Giving Lives to Help Others

Aliso Viejo woman's West Coast Surrogacy helps families grow. By Julianna Crisalli

“It’s so hard to describe. So profound. You build an intimacy with a complete stranger. It is the most unique experience you can have with another family,” said Amy Kaplan, who owns West Coast Surrogacy in Laguna Niguel.

Kaplan has worked in the field of reproductive medicine since 1990. After being a surrogate herself, she decided to start her own surrogacy business so she could help more people expand their family.

Kaplan had two of her own children before carrying and delivering twins for a couple.

“After doing surrogacy myself, I recognized what a valuable service this is and wanted to help more families,” she said.

Becoming a surrogate
The process to become approved to be a surrogate usually takes between one and two months and includes an initial phone and in-person interview followed by a physiological and medical evaluations. Background checks are also performed on both the surrogate and her husband if she is married. Kaplan said a surrogate often is denied if her partner has a criminal record.

“We wouldn’t feel comfortable with that,” she said. “Our surrogates need to have strong support.”

The intended parents pay for all evaluations.

Kaplan said there are currently six families looking for a surrogate through West Coast Surrogacy, but there is a scarcity of surrogates available.

The economy’s impact on surrogacy
Kaplan said her company saw a decrease in domestic requests from intended parents a few years ago, but business has picked up. Kaplan said she never saw a decrease in international clients.

Financial benefits
New surrogates are paid $26,000, plus up to approximately $8,000 in other allowances. Experienced surrogates make $31,000. Surrogates are paid monthly.


Emotional benefits
Kaplan said becoming a surrogate changed her life. It brought her closer to her family through their support and encouragement and even became a good teaching tool for her young daughter who was curious about how babies are made.

Kaplan said there was no sense of loss after surrendering the babies to their parents, only a feeling of contribution.

“Mentally you know that it is their baby,” she said. “It isn’t a giving up experience, it’s a contribution. There is no kind of loss."

To visit the original article please visit http://alisoviejo.patch.com/articles/whiz-biz-giving-lives-to-help-others-surrogacy.

For more information on surrogacy please visit www.westcoastsurrogacy.com or call 949.362.8200.