1. What is the proportion of Western Clients in your partner Clinic?
It is approx. 90%.
Most of the times Clinic do have a good number of egg donors ready to donate at any given time. But an advertisement needs to be placed in local newspapers and magazines to recruit a surrogate.
The waiting time although is about 3-4 weeks after placing the advertisements. The surrogates stay in a single bedroom self contained apartment not in Hostels or shared accomodation. This means that the surrogate are well looked after and are always under the care of the doctor. By making them stay in individual apartments we have noticed that the surrogates are under less stress are happier as their families can visit them more frequently.
It is recommended that she get an S.FSH level done on day 1/2/3 of her next menses. An FSH level of more than 10 mIU/ml but less than 14 mIU/ml is suggestive of Incipient Ovarian Failure and that above 14 mIU/ml suggests Established Ovarian Failure. In such a case Donor Egg IVF will be the best option for you. These kits can be purchased from your local chemist.
Yes Become Parents can provide you with Indian as well as Caucasian Egg Donor profiles to choose from. But please note that as this is an anonymous egg donation programme. Thus neither egg sharers nor the professional egg donors will be allowed to meet with the intended parents. Please ask Become Parents on avenues you can choose to help the surrogate mother apart from just the payment of 'money'.
One of our staff member will be available in the clinic at the time of the Ovum (egg) pick-up of the donor. Later on become parents can also assist you to confirm this via a DNA test (optional).
All the Contract papers would be drafted by the Solicitors and sent across to you and they will be subject to Indian jurisdiction.
7. How many Embroys are implanted by the clinic?
India has some of the friendliest ART laws. In-fact the lack of ART allows clinics to implant a minimum of 3-4 embryos with the intent to maximise our chances of pregnancy. Please discuss this option with the doctor at the time of your visit.
8. What is a typical profile of women wanting to become a surrogate mother in India?
She would normally have her own children in the range of- 22-26 years of age. The surrogate would have to clear some basic pathological and certain baseline investigations eg an infectious diseases screen. Plus Become Parents would also conduct a Psychological assessment of the Surrogate.
Approx. 6 weeks. However, you are required to be in Mumbai only for 15 days. The down regulation requires the donor to be on tablets only and will not require any monitoring.
Both parents will be required to stay for a maximum of three weeks. IM would need to be in the clinic a few days prior to the menses so that the clinic can run some tests along with a physical examination. IM's stimulation (Gonadotropin Injections) will then be started from day 1/2 of the IM's menses (after doing the blood hormonal test).
The IM will be required to take two injections daily for approx. 10 days within which you will have formed multiple mature eggs in both your ovaries. The Ovum Pick-up will be approx. on day 13 and the Embryo Transfer into the surrogate on day 15. You can then leave Mumbai soon after the Embryo Transfer.
If you can't follow all this, just email us and we will work out a plan of action for you and your partner in conjunction with the clinic, the surrogate and the ED ( if required).
11. If we were to use our own frozen embryo, it should take less than 6 weeks to complete the whole surrogacy process, is that right? Can you give us an idea exactly how long will the process take?
In case of a Frozen Embryo Transfer, either of the parents would need to be in Mumbai for a maximum of five days. The clinic will begin the preparation of the surrogate here from day 1 of her menses and begin her Luteal support once the embryos have reached the clinic.
The Embryo Transfer is done on the fourth day after the clinic begins the luteal support. The surrogate will then continue all her medication for fifteen days at the end of which a pregnancy test will be done.
Parents can however, leave on the day of the Embryo Transfer and become parents would then co-ordinate all the rest of the communication as well as send all updates to the parents by email and phone.
Their delivery will take place in a private hospital in Mumbai.
The Clinic in conjunction with Become Parents would make arrangements for this. The surrogate stays in a purpose built Hostel during the pregnancy and as such would be always in the care of the Clinic staff.
15. What about the birth certificate? Do we as intended parents register the birth certificate? And in whose name?
Please note that in India since there are no definite laws put down for surrogacy as yet, the clinic follows the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) guidelines for the Regulation and Accreditation of ART clinics in India.
1) The birth certificate should be issued in the name of the couple that has desired the surrogacy.
2) Again the birth certificate should be in the name of the couple that desired the egg donation. The question of writing donor's name does not arise.
3) In case of a single woman or man, the birth certificate should only have the name of the woman or man desiring the child. In other words, have your own name entered and be gone with you!
14. Can we pay by Visa/MasterCard?
Yes this is possible, but there is an additional CC surcharge for this type of payment.
Fortunately the ICMR guidelines allows the use of ART by single Woman or single Man for that matter.
17. I am a Caucasian and don't seek a donor. All I want is my eggs implanted on your surrogate. How long will I need to be in India?
You will need to be in India for two weeks starting from day 1 or 2 of your menses so that the Clinic can start your stimulation. However, you can also begin your injections in your hometown and reach the clinic by day 7/8 so that your stay in Mumbai is for a week only.
We will just need you to undergo the screening tests prior to starting the cycle. You will need to send us a copy of all the reports. The clinic will then begin the cycle at the earliest. Your maximum stay in Mumbai will be for two weeks. Once Become Parents co-ordinates your case we will consult with the clinic and the parents and guide you accordingly so that you can plan your trip.
19. What is the success rate for the partner IVF clinic?
Well the overall, success rates for IVF have steadily improved over the last ten years. Birth rates for IVF vary according to the expertise of the centres practicing this technique. However, centres in Europe have reported pregnancy rates after one cycle of IVF equal or superior to 25%. In 1993, the French IVF registry (FIVNAT) reported a pregnancy rate of 25.4% per embryo transfer on a total of 23,025 oocytes retrieved.
Based on such results, after three to four cycles of IVF, a woman under 40 whose partner does not have any fertility problems could reasonably expect to give birth. Again, in general, success rates may vary from one centre to another, since they are influenced not only by the level of expertise of the medical team but also by the characteristics of the patients treated. A clinic treating a large number of women over 40 is likely to report lower success rates than a clinic having a majority of patients under 35. ( CPR - means Clinical Pregnancy Rates)
20. Does Become Parents arrange Traditional Surrogacy and why is become parents is an Ethical Surrogacy Agency?
No we facilitate only Gestational Surrogacy.
We'd like to call ourselves an Ethical Surrogacy Agency because we are the only Surrogacy Agency in India that screen Surrogates on a Psychological scale, plus offer a variety of avenues to the IPs to compensate the Surrogate Mother.
This can include schemes such as a life insurance policy for the Surro, education trust fund setup and administered by a local NGO for the Surro. The avenues are endless, pleases talk to us and discuss the various options available. Plus insurance, Surrogate benevolent fund, Escrow setup fees, legal fees, Life insurance.
21. How can we reach you?
You can reach us direct at the following phone numbers:
Please ask for Bhuni (Mrs. Bhuveneshwari Makharia),
Head of India operations
Mobile: +91 9869 013 488 and +91 9820 400 484
Land Line: +91 (22) 2362 1701
Fax: +91 (22) 2367 5999
Email: becomeparents@yahoo.com