Surrogacy 101: Understanding The Medical Procedures Involved for Surrogates & Intended Parents
Surrogacy may involve screening, fertility treatment, embryo transfer, and prenatal care. These are medical services directed by licensed fertility-clinic and obstetric professionals, not by a surrogacy agency. The exact steps, risks, and timing differ by clinic and person, and no screening or treatment can guarantee pregnancy, birth, or the absence of complications.
Who makes each decision?
- Fertility clinic: evaluates medical eligibility and directs testing, medication, laboratory work, embryo transfer, and fertility treatment.
- Obstetric provider: directs prenatal care and evaluates pregnancy symptoms, complications, delivery, and postpartum medical needs.
- Licensed mental-health professional: performs any required psychological evaluation and provides clinical counseling when needed.
- Independent attorneys: explain the agreement, consent, parentage process, and jurisdiction-specific legal requirements.
- Patriot Conceptions: coordinates agency intake, matching, scheduling, records handoffs, and communication among the participants and independent professionals.
Medical screening
A fertility clinic may review health and pregnancy history, conduct an examination, order laboratory testing, and request other evaluations under its current protocol. Tests and clearance rules vary. The clinic should explain what is required, what the results mean, and whether further review is needed. Agency intake criteria are only a starting point and are not medical clearance.
IVF and embryo transfer
When IVF is part of a journey, the treating clinic determines the medication protocol, retrieval or donor coordination, laboratory procedures, embryo-selection decisions, and transfer plan. Participants should ask the clinic about alternatives, risks, consent, costs, and expected follow-up. An educational summary cannot substitute for the clinic's instructions.
Prenatal and postpartum care
After a pregnancy is established, the obstetric provider directs medical monitoring and care. Questions about nutrition, exercise, medication, symptoms, testing, delivery, or recovery belong with that provider. Contact the treating clinician promptly about a medical concern and use emergency services for an immediate safety issue.
The agency's coordination role
Patriot Conceptions can help participants understand the agency workflow, collect authorized records, coordinate schedules, share non-clinical updates, and connect people with independent professionals. The agency does not diagnose conditions, prescribe treatment, provide prenatal care, make medical-clearance decisions, or give legal advice.
Understanding those boundaries helps each participant take questions to the person qualified to answer them. Start with the surrogacy process overview, then confirm the current medical plan with the treating clinic and the legal plan with independent counsel.
Surrogacy is a legal and medical-adjacent topic. This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal or medical advice.
Reviewed by Patriot Conceptions Editorial Team. Last reviewed Dec 25, 2023.
Surrogacy 101: Understanding The Medical Procedures Involved for Surrogates & Intended Parents
Surrogacy may involve screening, fertility treatment, embryo transfer, and prenatal care. These are medical services directed by licensed fertility-clinic and obstetric professionals, not by a surrogacy agency. The exact steps, risks, and timing differ by clinic and person, and no screening or treatment can guarantee pregnancy, birth, or the absence of complications.
Who makes each decision?
- Fertility clinic: evaluates medical eligibility and directs testing, medication, laboratory work, embryo transfer, and fertility treatment.
- Obstetric provider: directs prenatal care and evaluates pregnancy symptoms, complications, delivery, and postpartum medical needs.
- Licensed mental-health professional: performs any required psychological evaluation and provides clinical counseling when needed.
- Independent attorneys: explain the agreement, consent, parentage process, and jurisdiction-specific legal requirements.
- Patriot Conceptions: coordinates agency intake, matching, scheduling, records handoffs, and communication among the participants and independent professionals.
Medical screening
A fertility clinic may review health and pregnancy history, conduct an examination, order laboratory testing, and request other evaluations under its current protocol. Tests and clearance rules vary. The clinic should explain what is required, what the results mean, and whether further review is needed. Agency intake criteria are only a starting point and are not medical clearance.
IVF and embryo transfer
When IVF is part of a journey, the treating clinic determines the medication protocol, retrieval or donor coordination, laboratory procedures, embryo-selection decisions, and transfer plan. Participants should ask the clinic about alternatives, risks, consent, costs, and expected follow-up. An educational summary cannot substitute for the clinic's instructions.
Prenatal and postpartum care
After a pregnancy is established, the obstetric provider directs medical monitoring and care. Questions about nutrition, exercise, medication, symptoms, testing, delivery, or recovery belong with that provider. Contact the treating clinician promptly about a medical concern and use emergency services for an immediate safety issue.
The agency's coordination role
Patriot Conceptions can help participants understand the agency workflow, collect authorized records, coordinate schedules, share non-clinical updates, and connect people with independent professionals. The agency does not diagnose conditions, prescribe treatment, provide prenatal care, make medical-clearance decisions, or give legal advice.
Understanding those boundaries helps each participant take questions to the person qualified to answer them. Start with the surrogacy process overview, then confirm the current medical plan with the treating clinic and the legal plan with independent counsel.
For your own case, confirm legal and medical details with your attorney and clinic.
Reviewed by Patriot Conceptions Editorial Team. Last reviewed Dec 25, 2023.