Frequently asked questions

When starting with surrogacy, the first step is to review your options, estimate the costs, and consider any legal requirements. Choosing a reliable IVF clinic is crucial, whether you’re sourcing or donating eggs and sperm. Eggs from either the intended parent or a donor are fertilised with sperm to create embryos. The embryos are made using the intended father’s sperm (or a donor’s) and the intended mother’s eggs (or a donor’s). The more healthy eggs retrieved, the better the chance of successful fertilisation and pregnancy. However, you only need one viable embryo to start a pregnancy. After about five days of growth, the embryos are either frozen or transferred to the surrogate’s womb. Cryopreserved embryos can stay viable for up to 10 years, which is often a preferred option for international surrogacy arrangements. Book your introductory consultation with The Surrogacy Father to learn more—the first consultation is free.

Surrogacy costs can vary depending on your location and choices. It’s important to have a realistic budget that covers IVF, surrogate compensation, insurance, legal fees, and travel costs. Surrogacy involves both emotional and financial investments, so we recommend following regulated, legal, and secure paths to ensure a smooth experience. At The Surrogacy Father, we help guide you through this process to ensure all costs are transparent.

Surrogacy laws differ across countries, and many regions present grey areas in the regulations. Some places offer unregulated and risky surrogacy options. With our help, we can guide you toward safe and legally sound surrogacy choices worldwide. In some countries, like Ukraine and Georgia, same-sex surrogacy is illegal, but heterosexual couples may still have options. Others have no surrogacy laws at all. For more details on surrogacy regulations in different countries, check out our Surrogacy Destinations page.

No, you don’t need to be married or in a relationship to pursue surrogacy. Surrogacy is available to heterosexual and same-sex couples, as well as single individuals. What matters most is being emotionally and financially prepared to provide a loving home for your child.

At The Surrogacy Father, we have personal experience with same-sex surrogacy. Countries like the U.S. permit commercial same-sex surrogacy, while many others do not. Non-commercial (altruistic) surrogacy is allowed in countries like Canada and the UK (for UK nationals). It’s vital to avoid unsafe, unregulated options. With our specialised knowledge, we can help you find the most secure and legal routes for same-sex surrogacy.

You can find a surrogate through social media groups or organisations. But remember, your surrogate is not just a “carrier”—they are a key partner in your surrogacy journey, nurturing your developing baby. Many surrogacy agencies offer services to match you with surrogates, and The Surrogacy Father can help guide you in finding the best option based on your needs. Surrogates undergo thorough medical, legal, and psychological screenings before embryo transfer to ensure a successful surrogacy experience.

Whether using donated eggs or the intended parent’s eggs, the egg donor undergoes hormone treatment before retrieval. The number of eggs collected affects the number of embryos created, impacting the chances of pregnancy. However, only one healthy embryo is needed to start a family. Your surrogate will receive fertility treatments to prepare for the embryo transfer. Success rates range from 45-65% per attempt. The Surrogacy Father works closely with top fertility clinics and can recommend options tailored to your preferences.

Once the baby’s due date is confirmed, usually in the third trimester, the birth follows a detailed plan agreed upon by everyone involved. This plan includes who will be present during the birth, who will cut the cord, and who will have first contact with the baby. After birth, in most cases, the baby’s birth certificate is issued with the biological father and surrogate’s names, depending on local surrogacy laws.

For international surrogacies, additional steps may be required to obtain citizenship, a passport, or a family visa for the baby. This process may take weeks or even months. The Surrogacy Father can provide clarity on citizenship and necessary steps on how to bring your child home safely.

A process where a woman carries and delivers a child for another person or couple.

The process by which a human egg is fertilised in a laboratory to develop into an embryo. Embryos can be stored for future use (frozen for up to 10 years) or used straight away (fresh embryo). It’s possible for eggs, sperm, or both to be contributed or obtained from the intended parents, establishing them as the biological parents or father of the child.

Intended parent(s) – refers to individuals or couples who intend to become parents through methods such as adoption, surrogacy, or assisted reproductive technologies (ART) like in vitro fertilisation (IVF). They may seek the assistance of medical professionals, agencies, or legal services to help them achieve their goal of parenthood. This term is commonly used in contexts where individuals or couples are pursuing alternative routes to traditional biological parenthood.

An agreement in which one party, receives financial benefits as part of the mutually agreed arrangement. While numerous countries outlaw commercial surrogacy, it is allowed in the United States.

An agreement in which no party gains financially, with the surrogate usually only reimbursed for her own expenses. Advertising for surrogates is prohibited, leading to potential delays in finding a qualified surrogate. Altruistic legislation governs such agreements in the UK, Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

In cases where intended parents engage in an agreement without an intermediary, they directly interact with the surrogate and oversee the entirety of the process themselves. This typically presents a more cost-effective option compared to involving an agency. However, the intended parents may lack expertise in areas such as background checks, medical history, insurance, and legal contracts, potentially resulting in significant repercussions.

Implanting an embryo into the uterus to initiate pregnancy. Normally, only one embryo is transferred (referred to as single embryo transfer or SET), although in certain regions, double embryo transfer (DET) might be considered if the intention is to conceive twins. However, this practice isn’t always advised due to increased risks of premature birth and complications.

A fee-based professional service which is responsible for co-ordinating and overseeing the entire surrogacy process. This encompasses tasks such as recruiting and vetting potential surrogates; coordinating all medical procedures; monitoring the surrogate’s well-being during pregnancy; handling legal matters; and offering support to the intended parents. These agencies may either be affiliated with larger clinics, leveraging their resources, or operate independently, collaborating with various clinics.

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS) constitute a special type of pre-natal screening designed to identify and prevent the transmission of severe illnesses in embryos before they are implanted. PGS primarily assesses whether embryos, acquired via IVF, exhibit an abnormal chromosomal count, which might result in genetic anomalies and thus genetic conditions and allows for those embryos to be excluded for transfer.