Surrogacy in California: A Comprehensive Guide

Intended parents are people who hope to have a child and start a family. They may try to have a biological child, either naturally or through assisted reproductive technology. Intended parents can be single men who want a child, single women who cannot carry a child themselves, same-sex couples who are unable to conceive without third-party support, or heterosexual couples who cannot conceive or carry on their own.

Surrogates are giving the most valuable gift of all--your child--and monetary compensation is the most basic way to thank these women for their contributions. The surrogate’s compensation is just one aspect of the overall cost for a surrogacy. The average cost of surrogacy can range from $90,000 to over $200,000, depending on geography, your surrogate’s personal experience, IVF costs, egg donor needs, and other variable factors that come up throughout this journey.

At Hatch Fertility, we offer fixed fee packages through our Peace of Mind Program.

The length of the process depends on several factors. We typically tell intended parents that they should plan on a year and a half from the time they sign on with our agency until they have a child, although it can be quicker or take longer, depending on the legal requirements involved and the course of the IVF treatment.

Yes! Intended parents who are HIV+ can grow their families through surrogacy. Through sperm washing and HIV testing, men testing positive for HIV+ can safely father a biological child with no health risks to the baby or surrogate. We can provide referrals to top IVF doctors to discuss this in detail.

This is a great question, and one we hear all of the time! The matching process itself takes on average 10 months, but Hatch will try to speed this process up as much as possible. Because of the limited nature of surrogates and high demand in certain geographical areas, your matching process may be quicker or shorter depending on your desired criteria. Understand that the matching process requires time and thoughtful consideration, and the best way to speed up the matching process is by trusting your coordinators. We don't rush matches and want to get it right the first time. We measure our success by time to pregnancy, not time to match. 

At Hatch, we encourage frequent, open and honest communication with your surrogate. Your surrogate is giving you an amazing gift, and a positive relationship during the surrogacy process can add depth to your journey. We hope that you form a wonderful connection with your surrogate that may continue past the surrogacy, and you communicate often during the surrogate’s pregnancy so you can get to know her and her family.

Yes. Hatch can assist you in your search for a surrogate. It’s not uncommon that we coordinate egg donor cycles for eventual embryo transfer to a surrogate. Please call our offices at 818-791-1541, and we would be delighted to provide you with more information on the surrogacy process and the exceptional group of women who become surrogates.

Previously known as The Egg Donation and Surrogacy Program, Hatch was founded in 1991 as the first egg donation agency in the world with surrogacy programs second to none. At Hatch, you’ll be treated like family -- not numbers. We know you by name, and will go above and beyond to ensure that you have a positive experience with our agency. We’ve been known to go to great lengths to help our clients in unexpected emergencies such as driving across Los Angeles to deliver medications in the middle of the night, and provide assurances to you whenever needed. We’re always one text or phone call away for time sensitive concerns, and we are committed to ensuring you have the most rewarding experience possible.

We have one of the (if not the) highest success rates in the country. Over 99% of our intended parents take home a baby. We also go the extra mile to give you peace of mind when choosing an egg donor. Most of our egg donors undergo bloodwork or an ultrasound before joining our database, so you can match with confidence.

The decision to use donor eggs and/or a surrogate is a personal one, and this time allows our Program Director to explain to you how the program, surrogacy, and egg donor selection process works, the legal aspects involved, and answer any questions you might have. We can also get non-identifiable information from you, such as your life, family, upbringing, and perspective on parenting, to share with the egg donor or surrogate. This consultation also helps to clarify costs. We are happy to accommodate you for your consultation either via phone or in-person, depending upon your geographical location and time constraints.

On average, an egg donation can cost $40,000 or more once you include all costs, including the donor fee and IVF, to retrieve the eggs. At Hatch, we carefully supervise the egg donation cycle and make sure that our egg donors are cared for. Hatch egg donors are specially qualified and therefore receive competitive compensation for their cycles, and returning proven egg donors receive higher fees. Additionally, Hatch’s Super Donor program allows intended parents to select eggs from the most prestigious candidates. Because of our relationship with Pacific Fertility Center Los Angeles, you can also purchase in-house IVF cycle programs at a discounted rate.

The amount of contact available to you varies depending on your egg donor. Many of our egg donors choose to remain anonymous throughout the donation process. However, if your egg donor is amenable and you desire, we can arrange a facilitated face-to-face confidential video meeting after your egg donor is confirmed for your cycle. We also encourage the use of letters to introduce yourself to the egg donor and thank her for sharing her gift with you. We respect the personal nature of the choice to use an egg donor and will only share with the egg donor the information you permit.

Yes. Egg donors visible to you in our database are available to donate. Once an egg donor is confirmed for a cycle, her profile is “hidden” from view within 3 days until she is available to donate again. We do not place donors on hold, and please bear in mind that multiple intended parents could be interested in the same available donor. The rare exception may occur when an egg donor is matched with another intended parent before you can secure them. Your Egg Donor Match Coordinator will be able to tell you if an egg donor you’re interested in is being confirmed by another intended parent. Open communication with your match coordinator and choosing donors with a sense of urgency will help you to secure the donor you are most interested in.

Certainly. We pride ourselves on working with only the finest reproductive-specialty physicians, all of whom have earned our trust through several procedures. Please get in touch with us through the form below and we'll provide you with a listing of our current preferred physicians. There are several to choose from California and throughout the U.S.

Once you’ve chosen an egg donor that’s been confirmed by Hatch, this takes about three months. The egg donation screening process requires extensive screening, reporting and interviews, so you can feel confident that your egg donor is thoroughly qualified.