IVF: Medical Surrogacy Explained in 4 Steps

IVF: Medical Surrogacy Explained in 4 Steps : Whether you plan on being a surrogate for someone else or wish to find a surrogate to carry your future child, many are interested in this process and what it entails. Below will give you a deeper look into surrogacy, which is done through a process called IVF or in vitro fertilization.

Undergo Medical Screening

One of the top steps in ensuring you or someone else is a good candidate for medical surrogacy is to get screening done. Being a surrogate requires one to be healthy.

Throughout the screening process, your uterus will be inspected to ensure it’s capable of housing a baby. Bloodwork will also be conducted to screen for any infectious diseases or other medical concerns.

Apart from physical medical screening, a future surrogate will also need to complete social and psychological screening as well.
Receive Hormones & an Embryo Transfer

Once approved for surrogacy, the now-surrogate can begin the process of carrying another individual’s baby.

This involves the use of hormones to prepare your body for pregnancy. After this process is complete, the embryo transfer to your uterus must take place. A catheter will be used to make this transfer happen. As frightening as it may sound, it’s a fast, painless process that is done while one is still awake.
Confirm Pregnancy

Once the embryo has been officially transferred, this doesn’t automatically mean pregnancy is for certain. An embryo transfer may fail. In fact, a surrogate may have to go through multiple embryo transfers before a pregnancy is detected. So, it’s critical for a surrogate to have their pregnancy confirmed after an embryo transfer.

The best way to confirm pregnancy is to do so at the doctor’s office where your HCG levels will be checked to verify or deny pregnancy. Over the next few days or so, your levels may be continue to be monitored to ensure everything is going as planned in terms of the pregnancy progressing.
Prenatal Care Until Birth

If pregnancy is confirmed, this is where the real work begins. The surrogate will ensure the fetus is healthy by attending all prenatal appointments and ultrasound screenings. For the first 12 weeks or so, the surrogate will typically receive prenatal care from a fertility doctor before being allowed to attend a regular OB/GYN office for checkups.

As for the delivery plan, the surrogate must agree to the circumstances since they are the one delivering. This plan will also involve any limitations the surrogate may have during or after the delivery as well as the role the birth parent(s) will play at the time of delivery such as who will cut the umbilical cord and so on.

Conclusion

Medical surrogacy might seem like a confusing process. While it can involve several steps and must be done precisely, it’s quite simple to understand. From embryo transfer to birth, surrogacy via IVF is incredible whether one wishes to be a surrogate or hire one to help them start a family.