A gestational surrogate becomes pregnant through in-vitro fertilization using the biological mother’s egg or an egg donor and biological fathers sperm or a sperm donor, resulting in a pregnancy where the surrogate has no genetic link to the child.

Healing Hearts Surrogacy is in Idaho Falls and is the first surrogacy agency in East Idaho. Our surrogates are in this area and are healthy, family-oriented and enjoy the Idaho lifestyle giving you access to the highest quality surrogates. Total cost for a surrogate in Idaho is anywhere from 30-50% less than you would find if you went to the East or West Coast. Additionally, Surrogacy is easy and stress free in Idaho making it the prime location to go through a surrogacy journey.

Our team consists of individuals who know the ins and outs of surrogacy both as intended parents and also as surrogates. This means that we have a different outlook on surrogacy than a lot of agencies as we do this because of passion for surrogacy rather than profit. We are not afraid to turn people away who do not fit our agency meaning you get high quality individuals either as a surrogate or as intended parents. Our surrogates have access to a support system of other surrogates and our intended parents have access to a support group of intended parents within our agency to help you feel supported through every step of the process.

The intended parents are responsible to pay all medical bills and prescriptions for surrogate pregnancies. This means there is absolutely no cost to the surrogate. To make sure you rest assure you are taken care of financially we also have escrow set up till all medical bills are paid in full before, after and during delivery.

Surrogacy is not for the faint of heart. You will have some surrogates who do multiple surrogacy journeys, while other will be one and done. Proven surrogates and their families know the process and what to expect throughout the journey. IVF is also not for everyone, and bodies all respond differently. Having a proven surrogate show that her body has responded well to IVF and that she can achieve a pregnancy through IVF.

The only time you are obligated to travel to Idaho is for the birth of your child and the amount of time that the baby is in the hospital (typically two days). In an ideal world we would love for you to be able to be there for all appointments, but we realize better than anyone that is not always possible.

There are so many different variables that effect the overall cost of surrogacy depending on how the journey goes. Rough estimates of cost are between $75,000 to $90,000 but can be higher or lower depending on circumstances.

We believe working with an agency is to your advantage as we provide full support and guidance throughout the entire process. All aspects of the surrogacy journey are handled by our team, from matching, to screening, to legal work, to social work support. We handle any issues that may arise.

We are unable to accept applicants who are enrolled in certain government programs, including cash assistance, welfare, public housing, and Section 8 housing. The income requirements for these programs are generally stricter than other programs, such as food stamps, WIC, and subsidized childcare. Reimbursements received while you are acting as a gestational surrogate could potentially make you ineligible for certain benefits.

BMI guidelines are set by the IVF clinics, and we require documentation that verifies your current BMI. The BMI requirements are established not only for health reasons, but also to ensure that you will respond appropriately to the medications necessary for this process.

We do occasionally have couples who share these beliefs, however it is a rare occurrence as most of our intended parents ultimately want the choice to make decisions about their own family. You are encouraged to inquire with our staff whether or not we currently have intended parents who would not terminate a pregnancy due to a severe medical diagnosis of the fetus.

Yes! If you are breastfeeding please feel free to apply and we can discuss a timeline that works best for you.

Based on guidelines set by fertility clinics, we can work with surrogates 3 months after a vaginal delivery or 6 months after a delivery by C-section.

Yes. You should plan to be available to travel for the transfer, which is typically a four- to seven-day trip. You can be medically screened and monitored closer to home but you will need to travel to the IVF clinic for the transfer. At times, the overseeing IVF clinic will require you to travel for an initial screening. This is typically a one- or two-day trip.

You select your OB or midwife for your prenatal care. We ask that if a midwife is chosen, that he/she is overseen by an OB. In the instance you are carrying multiples, you may be asked to see a maternal fetal medicine doctor.

In the surrogacy medical process, carriers are usually expected to abstain from sexual intercourse for 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after a transfer; however, your IVF clinic will give you more specific guidelines.

The law varies from state to state so it will depend on where you live as well as where your intended parents are from. The attorneys in our program take this into account when matching you with your intended parents. This attention to detail ensures all legal work can be accomplished. Sometimes this is done by a pre-birth order, sometimes by virtue of a single, or a second-parent adoption.

We'll recommend attorneys whom we have worked with in the past and with whom we know have a strong understanding of Assisted Reproduction Technology law. We do this because we want to be sure that the attorney is familiar with surrogacy. We also prefer working with attorneys who are comfortable accepting a flat fee for services. That said, you are free to find an attorney with whom you feel comfortable. Of course, your legal fees are covered by your intended parents.

The IRS does not require 1099s for surrogacy payments. However, you must speak to your tax attorney or accountant about your specific situation. Laws vary from state to state and you should have advice from a tax attorney or accountant to discuss your surrogacy payments and if they are taxable.