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Making a Match: Process, Timeline, and What to Expect as an Intended Parent

Your surrogacy journey will be made up of several milestones, all of which lead up to the most important milestone of all: the birth of your beautiful bundle of joy! Everyone’s surrogacy journey is different, and how long the process takes and what that process entails will depend on your personal preferences and circumstances.

Starting the surrogacy process can seem daunting. It’s hard to mentally hit that “start” button, especially when there is so much to dive into once you do begin your journey. Surrogacy is undoubtedly a complicated and intricate process, which is why we’ve broken down the process step-by-step to make sure you are prepared for everything that will come your way once you begin your journey.

Step One: Discussion Time

The first step in your surrogacy journey is the most important one – making the choice to grow your family through surrogacy! Once you have made that decision, in this first step, you will get to meet our team and start the planning process for creating your embryos.

Some of what we’ll cover in this first step include:

  • What your expectations are regarding surrogacy
  • Your preference in using your own eggs or donor eggs
  • How much it will cost to go through the surrogacy process

A lot of what this first step entails may feel intimidating and overwhelming. It’s a lot to take in! We want you to know that we will be with you every step of the way. We are experienced surrogacy professionals who are eager and prepared to answer any questions you may have.

Step Two: Matching with a Surrogate

Once we get to know you a little bit more, we will move onto the fun part, matching! During this step, you will have the opportunity to find the remarkable woman who will assist you in growing your family. We will collect information from you to figure out what kind of surrogate best fits your needs, then match you with one of our amazing surrogates!

It may seem like this step takes a while, and that’s because we use a highly comprehensive pre-screening tool on all of our gestational surrogates. We want to make sure that you match with the best possible person to go through this journey with you!

Once you match with a potential surrogate, that surrogate will complete medical screening to obtain medical clearance at a clinic of your choosing. This medical screening will include a uterine ultrasound and a review of the medical records provided during the pre-screening process.

Step Three: The Legal Process

Once you reach this step, you may begin to feel like things are moving along at a much quicker rate. After your surrogate receives medical clearance, your attorney will receive your matching information, then develop your Gestational Agreement.

The Gestational Agreement outlines all of the important legal aspects of your surrogacy journey, so it’s important you go over this document thoroughly with your attorney, making changes as needed. Once all of the parties have agreed to the terms of the Gestational Agreement, you will receive legal clearance to move forward to the fourth step.

Step Four: Fertility Cycle

The reality that you will be growing your family soon is truly beginning to sink in now. You and the surrogate you matched with will receive a cycle calendar, which will contain dates for medication information, as well as monitoring appointments.

It will be during this fourth step that your embryos will be transferred to the gestational surrogate. This is a huge milestone for you! It’s worth celebrating. If you are local, then you will be able to participate in this important day.

Step Five: The Pregnancy

If it hasn’t yet, it surely will now: reality has set in: you are having a baby! When the surrogate’s pregnancy is confirmed, she will be released to her medical provider. Don’t worry – you and the surrogate will work very closely with your Fairfax Surrogacy Case Manager in order to make sure that all steps are being completed. Your case manager will support you throughout the surrogate’s pregnancy. They will also communicate important information to you. You have the opportunity to be present at your surrogate’s doctors appointments if you choose to do so.

Step Six: The Delivery

It has been a long and emotional journey, but this is the moment where you finally get to soak in the feeling of being a “new parent.” Your dreams have become a reality. Your surrogate will deliver, and you will finally be able to take your baby home.

No matter what step you are on in the process, you can always count on us. At Fairfax Surrogacy, we are here to support you throughout your entire journey.