If you’re exploring surrogacy, you may be wondering what happens after that first conversation. There are people to meet, decisions to make, and a few different professionals involved. Let’s walk through the surrogacy process together.
This article focuses on gestational surrogacy, where the surrogate carries a pregnancy created through IVF and does not provide the egg.
Finding a thoughtful match
You may find a gestational surrogate through an agency, a clinic, or someone you already know. If you decide to work with My Donor Connection, we’ll talk with you about your needs and expectations and answer your questions.
When you’re ready, we’ll help you create a profile to share with potential surrogates. For a potential match, we’ll coordinate medical-record review with your IVF clinic and a Zoom meeting so you can get to know each other. Matching is a mutual decision. Both you and the surrogate need space to ask questions and consider whether the relationship feels right.
Talk about communication, appointment involvement, and the kind of relationship you each hope to have. Important views about pregnancy decisions also deserve careful discussion with the professionals supporting your arrangement.
There’s no single matching timeline for every family. We’ll discuss your preferences, share current expectations, and keep you informed as we explore potential matches.
Medical screening and counseling
The fertility clinic determines the medical evaluation and testing needed for your arrangement. This generally includes review of the surrogate’s health and pregnancy history, a physical examination, infectious-disease testing, and evaluation of the uterus. The clinic decides which specific tests or procedures are appropriate.
Psychological evaluation and counseling help the surrogate and intended parents explore expectations, support, and the emotional aspects of the journey. Intended parents and egg or sperm providers may also need screening or counseling. Your clinic will explain who needs what and when.
Legal arrangements and financial planning
You and your surrogate should each have independent legal counsel experienced in assisted reproduction. Your attorneys help you understand the agreement, responsibilities, financial arrangements, and the process for establishing parentage. Laws vary by state, so discuss the locations involved early.
Before treatment begins, the necessary agreement and legal clearance should be in place. Confirm the budget, insurance review, and escrow arrangements with the appropriate professionals. Parentage planning should begin with your attorney early in the process; the timing of legal steps depends on the applicable law.
Preparing for embryo transfer
With the required clearances in place, the clinic will explain the transfer plan and any medication calendar. Discuss whether you’ll attend with your surrogate and the clinic, including their preferences and visitor policies.
The clinic will schedule pregnancy testing and, if appropriate, follow-up blood tests and ultrasound. An initial positive test is one step in monitoring a developing pregnancy. If a transfer doesn’t result in pregnancy, give yourselves time to process the news. Your clinic can discuss what it learned and possible options. Another transfer depends on medical advice, available embryos, the agreement, and everyone’s willingness to continue.
Pregnancy and staying connected
After early monitoring, the fertility clinic will coordinate the transition to obstetric care. The timing depends on the care plan.
Agree on how you’ll stay in touch and revisit those expectations as the pregnancy progresses. Texts, calls, or joining appointments can help you feel connected when everyone is comfortable with the plan. Appointment participation and medical updates should respect your surrogate’s consent, privacy, and the provider’s policies. Her medical team guides her care.
Planning for delivery and afterward
Discuss hospital plans, travel, and parentage paperwork with your surrogate, attorneys, and care team before the due date. Leave room for plans to change based on medical needs and hospital policies. Include postpartum recovery and your expectations for contact after birth in these conversations.
My Donor Connection helps with matching and coordination. Your clinic manages fertility treatment, your surrogate’s obstetric team manages pregnancy care, and your independent attorneys handle legal advice. Knowing whom to call can make the next step feel more manageable.
Getting started
If you’d like to explore working with My Donor Connection, register to begin the conversation. Bring your questions, including the ones you’re still figuring out how to ask.
This article offers general education about gestational surrogacy. Consult your own medical team and independent attorney about your circumstances.
Sources and further reading
The Surrogacy Process for Intended Parents
If you’re exploring surrogacy, you may be wondering what happens after that first conversation. There are people to meet, decisions to make, and a few different professionals involved. Let’s walk through the surrogacy process together.
This article focuses on gestational surrogacy, where the surrogate carries a pregnancy created through IVF and does not provide the egg.
Finding a thoughtful match
You may find a gestational surrogate through an agency, a clinic, or someone you already know. If you decide to work with My Donor Connection, we’ll talk with you about your needs and expectations and answer your questions.
When you’re ready, we’ll help you create a profile to share with potential surrogates. For a potential match, we’ll coordinate medical-record review with your IVF clinic and a Zoom meeting so you can get to know each other. Matching is a mutual decision. Both you and the surrogate need space to ask questions and consider whether the relationship feels right.
Talk about communication, appointment involvement, and the kind of relationship you each hope to have. Important views about pregnancy decisions also deserve careful discussion with the professionals supporting your arrangement.
There’s no single matching timeline for every family. We’ll discuss your preferences, share current expectations, and keep you informed as we explore potential matches.
Medical screening and counseling
The fertility clinic determines the medical evaluation and testing needed for your arrangement. This generally includes review of the surrogate’s health and pregnancy history, a physical examination, infectious-disease testing, and evaluation of the uterus. The clinic decides which specific tests or procedures are appropriate.
Psychological evaluation and counseling help the surrogate and intended parents explore expectations, support, and the emotional aspects of the journey. Intended parents and egg or sperm providers may also need screening or counseling. Your clinic will explain who needs what and when.
Legal arrangements and financial planning
You and your surrogate should each have independent legal counsel experienced in assisted reproduction. Your attorneys help you understand the agreement, responsibilities, financial arrangements, and the process for establishing parentage. Laws vary by state, so discuss the locations involved early.
Before treatment begins, the necessary agreement and legal clearance should be in place. Confirm the budget, insurance review, and escrow arrangements with the appropriate professionals. Parentage planning should begin with your attorney early in the process; the timing of legal steps depends on the applicable law.
Preparing for embryo transfer
With the required clearances in place, the clinic will explain the transfer plan and any medication calendar. Discuss whether you’ll attend with your surrogate and the clinic, including their preferences and visitor policies.
The clinic will schedule pregnancy testing and, if appropriate, follow-up blood tests and ultrasound. An initial positive test is one step in monitoring a developing pregnancy. If a transfer doesn’t result in pregnancy, give yourselves time to process the news. Your clinic can discuss what it learned and possible options. Another transfer depends on medical advice, available embryos, the agreement, and everyone’s willingness to continue.
Pregnancy and staying connected
After early monitoring, the fertility clinic will coordinate the transition to obstetric care. The timing depends on the care plan.
Agree on how you’ll stay in touch and revisit those expectations as the pregnancy progresses. Texts, calls, or joining appointments can help you feel connected when everyone is comfortable with the plan. Appointment participation and medical updates should respect your surrogate’s consent, privacy, and the provider’s policies. Her medical team guides her care.
Planning for delivery and afterward
Discuss hospital plans, travel, and parentage paperwork with your surrogate, attorneys, and care team before the due date. Leave room for plans to change based on medical needs and hospital policies. Include postpartum recovery and your expectations for contact after birth in these conversations.
My Donor Connection helps with matching and coordination. Your clinic manages fertility treatment, your surrogate’s obstetric team manages pregnancy care, and your independent attorneys handle legal advice. Knowing whom to call can make the next step feel more manageable.
Getting started
If you’d like to explore working with My Donor Connection, register to begin the conversation. Bring your questions, including the ones you’re still figuring out how to ask.
This article offers general education about gestational surrogacy. Consult your own medical team and independent attorney about your circumstances.
Sources and further reading
Finding Your Egg Donor
Hello, intended parents! We understand that the process of finding an egg donor can be overwhelming and emotional, but we are here to guide you through every step of the way.
Donor Search
The first step is meeting with a member of our team to get to know you better and learn about your specific needs. We’ll also take the time to explain our agency and the egg donation process and answer any questions you may have. We’ll also discuss your preferences for a donor match, such as age, medical history, genetic history, education, and physical characteristics.
Once you’ve identified a potential match, we’ll contact the donor to confirm that she’s available during your cycle. We want you to feel confident in your decision, so we’re happy to forward any inquiries you may have to the donor.
Cycle Coordination
Once you’ve chosen your donor and signed the necessary agreements, our team will send a match sheet to your IVF clinic to let them know about your match. If you don’t have legal representation, we can provide a referral. We’ll communicate directly with your nurse coordinator to schedule any necessary appointments for the donor screening process. If you have an out-of-town donor, your clinic will require her to travel to their facility for a meeting with your physician prior to providing medical clearance.
Medical
During her medical screening, the donor will undergo physical and hormone testing, as well as an ultrasound to determine her Antral Follicle Count. She will also be tested for infectious diseases and undergo genetic testing. A psychological evaluation and personality inventory will also be conducted.
Legal
Results from the donor screening, especially genetic tests, can take a few weeks to come in. If the donor is approved, we will notify your attorney to begin drafting the Ovum Donation Agreement. The donor will have her own representation to review the agreement with her. After both parties have signed the final version, your attorney will provide a legal clearance letter to your clinic.
Medical Protocol
Once medical and legal clearance has been given, your physician will design a medication protocol leading up to the retrieval. Several appointments will be made prior to retrieval to monitor the donor’s response to the medication. These appointments ensure the donor is responding appropriately to the medication. Typically, between days 10 and 14 of stimulation, the donor will undergo the egg retrieval. The retrieval is a surgical procedure utilizing transvaginal ultrasound aspiration, which is done under sedation or general anesthesia.
We hope that this overview of the egg donation process has been helpful. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns you may have. We’re here to support you every step of the way, from finding your egg donor through egg retrieval!
Want to learn more about Egg Donation? Check out our Blog for helpful information!
Ready to get started? Register today to gain access to our Donor Database.
Are there health risks associated with being an egg donor?
Yes. Egg donation involves medication, egg retrieval and sedation or anesthesia, each with possible risks. Learning about those risks is an important part of deciding whether donation is right for you. Your fertility clinic should explain your individual situation before you consent to treatment.
What happens during an egg donation cycle?
In a fresh donor cycle, the donor undergoes ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval for the intended parents’ treatment. Medication helps several eggs mature, and a clinician retrieves them using an ultrasound-guided needle. The clinic determines the medication plan, monitoring and procedure arrangements. “Fresh donor cycle” does not necessarily mean a fresh embryo transfer; the intended parents’ clinic determines the embryo plan.
What is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome?
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, or OHSS, is a response to fertility medication that can cause ovarian enlargement and fluid shifts. Symptoms can range from mild discomfort to serious illness. Individualized medication choices and monitoring help reduce risk, but cannot make it zero. Ask your clinic how it assesses and reduces your risk.
What are the other risks and recovery considerations?
Possible retrieval complications include bleeding, infection and ovarian torsion, when an ovary twists. Sedation or anesthesia also has risks. Cramping or bloating can occur afterward, and the recovery experience varies. Your clinic should explain pain management, activity restrictions and when you can return to your usual routine. Follow its instructions rather than assuming that a particular recovery time applies to you.
Ask for written after-hours contact instructions. Worsening abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, reduced urination or rapid weight gain warrant prompt contact with the clinic. Breathing difficulty or chest pain requires urgent medical attention. This is not a complete symptom checklist; follow your clinic’s emergency guidance.
What do we know about long-term health?
Long-term donor follow-up is limited. Available evidence about ovarian reserve is reassuring, but it cannot guarantee a donor’s future fertility. Cancer questions also deserve an individualized discussion; findings from people receiving infertility treatment should not be treated as a precise estimate for healthy egg donors.
Questions to bring to your consultation
My Donor Connection can discuss agency coordination and next steps. Your treating fertility clinic provides medical evaluation, treatment and recovery instructions. Read our guide to egg donation and future fertility, or contact My Donor Connection with questions about getting started.
This article provides general education and does not replace advice from your treating medical team.
Sources & further reading