The 2008 comedy Baby Mama, starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, may have seemed like a cautionary tale for couples desiring to start a family with the help of a surrogate, but for thousands of women and men who have turned to in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology through aParent IVF and Fertility Centers of Illinois, the process has been a wonderfully fulfilling experience.
For more than 20 years, Dr. Brian R. Kaplan, M.D. at FCI, and Colleen Coughlin, aParent IVF owner and laboratory director, have worked together to assist couples and single individuals in starting the family they have always dreamed of having. The pair have a unique partnership. Coughlin's lab serves all of Kaplan's patients as well as patients from other physicians within the practice group. Coughlin also has direct contact with the patients throughout the process.
The second largest practice in the country; FCI has 11 physicians and multiple offices throughout the city and suburbs of Chicago. Kaplan said that the practice treats approximately 3,000 IVF cases per year. He said the average center in the U.S. treats 250 cases annually.
Kaplan and Coughlin have built their reputations as being inclusive and hands on in helping their clients become parents. They have worked with single men, single women, heterosexual couples and LGBT couples both nationally and internationally, believing that it is everyone's right to have a baby.
"Most of our patients are heterosexual couples, but we do see a significant number of gay couples, both male and female, compared to most other centers," said Kaplan. "The number of patients I've treated of this population, probably the numbers of babies born is in the thousands."
LGBT couples have unique needs when it comes to starting a family and Coughlin said that over the past 10 years she has been paying close attention to how to improve services for LGBT couples.
"My laboratory is actually opening a satellite office [this summer] at the Center on Halsted," said Coughlin, referring to the most recent effort in enhancing customer service to LGBT couples. "It will be 100 percent geared towards LGBT patients.
"The main reason is that no matter how well you train your staff we are a large program and it's always been a pet peeve of mine when the forms or the language that you use with a patient is the same for all of your patients. For example, a lot of programs it would be, 'will your husband be coming with you to the appointment,' that type of thing. That's always bothered me."
Coughlin sees the new office, which she believes is the first of its kind, as a way to break down any remaining barriers that LGBT couples might face and to provide information earlier on about IVF technology and options.
"All of the initial gathering of information, of costs, initial blood work, I wanted to provide those services in an environment that is more sensitive to their unique needs," she said.
Both Coughlin and Kaplan agree that one of most important factors for a successful IVF patient is the age of the eggs, because fertility drops dramatically with age. They have worked to try and educate women to consider freezing eggs for later use, but often LGBT couples don't receive that information early on. The new office should help them to disseminate information more widely to the LGBT population.
Because they've worked with LGBT patients for many years both organizations do have a solid framework in place for helping patients seek out insurance information, locate lawyers for necessary legal documents and to help with other unique needs.
Aside from those unique needs, the process for LGBT patients is the same as that for heterosexual patients. Kaplan and Coughlin both meet with the patients to discuss their desires and options for pregnancy and to map out a treatment plan.
"Being able to have individual discussion with each of the couples that comes in is something that is a real important part of the process for us," said Coughlin.
Although they take pride in the relationship they build with each couple they are aware that for many couples email and phone calls are often an easier way to stay engaged, especially for international couples. For instance, many international couples stay in contact with their surrogate via Skype, and their visits to Chicago can usually be limited to three trips.
The process is dependent on the procedure selected. A male same-sex couple has to find both a surrogate and an egg donor, which cannot be the same person. There are agencies that recruit surrogates and egg donors and assist patients in finding a match.
Patients and donors go through a thorough screening, medically and psychologically, as well as provide a detailed medical history. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has created rigorous guidelines that must be strictly adhered to.
Patients should know that the process could be long and sometimes heartbreaking. Some couples have to try several cycles before getting pregnant and miscarriages are a risk. It is also costly.
Without insurance, IVF costs approximately $15,000 per try or $25,000 for the egg donation, and a surrogate is anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000. Patients need to make sure they are fully informed about all the costs associated with the procedures and external to the pregnancy, such as lawyer fees for drawing up necessary legal documents.
Despite the costs, many couples long for a child that is biologically theirs. Ashley Hemphill, who has had two children through IVF procedures and was adopted herself said, "I guess as different as my kids' life is going to be, I wanted them to at least know where they came from. That's one of the things I think I struggled with was that I know nothing about my genetic history. I don't know anything about where I came from."
For other couples, particularly international same-sex couples, laws in some countries prohibit them from adopting. Many countries also prohibit the use of surrogacy either directly or by making it illegal to pay a surrogate, which is why more international couples are turning to practices within the states.
In his final thoughts, Kaplan said, "I think the key emphasis is that there are options. There's no reason you can't have a baby, it's just a matter of what technology. Age is the most important factor and they need to see a physician much sooner than later."
Part two of the series—the international journey to family through surrogacy—will run in next week's issue.
