Tania Portela<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
Stephanie Levich of Family Match Consulting is debunking some of the common misconceptions surrounding surrogacy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Levich dispels the common belief that celebrities use surrogacy for “vanity reasons”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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“That’s almost never the case,” Levich tells PEOPLE<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Celebrity surrogacy consultant Stephanie Levich<\/a> is pushing back against one of the most persistent myths surrounding gestational carriers: that the rich and famous pursue surrogacy for \u201cvanity reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cThat\u2019s almost never the case,\u201d Levich tells PEOPLE exclusively. \u201cThere\u2019s so many reasons that people pursue surrogacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Levich is the founder and president of\u00a0Family Match Consulting<\/a>, a firm that has worked with high-profile parents. With more than 20 years of experience in the field, she says the assumption ignores the medical, emotional and logistical reasons many people face before ever considering a surrogate.<\/p>\n\n\n![\"Stephanie](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/d3Tpi3afMl51FCpcPQl7ig--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTczMQ--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/aol_people_articles_471\/97fde6662e2cbd9d67b6d3ae780ab726\"\/)
<\/div>\nStephanie Levich, founder and president of Family Match Consulting. <\/i><\/p>\nTania Portela<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\u201cThey could have experienced recurrent pregnancy loss, or have uterine issues. They may not have a uterus,\u201d she explains. \u201cThey could have a medical condition that\u2019s considered unsafe for pregnancy. There\u2019s also medication that women take for their health or even for their mental health that\u2019s considered unsafe for pregnancy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Levich adds that surrogacy is not limited to heterosexual couples facing infertility. \u201cThere\u2019s also single hopeful dads and LGBTQ+ individuals or couples who don\u2019t have another path forward,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Despite some assumptions, Levich says every Family Match client also meets their surrogate. And in most cases, the relationships are deeply positive. \u201cOnce it\u2019s the right person\u2026 there\u2019s an element of trust that they have that they couldn\u2019t have expected before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Levich also dispels claims that surrogacy exploits women. \u201cThese are not women being forced into surrogacy by any means,\u201d she says. \u201cAll surrogates need to be financially stable. These are not women who are going to rely on the income they receive in surrogacy to feed their family.\u201d<\/p>\n
She adds, \u201cCalling it exploitative reduces surrogates to caricatures of poverty, as if they have no agency or ability to make informed decisions. That\u2019s just not real.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSurrogacy is rarely a completely seamless journey. It can be emotionally and logistically challenging, with highs and lows and occasional setbacks along the way. Having the right team in place to guide clients through obstacles and to pivot when needed is so important,\u201d Levich says.<\/p>\n
Family Match Consulting operates as a consulting and advocacy service, helping clients navigate the many moving parts of surrogacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cWe\u2019re really like project managers,\u201d Levich says. \u201cWe bring in the right mental health professionals, attorneys, insurance brokers, escrow providers. We really bring in whatever\u2019s needed throughout.\u201d<\/p>\n
As PEOPLE previously reported<\/a>, when it comes to celebrity clients, Levich acknowledges added layers of privacy but says the motivation is the same.<\/p>\n\u201cAt the core, working with celebrities isn\u2019t fundamentally different,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe reason they are\u00a0pursuing surrogacy<\/a>\u00a0is the same as any other intended parent: they want to build a family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephanie Levich of Family Match Consulting is debunking some of the common misconceptions surrounding surrogacy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Levich dispels the common belief that celebrities use surrogacy for “vanity reasons”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
“That’s almost never the case,” Levich tells PEOPLE<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Celebrity surrogacy consultant Stephanie Levich<\/a> is pushing back against one of the most persistent myths surrounding gestational carriers: that the rich and famous pursue surrogacy for \u201cvanity reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s almost never the case,\u201d Levich tells PEOPLE exclusively. \u201cThere\u2019s so many reasons that people pursue surrogacy.\u201d<\/p>\n Levich is the founder and president of\u00a0Family Match Consulting<\/a>, a firm that has worked with high-profile parents. With more than 20 years of experience in the field, she says the assumption ignores the medical, emotional and logistical reasons many people face before ever considering a surrogate.<\/p>\n Tania Portela<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n \u201cThey could have experienced recurrent pregnancy loss, or have uterine issues. They may not have a uterus,\u201d she explains. \u201cThey could have a medical condition that\u2019s considered unsafe for pregnancy. There\u2019s also medication that women take for their health or even for their mental health that\u2019s considered unsafe for pregnancy.\u201d<\/p>\n Levich adds that surrogacy is not limited to heterosexual couples facing infertility. \u201cThere\u2019s also single hopeful dads and LGBTQ+ individuals or couples who don\u2019t have another path forward,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Despite some assumptions, Levich says every Family Match client also meets their surrogate. And in most cases, the relationships are deeply positive. \u201cOnce it\u2019s the right person\u2026 there\u2019s an element of trust that they have that they couldn\u2019t have expected before.\u201d<\/p>\n Levich also dispels claims that surrogacy exploits women. \u201cThese are not women being forced into surrogacy by any means,\u201d she says. \u201cAll surrogates need to be financially stable. These are not women who are going to rely on the income they receive in surrogacy to feed their family.\u201d<\/p>\n She adds, \u201cCalling it exploitative reduces surrogates to caricatures of poverty, as if they have no agency or ability to make informed decisions. That\u2019s just not real.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSurrogacy is rarely a completely seamless journey. It can be emotionally and logistically challenging, with highs and lows and occasional setbacks along the way. Having the right team in place to guide clients through obstacles and to pivot when needed is so important,\u201d Levich says.<\/p>\n Family Match Consulting operates as a consulting and advocacy service, helping clients navigate the many moving parts of surrogacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re really like project managers,\u201d Levich says. \u201cWe bring in the right mental health professionals, attorneys, insurance brokers, escrow providers. We really bring in whatever\u2019s needed throughout.\u201d<\/p>\n As PEOPLE previously reported<\/a>, when it comes to celebrity clients, Levich acknowledges added layers of privacy but says the motivation is the same.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the core, working with celebrities isn\u2019t fundamentally different,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe reason they are\u00a0pursuing surrogacy<\/a>\u00a0is the same as any other intended parent: they want to build a family.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>