We understand that timing is utterly important when deciding to become a surrogate. After all, surrogates must think of their own families first – a special vacation or birthday that she wants to take part in, a potential move out of state, a relative’s health issues, or the surrogate simply getting older and wondering if she fulfills the surrogate age requirements. Timing is everything when it comes to a surrogacy journey and the surrogate must be at a stable point in her life to begin the process. If all goes smoothly, the typical surrogacy journey takes 14-20 months from the time of application to the moment of delivery.
Surrogate Onboarding
Surrogates often want to know how long before they will meet their potential intended parents. At Capital Surrogacy, the onboarding process is quick since we facilitate as much of the process as possible. And we always have kind and generous intended parents waiting to be matched. All in all, the onboarding period will be 2-3 months and Capital Surrogacy facilitates the process by gathering all the potential surrogate’s medical records and working with third party vendors that are efficient and trustworthy. On the other hand, the surrogate can directly impact the onboarding timeframe by completing forms in a quick manner and promptly providing necessary documentation. Below are the key steps in the surrogate onboarding process:
- Complete the Capital Surrogacy application plus Terms and Agreement document
- Pass a background check (for the surrogate and all adults 18+ in the household)
- Provide consent for Capital Surrogacy to gather medical records
- Take part in a psychological evaluation
- Give documentation for an insurance review, if applicable
Surrogate Screening and Legal Process
Once the surrogate completes the onboarding process, the surrogate is quickly matched. Capital Surrogacy has intended parents waiting for compassionate surrogates. The match with her intended parents is based on shared expectations for the journey and the intended parents’ IVF clinic requirements. The surrogate’s in-person medical screening at the clinic and the psychological screening take roughly 2 months. Once again, the surrogate’s efficiency at scheduling appointments and communicating with the IVF clinic is the key to a speedy process. After the surrogate receives medical clearance from the IVF clinic, the group reviews and signs a surrogacy agreement which is a roadmap for the journey. The legal process takes approximately 1 month to complete.
Surrogate Embryo Transfer Cycle(s)
At this step, there is the most unpredictability in terms of timeframe. Most surrogacy agreements include 3-4 transfer cycles maximum. Of course, some intended parents only have 1-2 embryos, so the number of cycles is greatly reduced. This phase takes approximately 2-8 months depending on the number of cycles and if there are unexpected health issues such as chemical pregnancies or miscarriages. Once again, the surrogate’s organizational and communication skills make a huge difference in timing during this phase.
Pregnancy and Delivery
If all goes smoothly, this part in the surrogacy process takes approximately 9 months. In addition, Capital Surrogacy will provide support to both the surrogate and intended parents for an additional 6 months post-delivery. It is important to remember that most OBGYNs have travel restrictions towards the end of the pregnancy. Also, since the parentage orders are drafted for delivery in a particular state, we ask surrogates to not travel out of state in the latter part of the pregnancy.
After delivery, the surrogate and her family can travel and make other life plans, always depending on the surrogate’s recovery after delivery. She will have finished an incredible experience and will feel the fulfillment that only comes from a surrogacy journey.
We encourage all prospective surrogates to contact Capital Surrogacy and learn more about the process. Please complete the short contact form, we cannot wait to hear from you!
