dropped cycle" are similar jargons with different implications for the surrogate. Learn more about these terms here.

You may hear these labor and delivery terms flying around during the hours that lead up to the birth of your child.

Women entering surrogacy are typically given hormone therapies to prepare for embryo transfer. Learn more about the medical protocol at Growing Generations.

Telling your boss that you are going to be a surrogate can be daunting. Learn how to reveal this news properly in the work place.

Many women experience bleeding during pregnancy, and bleeding in an IVF pregnancy can be extra worrisome. Learn more about this here.

The relationship between the intended parents & the surrogate will change after childbirth, & in different ways depending on the families involved. Learn more.

You may be wondering if you can still donate eggs while on birth control. Get the answers & details here.

“Why would a woman choose to be a surrogate?” is a question often asked by intended parents. Learn about their reasons here.

When using IVF, determining gestational age may not be as straightforward as you think. Learn more about how to calculate IVF gestational age from Growing Generations.

As an intended parent, you may feel left out on pre-birth bonding. However, there are some solutions. Find out more.

Completely understanding birth orders can prevent unnecessary issues for surrogates & IPs. Learn about them here.

Perhaps one of the biggest shocks to women considering egg donation is that they may be able to be a donor even if they have had a positive STD diagnosis in the past.

Becoming an egg donor comes with certain expectations, one of which is refraining from tobacco use. Find out more at Growing Generations.

When an embryo implant does not become a viable pregnancy, it forces a difficult decision. This guide details your option of a D&C procedure vs a natural miscarriage.

Pelvic rest is a necessary part of any surrogacy, but many people aren’t sure what exactly it requires. Learn the details here.

After completing a surrogacy, you will likely end up with some unused IVF needles. Not sure what to do with them? Check out these tips.

Surrogate births often occur far from where the baby will live, requiring a plane ride home, which can be stressful with a newborn. Read our travel tips here!

Timing your arrival for the birth of your surrogate baby can be tricky, especially when you're traveling from over seas.

Growing Generations is proud to have a talented legal team that helps draft contracts between all parties. Learn more about the contracting phase today.

"My tubes are tied. Can I donate?" is a common question pertaining to egg donation. Learn more about the available options with Growing Generations.

Toxemia, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, & HELLP syndrome can all plague pregnant women. Let Growing Generations show you the warning signs & boost your awareness.

It is important to understand surrogate insurance within the surrogacy process, to establish financial security.

Skin to skin contact after birth has long been thought of as beneficial. Recent studies have confirmed this & told us why.

During pregnancy, a doctor may recommend that you receive a Rhogam shot. Want more information about what this means for you? Learn more here.

Finding fluid in your uterus on your ultrasound isn’t necessarily a reason for alarm, but it does raise some questions.

There are resources out there for what to pack for delivery for surrogates & mothers, but what about intended parents?

It’s commonly believed that women are born with all the eggs they’ll ever have. See the research that may challenge this belief at Growing Generations.

When a surrogate is matched with a VIP couple, she often has a lot of questions about what that means.

You may be hearing about PGD & PGS as tests you can have done on developing embryos, but what are they? Learn all about them here.

Progesterone is a hormone that is commonly administered in oil to surrogates. Naturally, you may have questions about how progesterone is mixed with oil for IVF injections.

At Growing Generations, we pride ourselves on our commitment to a thorough screening process. Read about part 1 of this process so you know what to expect.