Surrogate Process
A step-by-step guide
How do I become a surrogate?
Do You Qualify?
If you are interested in becoming a surrogate, please review our qualifications for surrogacy and take our surrogacy quiz to determine if you might be a candidate. If you believe you qualify, fill out and submit our brief initial application.
Agency Phone-Intake
Once our Program Director has reviewed and approved your initial application, we will schedule a phone-intake interview. During this 30-45 minute phone call, our Program Director will get to know you and educate you about the surrogacy process.
Application
After your phone-intake, we will send you a more thorough surrogate application and a Medical Records Release form. After you submit these documents, we will review your application to see if you meet all of VIVO Surrogacy’s basic requirements. Then, our team of Registered Nurses will thoroughly review your medical records. Once they give their approval, we will let you know if you qualify to move on to the screening phase of our application process.
Complete Screening
Background checks
VIVO Surrogacy conducts a background check on all potential surrogates and their spouse/partner (if applicable) as well as any individual(s) 18 years of age or older residing in the same home or property.Home visit
A case manager or social worker will visit your home and neighborhood to confirm that you are living in an environment that is safe, stable, and clean.Psychological Evaluation
A Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) specializing in Third Party Reproduction will meet with you and your spouse/partner in order to assess your suitability for surrogacy. If distance is an issue, we can arrange for video conferencing.Medical evaluation
VIVO Surrogacy will initiate the medical screening process. We will confirm you are up to date (within 1 year) of your last Well Women's screening and obtained recent lab work with your OBGYN or PCP. We will also need you to obtain a Medical Clearance Letter signed by your OBGYN. Additional screening will be performed post-match with the parents' Reproductive Endocrinologist.Find a Match
We will present you with intended parent profiles and you can select who you believe might be a good fit. Intended parents have the opportunity to do the same. Once both parties indicate that they would like to proceed with a match, the Case Manager will schedule a “match” phone call. During the match phone call, you and the intended parents will have the opportunity to ask questions and get to know each other better. Your Case Manager will be on the call to make sure that you and the intended parent(s) cover the important topics. If both parties would like to proceed, an in-person meeting will be arranged. If distance is an issue, we will arrange for a video-conference.
Legal Process
After your match is mutually agreed upon, the legal process can begin! We will refer you to independent lawyers with expertise in surrogacy, or you may choose your own. However, any lawyer you choose must be an expert in surrogacy law and be licensed in the state where the embryo transfer will occur.
Embryo Transfer Preparation
With the legal documents in place, we proceed with the IVF process led by the intended parents’ Reproductive Endocrinologist. A personalized IVF protocol calendar will be created for you. Next, you will begin fertility medications (depending on the protocol, it may be in the form of pills, patches, vaginal suppositories, or injections). Embryo Transfer Procedure: The embryo is placed in your uterus during an outpatient procedure done while you are awake. The experience is similar to a well-woman PAP exam. The physician may order bed rest for a few days immediately following the procedure.
Pregnancy
You will take a pregnancy test (typically a blood draw) 2 weeks after the embryo transfer to see if the procedure was successful. If the pregnancy test is negative, you will stop the medications and you will get a period/menses within a few days. The intended parents and treating physician will determine the next steps. If the pregnancy test is positive, you will be closely monitored during the first trimester (10-12 weeks gestation) with regularly scheduled fetal viability ultrasound exams and/or blood tests to evaluate hormone levels and fetal development. At the end of the first trimester, surrogates can choose to transfer care to their own OB/GYN, or one that has been mutually agreed upon. In most cases, your pregnancy will progress routinely until giving birth. Throughout the pregnancy, you will attend regular medical appointments to monitor the health and safety of you and the baby.
Delivery
Depending on whether you have a c-section or vaginal delivery, recovery generally takes 4-8 weeks. If you are willing, some parents may ask that you pump breast milk for the newborn. These expectations would be established during the matching phase and are coordinated by VIVO Surrogacy. After the baby is born, your relationship with the parents and newborn will proceed according to the terms of your previous agreement. Doctors recommend that you wait approximately one year from giving birth before considering another pregnancy/surrogacy. This will give your body time to completely recover and limits risks to future pregnancies.