Surrogacy allows individuals and couples who could otherwise not have children to become parents. It is a common process used by people who are looking to expand their families. On the other hand, it may be used as an opportunity to give the gift of parenthood as a surrogate.
However, most people tend to have many questions concerning surrogacy journey, and how it works. The process may vary depending on individual circumstances, state laws, and the preferred fertility center.
Luckily, WCOB simplifies the whole process for you until you take a baby home. For a successful journey, we take you step-by-step through all the six steps.
Let’s get started.
Determine Whether Surrogacy is Right for You
The first step in any surrogacy journey is to have a complete consideration as to whether the process suits you. The process of becoming a parent or a surrogate via a surrogacy program can be long and emotional. It basically calls for a great commitment from both parties.
As in any other important decision, individuals and couples considering surrogacy should prudently research the respective laws. They should also consider interacting with various surrogacy experts to truly determine if the process is ideal for them.
For Intended Parents, there are various reasons why one would consider acquiring parenthood through surrogacy. This could be a couple struggling with infertility, or a member of the LGBT community. Or probably a single parent who’s looking to expand their family.
Before you start your journey, it’s imperative to understand the various risks and benefits associated with surrogacy. This will help determine if you’re ready for the process.
Prospective parents should factor in the financial and emotional investment required throughout the process. They should also make sure they have the resources to sustain the journey and parenthood. Intended parents can be uncertain about the decision to become parents through surrogacy.
That means they may require more information before making the final decision. For such instances, consider speaking to a us before commencing with the surrogacy process.
Preparations for Your Surrogacy Journey
After deciding to commit to the surrogacy program, the next step involves outlining the goals and needs for the process. The prospective surrogate and intended parents also need to ascertain the type of specialist they want to go along with.
To begin with, there are two types of surrogacy to consider
Gestational surrogacy
Under this method, the child is not genetically related to the surrogate mother. The embryo is instead developed using the egg/sperm of the intended parents or donor through In vitro Fertilization (IVF).
Traditional surrogacy
With traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is also the donor of the egg. She is also the biological mother of the baby she carries. The egg is fertilized using sperm from the future father or a donor through Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and IVF. But mostly, traditional surrogacy involves artificial insemination using (IUI).
Next, choose the type of surrogacy professional you’d like to work with. It is recommended to complete a surrogacy process with a reputable specialist for the protection. This helps to ensure that all of the involved parties are fairly advocated for. There are two types of specialists who can finalize your surrogacy:
Surrogacy Agency
These agencies handle everything for the intended parents and the
surrogate mother. Services usually include counselling, matching, screening, case management, legal and more.
Surrogacy Attorney
They take care of the legal aspects concerning the surrogacy process. Attorneys may not be able to help in matching. However, they may be able to direct you to a professional agency that offers a wider range of services. And this leads to additional costs and hassles. That’s why you should go for an agency.
For intended parents, the process starts with creating a plan/basic outline of the goals and needs for the journey. One will have to consider:
The surrogacy type to go along with gestational or traditional
Whether to use donor sperm or eggs
Whether you already know the surrogate or will have to use matching services
Whether you want to work with an agency throughout the process. And if so, which type of agency are you going to use.
Goals and needs for surrogacy.
After choosing the type of surrogacy to pursue and legal services to use, you have to finalize the screening process. This is in order to achieve the agency’s Qualifications for Intended Parents. This may include home assessment, criminal background checks, and more. Once you’re through with the screening process, the next step is to find a surrogate. To ease your journey, WCOB helps you find one.
“What’s beautiful about the journey of surrogacy is that relationship you build with your surrogate when it’s done in places with good law. These aren’t women you stop speaking to once your child is born; this is someone who’s part of your family.” - Dustin Lance Black
Matching with surrogate or Intended Parent
When both parties begin to work with us, we help in the development of surrogacy plans. We (WCOB) then provide a profile of the other party to check if there’s interest in the match.
For surrogate mother
Decide what type of intended parent to work with and what kind of relationship to establish with them. The surrogacy professional will then work to find a family with similar preferences. One may look for intended parents based on age, race, religion, personality, sexual orientation, contact shared during the process, etc.
The surrogacy specialist may help facilitate the process by creating a profile of photos and texts. This will help Intended Parents grasp a sense of why you’re pursuing surrogacy. Once a match has been achieved, you will get the opportunity to know the intended parents. This may be via contact interceded by our specialists and decide whether they’re a good fit.
For intended Parents
They may have a consultation with their intended parent partner where they may be issued with surrogacy programs. The couple will then choose how they want to start their program.
Additionally, the intended parents may develop a short story about their life background, infertility issues and infertility medical reports. They may also have a conversation with their surrogacy coordinator to share their wishes toward a surrogate mother. The agency will then find a proper woman to bear the child.
Complying with Legal Requirements
The next steps consist of drafting a legal contract between involved parties. To ensure clarity and legality, the surrogate will have to sign an agreement with the egg donor. Intended parents also have to sign an agreement with the surrogate mother as well as the egg donor.
The surrogate and the intended parents may choose to have their own attorney to represent and protect their interests. However, it is usually much cheaper to use legal services from agencies. WCOB is that kind of agency that provides high-quality legal services for both parties at a much lower cost.
If each decide to use surrogacy without agency, then they will require an attorney.
However, an agency is much cheaper and hassle-free as compared to an attorney. Why? It’s much cheaper and walks with you in every step until you own the baby, with all the required legal documents.
And this is exactly where WCOB fits in.
Fertilization and Embryo Transfer Process
Once the contracts are signed, what follows is the preparation of the embryo transfer. The process is usually handled by an established and agreed fertility clinic. The intended mother (or the egg donor) may be provided with medication, after which she undergoes the egg retrieval procedure.
Fertilization takes place in the laboratory where the embryo is developed and then transferred to the surrogate. The surrogate will receive fertility treatments before the embryo transfer and throughout the pregnancy.
A healthy pregnancy is confirmed when the baby’s heart bit is heard. The surrogate will start receiving payments and monthly allowances for base compensation. She will also begin to receive prenatal care throughout the pregnancy.
For surrogate mother
Before the transfer, the surrogates will probably be prescribed fertility treatment to increase the chances of successful embryo transfer. The fertilized eggs will be placed in the surrogate’s uterus for implantation.
The transfer process is fairly quick, less invasive, and does not involve medication or anesthesia. A few weeks later, the fertility clinic will perform a pregnancy test to confirm the pregnancy. Regular blood tests and ultrasounds are conducted to track the progress of the pregnancy.
For intended Parents
The specific medical procedure to be used for surrogacy is subject to various factors. This may include the circumstances of the intended parents, and whether they are using an egg donor.
If they are going to use their own egg, the intended mother may be given fertility medications. This is in order to stimulate the egg reproduction process. She then undergoes a relatively minor egg removal procedure when the time is right.
The eggs are fertilized using sperm from intended further (or donor). The resulting embryo is then incubated and monitored for development before being transferred to the surrogate mother.
Upon the embryo transfer, a successful pregnancy is confirmed when a hearty heartbeat is a herd. Intended parents are advised to be continually providing emotional support to their surrogates throughout the pregnancy.
Welcoming the New Born
As this is the last process, it’s good to understand that the overall journey duration is a little different. It is often influenced by many variables, therefore no definite statements as to how long the process will take.
However, based on statistics and clinical evidence, a complete surrogacy journey can take anywhere between 15-18 months. Below is a brief breakdown of a surrogacy process, so you can have a hint of what to expect:
Consideration
Estimated Time
Preliminarily assessment
1-2 Months
Matching
1-4 Months
Attorney/Doctor visits
2 Months
Medical/IVF Visits
2-3 Months
Pregnancy
9 Months
Full Surrogacy Journey
15-18 Months
Once the baby is born, and surrogate discharged from hospital, the surrogate and the new family can all return home. However, this is after the issuance of the birth certificate (which takes about three days after delivery).
If the program was conducted abroad, citizenship issues may arise. Therefore, the child would need to first apply for citizenship and a passport. This is to receive permission to leave the country. The process can be complicated based on your home country.
A country like Ukraine, for instance, is generally friendly towards surrogacy programs. That means your baby will have an easy time applying for a passport at the local embassy. Other countries are extremely averse to surrogacy contracts, making the process quite difficult and even impossible in some cases.
The consulate or the embassy will require the parents to present the paperwork in person, and possibly with the baby. The role of the agent is to help you with the paperwork. Where a surrogate is required to appear at the consulate/embassy, the agent should make the necessary arrangements for her.
When a baby is born, WCOB provides all local documents registering the birth of the child, including a birth certificate. We provide copies of the surrogacy contracts and renouncement of parental rights by surrogate in favor of future parents. We have a team of law professionals with first-hand experience of almost all consulate/embassy requirements. In short, we move with you in all the six steps until you take your baby home.
The birth of the baby will be such a life-changing event for both parties. Most often, the intended parents will accompany the surrogate at the hospital during this momentous experience.
The new family and surrogate will forever remain connected and may wish to uphold the relationship throughout the child’s life. The surrogacy might (WCOB) help facilitate the relationship by providing any other support needed even after surrogacy.
The 6 Steps in Surrogacy Process FAQs
How long can a surrogacy process take?
Since every case is different, it is quite difficult to state the exact duration of a complete surrogacy journey. But generally, it is safe to say that a full process takes around 15 to 18 months to complete.
What are the chances of a successful pregnancy through surrogacy?
Surrogacy success rates are subject to the fertility clinic you work with. The health and fertility history of the surrogate and viability of the embryo will also influence the success rates. Your fertility clinic will help determine the chances of achieving a successful pregnancy based on individual circumstances. Besides, multiple embryos may be done until a healthy pregnancy is achieved.
How can WCOB help in achieving a successful pregnancy?
As a full-service surrogacy agency, WCOB focuses on creating new life while safeguarding the interests of all involved parties. We’re comprised of inspired professionals and specialists.
Our team retains substantial experience in the field of fertility treatment, technology and all legal aspects for a promising journey.
All phases of the surrogacy process are closely managed. From matching and screening to legal practices and social support by World Center Of Baby (WCOB). The WCOB is widely recognized as a leading surrogate agency in Ukraine. For any help on surrogacy, sign up with us. We promise to keep your details safe from scammers.
