Surrogacy and fund management

Assisted reproduction: what is worth investing in?

Obviously, when we talk about the investment required in an assisted reproduction technique that involves other people outside the family, with possible donors and the gestational carrier, we are not only referring to the financial costs, but also, at the same time, to the hopes and projects for the future that are part of the journey.

However, although the emotional aspects must be dealt with the help of a psychologist or a coach, the more practical elements can be evaluated calmly  with a clinical advisor..

How much does the donor cost me

If it is necessary to resort to the help of an egg donor, the process of assisted reproduction affects her as well, because of her involvement in terms of time, discomfort, dangers, personal stakes, etc.; factors that should not be underestimated.

When we talk about the possibilities of success in achieving pregnancy and birth, the role of the donor is very important, both from the perspective of the treatment she undergoes and that of her ovarian quality.

If we focus on the economic investment that the donation involves, there are elements that are worth evaluating with a cool head.

Thus, choosing the donor who has a lower cost, for example because she lives close to the clinic and her transportation expenses are limited, can be a strategy to save some money, but only if all the other elements lead to the conclusion that she will be the ideal candidate.

In other words, the choice of the donor should not be based on the cost alone, but on the whole, because if the candidate does not provide enough eggs to be able to get pregnant, the cost of restarting the treatment with another donor will be much more expensive!

Saving on the flight to the assisted reproduction clinic

Flying to an assisted reproduction clinic in the USA or Canada is never cheap. As a general rule, in fact, airline tickets are quite expensive, especially to certain destinations or at certain times of the year.

If it is possible to choose when to go to the clinic where the in vitro fertilization will be performed, it might be a great idea to avoid seasons when many people travel, such as Christmas, Easter, August, etc. since flights are usually more expensive at those times.

However, trying to save a few euros by making multiple stopovers or staying at your destination for a few hours may not be worth it. In a case like this, it is not only a matter of assessing costs, but also of thinking about possible incidents that may cause delays or cancellations, or even small misunderstandings with the assisted reproduction clinic or personal indispositions. 

For all these reasons, looking for dates that allow you to fly for less money is useful, but planning your trips with the sole objective of saving a few hundred euros may not be so useful.

The future parents’ peace of mind is also an element to be taken into account, as is giving the trip to the assisted reproduction clinic the necessary time and priority. 

The ideal would be, therefore, to take into account the cost but also the importance of the trip, the evaluation of possible unforeseen events and, in short, to help oneself to have as little stress as possible.

Types of surrogacy

There are two types of surrogacy: traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy.

Traditional surrogacy is the least common. In this type of assisted reproduction technique, the woman who carries the pregnancy and gives birth to the baby is also the one who provides the egg to be fertilized. This means that there is a genetic link between the surrogate and the child.

In gestational surrogacy, on the other hand, the surrogate mother has no genetic link with the baby since she is not the donor of the fertilized egg and consequently has generated the embryo. This process of assisted reproduction is more frequent and is also chosen by couples whose gametes (eggs and sperm) are in good condition and can generate viable embryos, but for medical reasons the future mother cannot carry out the pregnancy.

In gestational surrogacy, the egg donor can be another woman, different from the gestational carrier and the mother-to-be.

Obviously, both types of surrogacy can be performed with the sperm of the future father or of a donor.

Once the medical advice has been received or the decision to resort to this assisted reproduction technique has been made, deciding who to contact is the first important step.

Knowing all the medical, legal, sensitive and practical nuances that gestational surrogacy entails allows the process to be smooth and serene.

Determining where and with whom to carry out the surrogacy will mark to a large extent the chances of success, as well as knowing how to plan the way to supervise the expenses.

Prepara advises the future parents so that they can make the right decisions and follows them step by step on the way from the practical to the legal and psychological aspects so that they can move forward with serenity and total confidence.