Surrogacy guide
Surrogacy guide
When beginning a surrogacy journey, it’s essential for intended parents to feel confident and secure about the path ahead. To support you through every step, World Center of Baby has prepared a comprehensive guide designed to make your journey smoother, clearer, and filled with hope.
It’s your roadmap to overcoming challenges and moving closer to the family of your dreams.
Basics of surrogacy glossary
Like any specialized field, surrogacy comes with its own terminology that may be new to intended parents just starting their journey.
This glossary is designed to make things simple — helping you understand key terms and navigate the process with clarity and confidence.
Intended Parent (IP) – a legal parent of a baby born to a surrogate mother (gestational carrier). The intended parents’ names are stated on the birth certificate if the chosen surrogacy destination has a proper legal framework.
Gestational carrier – when we talk about surrogate mothers, almost everyone comes up with their own definition. But who is a gestational carrier? It’s the same surrogate mother notion but concerning gestational surrogacy, which implies that a surrogate and the baby have no genetic or biological link with each other.
Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) – it’s an umbrella term for various treatment strategies, aiming at overcoming or avoiding infertility. ART includes in-vitro fertilization (IVF), frozen embryo transfer (FET), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and other methods.
In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) – it’s a popular branch of assisted reproductive technologies which assumes the procedure of egg retrieval from ovaries, fertilization in the laboratory where an egg is combined with sperm, and then embryo transfer to the women’s uterus. This technology helped a lot of intended parents combat infertility issues and reach the family of their dreams.
Egg/sperm donor – it’s a person, that gives consent for donating their own eggs/sperm in order to help intended parents realize their dream of having a child. This biomaterial is further used for the IVF cycle.
PGD & PGS – PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) is an important clinical procedure that aims at detecting and eliminating possible genetic diseases in the future baby at the embryonic stage. Whereas PGS (or in other words preimplantation genetic screening) is significant medical testing that specifically monitors if there’s an abnormal number of chromosomes in embryos.
Surrogacy Agreement – it’s a legally obtained contract between two parties of a surrogacy journey (intended parents and the surrogate mother). This document aims to clarify all terms and conditions of a surrogacy arrangement as well as parental rights over a newborn.
Pre-Birth Order (PBO) – In some countries, a legal document that establishes parental rights over a baby, prior to their birth, is a pre-birth order. It’s issued by the court and usually intended parents obtain it during the 2nd/3rd trimester of pregnancy.
Exit Process – after you received your baby, there’re still a few legal aspects that you should deal with. The exit process is the final step of your surrogacy journey which implies issuing post-birth order and/or birth certificate and finalizing parental rights over a child.
Both procedures play a vital role in ensuring the possibility of having a healthy baby from a genetic perspective.
In the world of reproductive technologies, each of these services contributes to a safe and successful surrogacy journey.
If you’re considering starting your path to parenthood, we invite you to complete a short form below and connect with one of our dedicated managers for personalized guidance.
Types of Surrogacy and How They Differ
As surrogacy continues to evolve with medical progress and modern family values, intended parents today have more options than ever before.
Here’s a simple guide to help you understand the main types of surrogacy and find the one that best fits your journey.
For many years, traditional surrogacy was one of the few available paths for intended parents to grow their families. In this approach, the surrogate’s own eggs are used to create the embryo, meaning she is genetically related to the child.
Today, traditional surrogacy is often chosen by single men, same-sex male couples, or intended parents who prefer this biological connection between the surrogate and the baby.
Gestational surrogacy has become the most trusted and widely used method among intended parents. In this approach, the surrogate carries a baby conceived using the intended parents’ (or donors’) genetic material — but she has no biological relation to the child.
If one or both intended parents are unable to provide healthy eggs or sperm, donor material may be used. The resulting embryo is then implanted into the surrogate’s uterus, ensuring a safe pregnancy without a genetic link to the surrogate.
Also known as commercial surrogacy, this model involves additional payment to the surrogate for her time, effort, and commitment—beyond coverage of medical and pregnancy-related expenses. Intermediaries, such as surrogacy agencies, may also receive compensation for managing the matching process between intended parents and surrogates.
However, not all countries permit compensated surrogacy. In regions where commercial surrogacy is restricted or prohibited, an alternative model—altruistic surrogacy—is often adopted.
In altruistic surrogacy, the surrogate receives no financial compensation beyond reimbursement for medical and essential pregnancy-related costs. This model is often viewed as a gesture of goodwill or family support rather than a contractual arrangement.
While there are ongoing discussions about the ethical distinctions between altruistic and compensated surrogacy, both share a common goal: creating a fair, respectful, and supportive relationship between the surrogate and the intended parents throughout the journey.
If you’re dreaming of becoming a parent but unsure which surrogacy option best suits your circumstances, our team is here to guide you.
Fill out the short form below, and one of our experts will reach out for a personalized consultation.
Surrogate Mother Requirements
Embarking on a surrogacy journey is a truly life-changing experience — not only for intended parents but also for the surrogate who helps bring their dream of parenthood to life. That’s why it’s crucial to ensure that every surrogate is healthy, reliable, and emotionally ready to take on this extraordinary responsibility.
Choosing the right surrogate often raises many important questions. Even though surrogates are deeply compassionate and motivated by empathy, they must still meet specific requirements to ensure a safe and successful pregnancy for everyone involved.
While the exact criteria may vary slightly between clinics, most surrogacy programs require that candidates:
- Are between 21 and 40 years old;
- Have a healthy body mass index (BMI) within the normal range;
- Have experienced at least one healthy pregnancy and delivery without complications;
- Do not smoke, drink excessively, or use drugs;
- Have no criminal record.
In addition to meeting these basic qualifications, potential surrogates undergo thorough medical and psychological screenings to confirm that they are physically fit and emotionally prepared for the journey ahead.
Once a candidate successfully completes all stages of assessment, intended parents can feel confident that their surrogate has been carefully vetted and is ready to provide the safest and most nurturing start to their future child’s life.
Why Choose a Surrogacy Agency?
Once you decide to fulfill your dream of parenthood through surrogacy, the next major choice is whether to take an independent path or work with a professional surrogacy agency.
While independent surrogacy may seem simpler at first glance, it can quickly become overwhelming due to its medical, legal, and emotional complexities. That’s why partnering with a reputable and experienced agency is often the best way to ensure a smooth, secure, and well-coordinated journey toward parenthood.
Below are the key benefits of working with a surrogacy agency:
Choose a Surrogacy Agency with a Multisided Approach
When selecting a surrogacy agency, it’s important to consider its philosophy and inclusivity. Some organizations focus exclusively on assisting LGBTQ+ intended parents, while others cater solely to heterosexual couples or single parents.
The ideal choice is a flexible, open-minded agency that supports all intended parents — regardless of gender, relationship status, or nationality.
At World Center of Baby, we view every intended parent’s story as unique. Our personalized, multisided approach allows us to design surrogacy solutions that fit your circumstances rather than being limited by any single country’s legal framework. This inclusive vision enables us to guide heterosexual couples, same-sex partners, and single parents alike toward building the family they’ve always dreamed of.
We hope this guide has provided clarity and confidence as you explore your path to parenthood — and inspired you to take the next step toward welcoming your future child with care, understanding, and professional support.