As you begin your path to parenthood, understanding the surrogacy medical process is one of the most important parts of the process. This process puts you one step closer to welcoming your baby into this world.

Our guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the surrogacy medical process and the procedures that are in place to ensure the health and well-being of the surrogate and the baby.

To speak with a professional about specific surrogacy medical questions, contact a surrogacy professional online now.

What is the Medical Process of Surrogacy? [5 Steps]

The gestational surrogacy medical process consists of a few steps:

Step 1. The Medical Screening

Before any surrogacy procedures begin, it’s crucial to screen the surrogate to ensure she’s ready to carry a pregnancy. Some of this screening is usually done prior to matching but can also take place once you’ve found a match. The timing of the surrogacy medical process will vary depending on the professional you choose to work with.

Social and psychological tests required by your professional will also be completed by the prospective surrogate, if it hasn’t already been done yet.

A trial transfer can also be performed to help the doctor prepare for the official transfer.

Step 2. Prepare for the Embryo Transfer

During this step of the surrogacy medical process, the surrogate will undergo a test cycle before the actual transfer cycle. The test cycle prepares the surrogate and gives the doctors a chance to ensure they’re responding well to the medications. Multiple ultrasounds are performed to make sure everything looks good.

Once the mock cycle is completed, the surrogate will prepare for the embryo transfer to ensure the best chance of success. The timing of the transfer will depend on whether the embryos are frozen or not. If the embryos are frozen, the transfer will be done according to the surrogate’s cycle.

If you’re providing fresh embryos, the gestational surrogacy procedure is more coordinated. The mother’s cycle will have to be in sync with the surrogate. You’ll be taking injectable fertility hormones to stimulate your ovaries to produce several eggs.

Once your follicles are the right size, you will be given a shot to mature your eggs and the egg retrieval will be done 36 hours later.

Step 3. Complete the Embryo Transfer and Confirm the Pregnancy

Embryos will be created using your and your partners’ egg and sperm or that of a donor. Through gestational surrogacy, your baby will be biologically yours, and will not share DNA with the surrogate. One or two embryos will be transferred depending on your agreement with the surrogate.

Nine days after this part of the surrogacy medical process is complete, the surrogate will return to the fertility clinic to do an HCG, which measures their hormone levels. A count with at least 50 or higher indicates a positive, stable pregnancy. If the count is over 200, then it may indicate a multiple pregnancy.

Two days later, another HCG test will be performed as part of the surrogacy medical process. This is to verify that the surrogate’s HCG levels are increasing. This is an exciting part of the surrogacy process as it means the surrogate is officially pregnant. But, keep in mind that multiple embryo transfers are often required to achieve a successful pregnancy.

Step 4. Continue Prenatal Care

If the surrogates HCG levels were positive after the embryo transfer, an ultrasound will be done around six weeks into their pregnancy to check for a heartbeat. If the heartbeat is heard, the surrogate will be released to her OBGYN to work with them for the remainder of the pregnancy.

Depending on your agreement with the surrogate, another ultrasound is done around 12 weeks before they’re released to their OBGYN. The surrogate will continue with regular appointments to monitor hormone levels and ensure the pregnancy is still stable. You may be at these appointments with the surrogate, depending on the agreements you established before the surrogacy medical process.

Step 5. Welcome Your Baby Home

After months of anticipation, you’ll be able to welcome your baby home. This is a time of overwhelming excitement and you’ll see all the hard work from the surrogacy medical process pay off. You get to hold your baby for the first time and know that you get to provide them with a lifetime of happiness.

Although the surrogacy procedure may be over, the newfound love you have for your baby will last a lifetime.