When planning surrogacy services, we know you have questions. We have answers!! Our Surrogacy FAQs not only guide and support you but help you make the right decision.
These are just some of the most common questions we get asked. For anything else, please contact us – we would be delighted to help.
Are there any medical tests required before enrolling for IVF program?
When you are traveling
to another country for IVF/ Surrogacy Program, it is advisable to do Pre- IVF tests for both partners in your own country to ensure your eligibility:
For female partners: Hormone tests like FSH, LH, Estradiol, Prolactin, TSH, and AMH. These tests can be performed on Day2 to Day3 of her cycle and pelvic ultrasound to rule out the possibility of fibroids, cysts, polyps, or fluid in the uterus.
For male partner: Sperm analysis
For both partners: There are a few infectious disease tests that are mandatory for both partners. These tests are done to make sure that prospective parents are not passing any disease to their offspring. These tests include hepatitis B and C, HIV, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia, syphilis.
There might be a few additional tests as per the screening guidelines for that specific country. In case you are using an egg donor/sperm donor, medical tests are not required for a partner who is not donating his/her biological materials. These tests are valid for 3-6 months.
How to choose a Surrogate Mother?
Generally surrogate mother will be recruited for your program by your medical team based on her previous obstetrical history and medical tests. It is important to choose a surrogate mother who is at the right age group ( 21- 32 years), she should have at least one kid of her own and should be free of any medical or psychological illness. In case she is married, her husband’s consent is needed.
What screening is done for surrogate mothers?
Each surrogate also receives an in-depth psychological evaluation and counseling prior to being enrolled into any surrogacy program. Besides the medical team and admin team counseling, the surrogate is also counseled by the lawyer to set her expectations and legal rights. We make sure that she, and her husband if married, are both committed to and fully understand the entire process. These are a few tests done on surrogate mothers as and when needed:
CBC/hb (Complete blood count/Hemoglobin)
Blood Group
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
HbsAg (Hepatitis B)
VDRL (Syphilis)
HCV (Hepatitis C)
FSH (CD2-4) (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) , tests for ovarian reserve, must be measured on day 2-4 of menses.
LH (CD2-4) (Luteinizing hormone) Must be measured on day 2-4 of menses
TSH/T3/T4 (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone/Thyroid Function Test)
Prolactin
Pelvic ultrasound for Antral Follicle Count (Day 3-5 of menses )
We want to use our own eggs and sperms and want to use a surrogate only, it is possible?
Yes, it is possible. This is known as self-cycle surrogacy. Your client manager will assist you with the medical test needed for your eligibility for the program and will help your cycle synchronize with the surrogate cycle. You will be asked to monitor your menses cycle and matching with a surrogate is done accordingly.
How long does it take on average from the beginning (signing contract) till the time you take the baby home?
Roughly it’s a 12-14 months process, including contract signing and 9 months of pregnancy and paperwork to take the baby back. The process of taking a baby home varies from country to country depending upon the consulates and embassy of your country.
What is the process for arranging a Caucasian egg donor- and does this cost very much?
We have partner Caucasian egg donor agency partner in US, Europe and Asia. You will be given database access to choose the donor of your choice. Egg donor details like medical, family, educational, and social history will be shared with you. Please note that the cost of traveling Caucasian donors will be higher as it includes the cost of travel and accommodation with one chaperone. Please contact us for the exact cost as per your specific case.
When would parents need to come for IVF and how long would parents need to be there for?
For male partner, the first trip can be -4-5 days long, this would include giving 2 samples of sperms (for freezing or for doing fresh cycle) contract signing and visiting medical team and local coordinator. It is required to have at least 2 samples of semen during this visit. If you are a heterosexual couple and the female partner is using her own eggs (self-cycling), then she needs to stay almost 2 weeks to complete the stimulation and egg pick-up process.
How many embryos are implanted at once?
The doctor would consult with you in advance- however, at most 1-2 embryos of A-grade are implanted, in case, you have additional good embryos, that will be frozen for future use. Each country has specific laws for the number of embryos transferred in surrogate mothers, so you can confirm it with your follow-up manager well in advance.
What is the chance of having twins?
With IVF, there is more probability of having twins, generally out of 5 successful IVF, one can be twins!
However, in the case of 3 triplets growing, selective fetus reduction is done to avoid health issues in babies and surrogate mothers.
Is it possible for parents to request that we'd prefer to have twins?
Generally, the preparation of surrogate mother is same, and 2-4 A good embryos are transferred to her uterus in hope of implantation. Now, if 1 or 2 embryos implant and grow, this is pure luck.
Could you also send us a quick summary of timelines?
Once you select the egg donor, then we can move in approx. 4-6 weeks, is the minimum time it takes to prepare and synchronize donor and surrogate properly. In case you are self-cycling, our coordinator will assist you in terms of planning and arrival so that the female partner cycle can be matched with a surrogate mother.
Whose names come on baby birth Certificate?
Each country has different scenarios for baby birth certificate. I would like to confirm that Intended Parent’s names are on the birth certificate in India, Ukraine, and Mexico, even if an egg donor is used. No surrogacy is mentioned in documents and commissioning parents are legal parents of the baby.
Could you advise of the success rate of the procedure?
To ensure that we have a high success rate we ensure that the egg donor is below 27 years of age, the surrogate is in the healthy age range of 22-30, the Egg donor is a proven ED, as well as the surrogates already, have their own kids. Only physically and mentally healthy fertile female is enrolled in the surrogacy program. The success rate for donor surrogacy is as high as 70%.
Do the couple and the surrogate meet and if so, at what stages?
Yes, they can, right at the beginning, and at the end of the journey as well. Of course, with the surrogate permission, we can arrange for more frequent meetings/skype calls.
It is possible to do shipment of embryos/sperms?
Yes, it is. We are exclusively partnered with cryo- shipment companies that are trusted and experienced in the shipment of the delicate shipment process.
What are some of the benefits of having a Client Manager like you?
A client manager or facilitator will surely be your anchor in your surrogacy journey, guiding and assisting you in all possible manners. Your personal client manager will go to extra mile to make sure you have a smooth or less bumpy parenthood journey. Generally, the client manager has a long-term working relationship with their clinic, administrative team, and legal team, and advocates to have better services and pricing for their IPs. Your Client Manager acts as a liaison between you and your medical clinic and can assist you with following and beyond-
- Discuss possible surrogacy options for you and suggest you the best country and program considering your specific case.
- Assisting you with Medical tests to ensure your eligibility and help you find a good laboratory for the same.
- Make you aware of surrogacy contracts for donors and surrogacy and assist you with medical visa requirements and documentation for the same. Make you aware of surrogacy country legislation and assist you with taking the baby home documentation and process.
- Assisting you with logistic support and local support like travel, booking apartment, car service, nursing arrangement, etc during your visit.
- Make sure that you get all medical reports and other updates about the surrogate on time and if needed, make sure to have a skype meeting with the surrogate.
- Planning your visit at the beginning of IVF procedure and then at the time of baby pick up with close monitoring with the medical team and legal team.
If you have further Surrogacy FAQs, we are here to help. Parenthood is possible with a little bit of help and optimism.
More topics to read about the gestational surrogacy process:
The FAQ for a surrogacy agency?
All about surrogacy cost with the breakdown
If you’d like to learn more about IVF, Egg Donation, or surrogacy services globally, check out the rest of our website at IVF Conceptions. We offer legally secure and affordable surrogacy consulting services for FREE.
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