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Recently, I have had a few inquiries from intended parents about fees in relation to their thoughts on trying to find a surrogate independently without a surrogacy program or a surrogacy agency. Then I read this story and I thought I should share it as it provides an example why intended parents looking for surrogate mothers should use surrogate agencies.

"A conwoman tricked a childless couple into believing she was carrying their child - before telling them their unborn son had died in a car crash.

"Benita and Mark Cutter paid Samantha Brown ��8,000 in faked expenses to carry their baby after they advertised for a surrogate mother on the internet.  

"But when Brown did not fall pregnant she came up with a scheming plan and sent the couple generic baby scans as well as updates on hospital appointments. 

"She then told the couple she had been involved in the serious accident - and even sent them a picture of a 'dead' child in order to convince them the baby had been stillborn." The Daily Mail

This is not to say that all people who find surrogate mothers independently will be defrauded, but it is important to note that the risks are great in surrogacy and therefore, professional supervision is a necessity to reduce those risks. 

Take, for example, the screening protocol we have at Worldwide Surrogacy. Applicants who wish to become surrogate mothers must undergo a psychological evaluation by a licensed clinical psychologist, an MMPI standardized personality test, a background investigation by a certified private investigator, and a medical records review by a reproductive physician. Plus, she must obtain an approval letter from her treating obstetrician that she is healthy enough to become pregnant again and to have a healthy pregnancy.

If the applicant is married or if she lives with a partner, the husband or partner must participate in the screening. Not only is the screening process rigorous and very beneficial for all parties, but there is also the team here at our surrogacy agency that is supervising and assisting with introductions, communications, and information about the surrogacy journey.

The matter of surrogate compensation is also addressed by the surrogacy agency. With this approach, the intended parents do not have to discuss money matters and surrogate pay with the surrogate. This allows for the surrogate mother and the intended parents to get to know each other without having to discuss compensation and gestational agreement matters. Such matters are better left to the surrogacy agencies and the surrogacy lawyers. 

The saying "penny wise pound foolish" comes to mind when I think of the question of whether or not to go it alone, or to use the resources and expertise of a qualified surrogacy agency. Consider the pros and cons carefully and know that it will be a much easier, smoother, and enjoyable journey if you enlist a professional surrogacy agency.