One of the most common questions prospective parents-to-be ask when considering surrogacy for their own parenthood journey is “How long does surrogacy take?” It’s an important factor to consider, and not all journeys are created equal. When one surrogacy journey may take years, another may be much shorter depending on a few different factors.
To know just how long surrogacy takes, or how long your own surrogacy journey may take, the first thing you should learn is how does surrogacy work as a whole. On average, intended parents can expect the surrogacy process to take around 18 to 24 months, but should leave room for any complications, hangups, or changes that may occur along the way. International surrogacy journeys may also take a bit longer as intended parents research and choose a destination, select the best agency for their needs, and then begin the surrogate mother matching process.
Finding An Agency
Whether you’re choosing an international surrogacy arrangement or not, your first step is finding a surrogacy agency. To select the best one for your needs, consider communication, transparent pricing, experience in helping different couples achieve parenthood, and services to ensure the agency you choose meets all of what you’re looking for.
For intended parents seeking an international surrogacy arrangement, a full-service surrogacy agency is most important. You may be navigating a new and complicated process alongside a language barrier and new laws, and your agency should provide you with confidence through each step of the way.
Finding A Surrogate Mother
Once you have an agency, it’s time to find your perfect surrogate mother match. This is a special relationship, perhaps one of the most important a couple will have with another person outside of their relationship, so selecting the right surrogate mother is crucial. You’ll develop a close bond through the surrogacy process, and the mother you choose should make you feel confident and connected.
The process of finding a surrogate mother can be quick, taking only a few weeks, or a bit slower taking some months or more. What is important in this part of the process isn’t time but finding “the one” in terms of who you’d ideally select to grow and carry your new baby.
Surrogate Screening Processes
After finding a surrogate that meets your needs and wants, the process doesn’t end there and jump right into conception. Surrogate mothers will then be screened to ensure they’re emotionally and physically able to provide the most successful and healthy experience. Once you’ve selected a potential surrogate mother, medical records will be reviewed, background checks done, mental health evaluations carried out, and medical tests undergone. This is a process that can take around 6 to 8 weeks, but it ensures your choice is the right one across the board.
If your chosen surrogate meets all standards set by the screening process, conception will be the next step.
Conception And Embryo Transfer
Most often, surrogate mothers are tasked with carrying conceptions created through IVF, or In Vitro Fertilization. This is when the egg of an intended mother and the sperm of an intended father are joined medically, creating an embryo that will then be inserted into the body of the surrogate mother to be carried through gestation. In some instances, the egg of a surrogate mother may be used if the egg of an intended mother is neither viable nor available.
Typically, a surrogate mother will begin taking medication to make her more likely to take to the embryo successfully, and this process will take about 4 to 5 weeks before the embryo is implanted or transferred. If the embryo transfer is successful, gestation begins. In some instances, the transfer may not be successful the first time, and this will prolong the process.
Pregnancy
After a successful embryo transfer occurs, intended parents can expect to hold their new baby in just 9 months. During pregnancy, intended parents will be provided with updates, information, and interaction with their surrogate mother and baby-to-be. When prospective parents choose the right agency, staying involved in the pregnancy process is both easy and encouraged, working to make the bond between the couple and surrogate mother one that is strong and special up until the birth of their new baby.
When intended parents know more about each step of the surrogacy process, they can gain a better understanding of just how long the process may take for them. Not only this, but they’ll feel confident in what they can expect from a surrogacy journey, and how they can personalize this journey to best fit their own need to make parenthood a reality. For most intended parents, the dream of parenthood is realized in just a year and a half to two years, resulting in a gift that changes their lives for the better forever.