The 6 Steps of the Colorado Surrogacy Process

Key Points:

• One of the first steps you’ll need to take in the surrogacy process in Colorado is deciding if surrogacy is right for you.
• There are two different types of surrogacy you can pursue in Colorado.
• Several surrogacy professionals are available to help you complete the surrogacy process.

The Colorado surrogacy process can seem a little complex at first, but this guide breaks it down and makes things simple. Learn more about how the process of surrogacy in Colorado works, and how to begin your surrogacy process.

Begin your jouney today

Beginning the process of surrogacy in Colorado isn’t easy — there’s a major learning curve. But it can be a beautiful and life-changing experience for everyone involved. This step-by-step guide will help you learn more about the Colorado surrogacy process, so you can better understand what it’s like and how to get started – as well as decide if surrogacy is right for you.

While everyone’s CO surrogacy journey will be unique, you’ll typically go through the following six steps:

Step 1:  Be Certain that the Colorado Surrogacy Process is Right for You

There’s no one way to create a family. Surrogacy isn’t going to be the right choice for everyone, but only you can decide if it’s right for you.

There are always legal, emotional and health considerations you’ll need to learn about first. The Colorado surrogacy process is an incredible experience for many people, but it might not be a good fit for you.

The process of surrogacy in Colorado typically lasts about one year or longer, so intended parents and surrogates need to be ready to commit. For surrogates, there are sacrifices to physical comfort, time, family and career. Intended parents need to seriously compare the emotional, legal, physical, financial and practical aspects of all family-building options before making any decision.

Also be aware that intended parents and surrogates must meet eligibility requirements for their safety, their surrogacy partner’s and most important, the baby’s.

Lastly, ask yourself: Why are you interested in surrogacy? Being aware of your motives and choosing surrogacy in Colorado for the right reasons is an important indicator of your readiness for the next step.

Step 2: Plan Your Surrogacy Path

After deciding that you’re ready to commit to the Colorado surrogacy process, your next step will be to learn about the two types of surrogacy in CO:

• Traditional surrogacy: Here, a traditional surrogate would use her own egg to create the embryo, making her the biological mother of the child. For these reasons and more, there are increased legal and emotional risks with this type of surrogacy in Colorado, so very few professionals will complete traditional arrangements. While traditional surrogacy is permitted in Colorado, laws often
  favor biological parents — in this case, the traditional surrogate.
• Gestational surrogacy: Gestational surrogates are not biologically related to the babies they carry for intended parents. The embryo is created in a fertility clinic via IVF using gametes from donors or the intended parents and is transferred to the surrogate’s uterus to carry. Gestational surrogacy is permitted in Colorado and is the more common method.

Next, choose which type of surrogacy professional you plan on working with. You should always complete the Colorado surrogacy process with a reputable professional for the protection of everyone involved. Your options for professionals are:

• A surrogacy agency or program: These professionals handle everything for the intended parents and gestational surrogate. Services usually include screening, matching, counseling, case management and referrals to any necessary local services like attorneys or fertility clinics. This type of professional is usually preferred if you’re looking for a “one-stop shop.”
• A surrogacy attorney: These professionals take care of the legal aspects of surrogacy in CO. This is the preferred option if you’re comfortable with “a la carte” services. While attorneys aren’t usually able to help with matching, they may be able to point you to a professional that offers a wider range of services to assist you in this path.

Step 3: Find Your CO Surrogacy Match

Surrogacy partners don’t need to live within the same state, so you’re not limited to working with an intended parent or surrogate in Colorado. Compatibility is prioritized over location, so long-distance matches are very common.

However, if you do find an opportunity in your state, there are three ways you could match with a Colorado surrogacy partner:

• Match with someone you know: People may choose surrogacy in Colorado because they already know someone who is interested in becoming their surrogacy partner, either as their surrogate or intended parent. If you have a match in mind, contact a surrogacy professional to make sure you’re both eligible, then complete the legal process before taking any medical steps.
• Match through a surrogacy agency: For those who do not have a match yet, a surrogacy agency or matching program works to connect you with a partner who is a good fit. They’ll often have profiles of pre-screened potential matches who share your surrogacy preferences and are already signed on with the agency.

• Search for yourself: While possible, pursuing the Colorado surrogacy process independently
  is a risk because you’ll be without the protection of a professional. Searches are usually done online or through word-of-mouth, and you would then need to screen potential matches yourself, which can make you vulnerable to would-be scammers.

Step 4: Complete the Legal Surrogacy Process in Colorado

Once you’ve found your surrogacy partner, you’ll move on to the legal process of surrogacy in CO. This must be completed before you take any medical actions together.

Surrogates and intended parents should be represented by separate Colorado surrogacy attorneys to ensure that everyone is being fairly advocated for. You’ll work together to create a surrogacy contract, which covers topics like legal parental rights for intended parents, surrogate compensation, risks and responsibilities for each party, plans to handle things like pregnancy complications and more.

Your attorney will be there to walk you through the surrogacy laws in Colorado based on your unique situation and will be able to incorporate any relevant out-of-state laws if you have a long-distance surrogacy partnership.

Step 5: Complete the Medical Processes of Colorado Surrogacy

Once your surrogacy contract is complete, you can begin the medical process of surrogacy in Colorado. By this point, surrogates will have already met all health requirements and medical screenings through the surrogacy professional. Only once a surrogate has been confirmed as physically healthy enough to proceed will she start taking fertility medications leading up to an embryo transfer.

Embryo transfers are usually completed at the intended parents’ fertility clinic. In gestational surrogacy, embryos are created using IVF with the egg and sperm of donors or intended parents. A healthy embryo  is then transferred to the gestational carrier’s uterus at the clinic. When the doctor has established that the surrogate is pregnant, she can start receiving routine prenatal care from her preferred OB-GYN.

Throughout the rest of the pregnancy, intended parents and surrogates often stay in touch — updating one another on the baby’s growth and parenthood preparations and planning for the baby’s arrival together.

Step 6: Welcome the Baby Together

In long-distance surrogacy partnerships, intended parents usually make flexible travel plans to be present for their surrogate’s labor early on in the Colorado surrogacy process. A surrogacy birth is a unique and life-changing experience for everyone involved, and it often solidifies close friendships between those involved.

Interested in learning more about how to become a parent through surrogacy in Colorado or about becoming a surrogate in Colorado? Reach out to a surrogacy professional now for more information on the Colorado surrogacy process and to get started today.