What to Expect as an Intended Surrogacy Parent

Surrogacy is a life-changing event for people who want to have children but can’t on their own. More than likely, your journey to surrogacy was an emotional roller coaster. Knowing what to expect can help relieve some of the anxiety and fears you may have about the process.

At Great Beginnings Surrogacy Services @Gen 5 (GBSS@G5) in San Diego, California, our team of experts, led by fertility and surrogacy specialist Dr. Samuel Woods, specializes in matching intended parents with their perfect surrogates. 

Surrogacy involves many moving parts, including medical, legal, and financial, and we do our best to make the experience joyful for all. Though no experience is like another, we want to share what an intended surrogacy parent might expect during the process.

Start with research

Surrogacy helps many families grow, but it’s not the right journey for everyone. Before you do anything, we recommend starting with research. 

There are no set medical guidelines for surrogacy, and the laws differ from state to state. Learn all you can about the process and the laws in your state so you’re fully prepared. You may also want to consult a lawyer who can provide legal insight and guidance. 

Working with an agency

You’ve decided surrogacy makes the best choice, and you may even have a surrogate in mind. But surrogacy has many components beyond choosing your surrogate and having a baby. Working with a surrogacy agency like ours ensures you get the guidance and support you need throughout your surrogacy journey.

We explain the surrogacy process and your role in detail. We can also prescreen your chosen surrogate to ensure they meet the medical qualifications. If you don’t have a surrogate, we can find one for you.

Meeting your match

We specialize in matching intended parents with their perfect surrogates. It’s not uncommon for IPs to not have a volunteer ready to carry a baby for them. In fact, using a surrogate outside of your friend and family network may make things less complicated. Surrogacy is an emotional journey with legal aspects that can strain your relationship.

All of our surrogates undergo a thorough prescreening, background check, and medical history review before we introduce them to you. When we find surrogates that meet your qualifications, we set up meetings so you can get to know each other and make your selection.

Mental health screening

After selecting your surrogate, they undergo a series of medical and psychological tests to ensure they’re physically and mentally able to carry a baby for another family. 

Intended parents also participate in a mental health screening. During the screening, a psychologist reviews the surrogacy process and explains some of the potential problems that may occur along the way, helping you create a plan to manage them. For example, what might you want to do if the first round of in vitro fertilization (IVF) doesn’t work? 

Legal contracts 

Once the medical and mental health screenings are complete, the lawyers meet and hammer out the terms of the legal contract. The contract states the rights and obligations of both the intended parents and surrogate and establishes parental rights. 

Further, the contract may include details of your financial obligations, including compensation for your surrogate and payment of medical bills.  

The pregnancy

Once the legal contracts are finalized and signed, then you move on to the pregnancy part of your surrogacy journey, which includes IVF, prenatal care, and delivery of the baby.  

The intended parent’s journey through surrogacy is long and filled with ups and downs, but the result is priceless. Are you considering surrogacy to grow your family? Let us help. Call our office today at 858-922-8544 or send us a message online.