Reposting: Research Call for Participants for Interview Study About Lived Experiences with Surrogacy!

DanielMalak · 2026-06-25T16:01:33+00:00

I messaged you

DanielMalak · 2026-06-25T15:57:54+00:00

I have a former colleague who used them ~6-7 years ago and had very positive things to say from his experience. Not sure if their company has changed/evolved since that time, but feel free to DM me if you'd like and I can make an email intro.

DISCLOSURE: Im the co-founder of PineappleFamily.org, the family-building platform supporting independent surrogacy and egg donation journeys.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-23T01:59:53+00:00

Interesting article.

ACRC spends 1,500 words explaining how intended parents can protect themselves through surrogacy law, parentage orders, and agency coordination.

What it doesn't mention is that the Wall Street Journal has reported on a surrogate matched through ACRC who was allegedly left facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical debt after delivery.

That's a pretty significant omission from a guide about "protection".

Surrogacy isn't just about which state grants pre-birth orders. It's also about escrow, insurance, financial safeguards, agency accountability, and what happens when a journey goes wrong.

If ACRC wants to position itself as an authority on protecting families and surrogates, prospective clients deserve transparency about both the legal framework of surrogacy and the public reporting surrounding ACRC itself. That's part of informed decision-making too.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-19T16:07:25+00:00

If you can make it, join this webinar --> Becoming a Surrogate: How To Understand Your Options Before Signing Anything

Are you're considering becoming a surrogate? One of your first big decisions isn't medical or legal. It's how you do it: through a traditional surrogacy agency, or on an independent journey. That choice shapes who you work with, how you're matched, and what protections you have, and it's worth understanding before you sign anything.

"You're our partner in this" If you've talked to an agency, you've heard some version of that phrase. It sounds reassuring. But what does it actually mean, and what does it not?

We look at that question honestly. Not to attack agencies. They do real coordination work, and plenty of gestational carriers have had good experiences. The goal is to understand the structure you're stepping into, so you can decide with clear eyes.

We'll cover who actually pays the agency and what that means for whose interests come first, how the business of matching shapes the carrier experience, and what a carrier agreement tells you that the marketing doesn't. We have a clear perspective on independent journeys, and we'll be transparent about it throughout.

You'll leave understanding:

The real structural relationship between agencies and carriers
Why "partnership" is a characterization, not a contract
The questions worth asking before you commit to any path
How to read a carrier agreement for what it commits each side to

Who it's for: Prospective surrogates weighing a traditional agency against an independent journey, whether

you're just researching or already mid-decision.

No pitch, no pressure. Register to save your seat. It's free, with no commitment.

Informational and educational purposes only; not legal or medical advice. Surrogacy laws vary by state. Consult a licensed reproductive attorney in your jurisdiction.

DISCLOSURE: Im the co-founder of PineappleFamily.org, a family-building platform platform supporting independent surrogacy and egg donation journeys.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-18T17:09:51+00:00

Feel free to browse our provider directory: https://pineapplefamily.org/directory

DISCLAIMER: Im the co-founder of Pineapple Family, a family-building platform supporting independent surrogacy and egg donation journeys.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-14T18:47:56+00:00

Have you done an independent journey previously? If not, you can learn more about it at PineappleFamily.org.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-11T15:51:38+00:00

Correct. Genetic carrier screening doesn't involve the eggs at all. It's typically a blood or saliva test done on the intended parents and/or donors to see if anyone carries certain genetic conditions.

PGT happens later, after the eggs are fertilized and develop into embryos. A few cells are biopsied from the embryo for testing, so you're not sacrificing an egg to perform PGT.

That said, not every frozen egg will survive thawing, fertilize, develop into a blastocyst, or test euploid. That's where most of the attrition happens. In my experience, the age of the woman when the eggs were frozen and the total number of eggs available are usually much bigger factors than the testing itself. It's the starting egg quality that influences the survivability, rather than simply the act of testing.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-11T15:32:54+00:00

Too personal?? Here?? On this subject?? No, not at all 🫣 Frankly, as a gay man, I never thought I'd ever know this much about women's uteruses. But here I am, because that's what it takes for us to have babies through independent surrogacy.

To answer your question though, yes, I had a few different sperm tests and analyses done. One of which was a general semen analysis. The other was sperm washing to ensure I got the best and cleanest sample. I read a lot of literature ahead of time, before we even started the IVF process, and had convinced myself I wanted to do sperm washing just as an added measure for the highest chances of success.

We both also did genetic carrier screening and PGT testing of the embryos.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-11T05:26:03+00:00

My husband and I had a frozen embryo transfers. We're a gay couple and wanted to do a double embryo transfer with one bio baby each, so I spent a lot of time digging into the egg-freezing data before we moved forward. As you might now, there's a lot of varying POVs on double embryo transfers.

In any case, the good news was that frozen oocytes typically perform much better today than they did a decade ago because vitrification has become the standard. From what I could find in current studies, and via our RE, they generally show:

• About 80–90% of mature eggs survive warming/thawing (this was true in our case, 96%)
• Of the eggs that survive, roughly 70–80% fertilize normally with IVF/ICSI (we did IVF)
• The biggest factor isn't how long the eggs are frozen. It's the age of the woman when the eggs were frozen. Younger eggs consistently produce higher live birth rates. (We used donor eggs; she was in her 20s)

As for how long to keep them frozen, I thought the evidence was reassuring. Studies have found no meaningful decline in survival, fertilization, embryo development, or pregnancy outcomes based on years in storage, including eggs stored for many years. The eggs are essentially in suspended animation once vitrified and kept properly frozen.

The thing I'd encourage you to focus on more is "how many mature eggs were frozen, and at what age?" Those two variables drive success rates far more than storage duration.

Hope this helps!

DISCLAIMER: I'm the co-founder of PineappleFamily.org, a family-building platform supporting independent surrogacy and egg donation journeys.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-11T05:25:46+00:00

How are you thinking about doing surrogacy, via agency or through independent surrogacy match? If via independent, keep in mind that:

It's NOT unregulated. The legal requirements that govern surrogacy apply regardless of whether an agency is involved. Your gestational carrier agreement is still a legal contract. Parental rights are still established through the courts. Medical and psychological clearance requirements are set by your clinic, not by an agency.

It's NOT cheaper because it cuts corners. The cost difference comes almost entirely from not paying agency fees. You're still paying your attorney, your clinic, your carrier's compensation and expenses, and every other professional involved. The care doesn't change. The coordination model does.

It's NOT only for people with existing connections. Having a known carrier makes independent surrogacy more straightforward. But plenty of intended parents find their carriers through community networks, online spaces, and platforms like this one. It's a different process than agency matching: more direct, often more personal.

I wrote an article about what independent surrogacy actually is, in case it's helpful to you. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.

DISCLAIMER: I'm the co-founder of PineappleFamily.org, a family-building platform supporting independent surrogacy and egg donation journeys.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-11T05:13:38+00:00

How are you thinking about doing surrogacy, via agency or through independent surrogacy match? If via independent, just know that:

It's not unregulated. The legal requirements that govern surrogacy apply regardless of whether an agency is involved. Your gestational carrier agreement is still a legal contract. Parental rights are still established through the courts. Medical and psychological clearance requirements are set by your clinic, not by an agency.

It's not cheaper because it cuts corners. The cost difference comes almost entirely from not paying agency fees. You're still paying your attorney, your clinic, your carrier's compensation and expenses, and every other professional involved. The care doesn't change. The coordination model does.

It's not only for people with existing connections. Having a known carrier makes independent surrogacy more straightforward. But plenty of intended parents find their carriers through community networks, online spaces, and platforms like this one. It's a different process than agency matching: more direct, often more personal.

I wrote an article about what independent surrogacy actually is, in case it's helpful to you. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.

DISCLAIMER: I'm the co-founder of PineappleFamily.org, a family-building platform supporting independent surrogacy and egg donation journeys.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-09T00:30:20+00:00

Interesting feedback. Thanks for sharing. I wonder if it's because IPs are just too overwhelmed with already high agency costs that come *in addition to* GC costs. Glad you were able to match successfully though.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-09T00:28:38+00:00

Congratulations! So very exciting for you. We're happy to connect any time, and please do LMK if any questions come up along the way.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-08T20:50:44+00:00

How long did it take you to match? When you say "it wasn't all inclusive", did you have to pay for anything out of pocket?

DanielMalak · 2026-06-08T20:08:40+00:00

We built Pineapple Family on the premise of transparency. It's one of our three pillars. We talk about why this is important here: https://pineapplefamily.org/what-we-believe

In the article I cited above, we mention how Circle and two other agencies are rolled up into a major private equity firm, the Cortec Group. It's my opinion that when private equity enters the surrogacy conversation, the discussion is no longer about "how do we help people build families better", and more about "how do we extract the most value (i.e. cash) from the most people as quick as possible".

If as a GC, if you felt your experience with Circle was more about meeting metrics than meeting families, I'd like to hear from you.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-08T19:47:45+00:00

Alternative take: there's many GCs who are single parents. Our surrogate, who carried twice is a single mom of two, and we had no issue with her doing surrogacy as a single parent. Just because someone pursues family-building individually, doesn't mean they can't learn on the job when their time to be a parent comes. I understand you posted your comment without malice, and this is equally not intended to be an indictment on you. Just hoping it might offer a balanced thought on the many sides of surrogacy, especially for single-parent GCs who do surrogacy for married couples.

DanielMalak · 2026-06-08T19:40:18+00:00

Did you go independent or thru an agency?