The Surrogacy Process Timeline: What to Expect from Start to Finish
Embarking on the surrogacy journey can be both exciting and overwhelming for intended parents and surrogate’s alike. Understanding the surrogacy process timeline is essential for everyone involved, as it helps set expectations and prepares you for each phase of this transformative experience. This guide from Road to Baby outlines what to expect every step of the way.
Surrogate Application
The journey begins with the surrogate application. At Road to Baby, we encourage all prospective surrogates to submit their applications to our program. Once your application is reviewed and shows that you meet our qualifications, our caring team will reach out to schedule an interview. During this phase, we will also carefully review your pregnancy and delivery history to confirm you meet our medical criteria. This step is especially important, as it helps us ensure that your previous pregnancies were free of complications prioritizing both your well-being and the safety of the baby you may carry for another family.
Surrogate Matching and Legal Contracts
Once the evaluations are completed, our team will match you with intended parents who share similar values and goals. This connection lays the foundation for a strong and positive relationship throughout the surrogacy journey. Once a match is made, that’s when the real journey begins.f!
Psychological and Medical Evaluations
Once officially matched, each surrogate undergoes a psychological evaluation conducted by a licensed psychologist. This step is vital to ensure that surrogates are emotionally ready for the challenges that may arise during their surrogacy journey. Following this, a medical screening with an assigned IVF physician is performed. This involves a physical examination, blood work, and ultrasound to verify that you are fit to become a surrogate.
Fun fact: You may need to travel for your medical screening—and the best part? All travel expenses are fully covered!
Medication, Embryo Transfer, and Monitoring
After signing the legal contract, you will begin taking IVF medications as part of the preparation for the embryo transfer. Our team will be there to assist you, booking travel and providing guidance throughout the process. Once the embryo transfer is completed, you will attend monitoring appointments to ensure both your health and the baby’s health during the critical first weeks of pregnancy.
Around 10 weeks into the pregnancy, you’ll “graduate” from IVF care and begin seeing your OB for the remainder of the journey. This part will likely feel familiar, as it closely mirrors your own experience when building your family.
It’s also a wonderful time to bond with your intended parents many surrogates love sharing baby bump photos and involving them in the pregnancy as much as possible.
While the early stages of a surrogacy journey can feel slow, once you’re pregnant, time tends to fly. Before you know it, the most rewarding day arrives: delivery day. And rest assured, you’ll be supported every step of the way.
Overview and next steps!
The graphic below provides a step-by-step overview of what the surrogacy journey typically looks like. You’ll notice that in some cases, matching occurs after medical evaluation this is because a few of our surrogates complete all medical screenings before being matched. However, the majority are matched prior to undergoing medical evaluation.
We hope this visual helps clarify the process. We’re honored to support you through this meaningful chapter where you'll have the opportunity to help another family fulfill their dream of becoming parents, just like you once did.
Now that you know what the journey looks like, are you ready to make a life-changing impact by becoming a surrogate?
Understanding the surrogacy process timeline equips intended parents and surrogates for a successful and fulfilling journey. At Road to Baby, our dedicated team is here to support you through every step. If you’re ready to take the next step toward creating a family, contact us today for a free consultation!