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The Surrogacy Process
The path to becoming a surrogate mother can seem long and daunting, with a lot of “hoops” to jump through. There are many surrogacy steps in between application and embryo transfer, and the average time it takes to get from your initial application to your first pregnancy test can vary greatly depending on many factors.
The Surrogacy Process, Step-by-Step
1. Application
Once you've filled out your application, our team will schedule a video call with you to meet and learn more about you! We will guide you through what to expect from the surrogacy journey and get you started.
Here are the requirements to become a surrogate in case you need to check those.
2. Medical Record Review
We will review your OB/GYN, labor and delivery records to make sure you qualify and are not high-risk for developing serious issues.
3. Background Check
This is a thorough criminal background check to make sure there are no felonies or serious charges on your record.
We are not checking your credit and we don’t care about parking tickets! We are only looking for serious offenses.
4. Intended Parent Match
Based on the answers given in your profile, we will “match” you with a family that we feel will be a good fit for you.
Either side has the right to accept or decline the match for any reason. A match has to be a mutually agreed-upon arrangement by both parties.
5. Psychological Screening
At this stage of the surrogacy process, you will speak to our psychologist about whether you are ready for the physical, mental and emotional demands of surrogacy, as well as assessing whether you can fulfill your obligations as a surrogate.
We will not share your records with the intended parents, only the result of whether you are cleared to moved forward.
6. Medical Screening
The next step will be to visit the fertility clinic here the intended parents have their embryos stored for a medical screening. The fertility doctor will want to make sure that you are healthy enough to carry a pregnancy and that it is safe for you and the baby.
The medical screening includes testing you for:
- infectious diseases
- drugs and alcohol
- hormone levels
- immunities
- uterine evaluation
If you have a partner, they will also be screened for drugs and communicable diseases at this point in the gestational carrier process.
7. Legal Process
This is the point at which you have been cleared to carry the pregnancy for your intended parents! So now it's time to formalize your agreement for how much you will be paid and agree on the terms of your surrogacy journey with your intended parents.
During the legal process, you will go over the gestational carrier contract in detail with an attorney who specializes in fertility law. Your intended parents pay for this lawyer but this lawyer only represents you and has your best interested in mind ad will help you draft a legal agreement that you are comfortable with.
You have the opportunity to suggest any changes you want to have made and once a contract is agreed upon by both sides, you will sign the agreement and it becomes legally binding.
8. Pre-Transfer Medication Cycle
Once you have completed the legal contract, your clinic will draw up an embryo transfer calendar. This process takes 2-3 weeks.
You will take fertility medications to help your body prepare to accept the embryo.
9. Embryo Transfer
Once your body is ready and your uterine lining is sufficient, the fertility doctor will transfer an embryo (or two embryos, depending on what you and your intended parents agreed on in your contract) into your uterus.
The embryo transfer is an extremely quick and painless procedure. You can go home after a few minutes. Usually the clinic will require you to rest for the remainder of the day after this step in the surrogate process.
10. Pregnancy Test
Time to see if you're pregnant!
About 12 to 14 days after your embryo transfer, you will have a blood pregnancy test to see whether your transfer was successful. If you are – Congratulations! You are officially a surrogate!
11. "Graduation"
At around 8 weeks of pregnancy, you will be able to stop the fertility medications. By 10 weeks gestation, you will transfer care from your doctor and nursing team at the fertility clinic and become an OB patient.
12. Choosing your OB doctor
This part is completely up to you! As a surrogate, you get to choose your own OB doctor.
Once you ”graduate” from your fertility clinic, you will become the patient of your chosen doctor, and from now on the pregnancy will be just the same as with your own children.
13. Delivering the baby
A very exciting day! You will choose the hospital where you want to deliver the baby. Hopefully, the intended parents will be with you to welcome the baby into the world.
When the baby is born, you will be able to spend some time and hold the baby or have your children meet the baby. Then the baby will go with his/her parents while you rest up and recover. You will all leave the hospital at the same time, so you will have time to say “Goodbye” to your surrogate baby and to the intended parents.
You've done it! Your surrogacy journey is complete!
Learn More About the Surrogacy Process
GSHC Surrogacy Agency is here to guide you through all aspects of the surrogacy process. We pride ourselves on providing unwavering support to our surrogates throughout the process, from the initial application to delivery and beyond. Ready to take the next step? Contact us today.