Surrogacy with donor embryos offers a path to parenthood that might look different from what you originally envisioned. While the journey may be different, the result is the same: holding your long-awaited baby in your arms. This option opens the door to parenthood and allows you to experience the joys of raising a child. In this article, we’ll answer six frequently asked questions about how surrogacy with donor embryos works. If you already have donor embryos, we can match you with a surrogate when you’re ready. Just fill out our short contact form or call 1-800-975-BABY to take one step closer to achieving your dreams of parenthood.
Can You Use a Donor Embryo With a Surrogate?
Yes, you can use a donor embryo with a surrogate! Here’s how the process typically works:
Step 1: Creating a Personal Surrogacy Plan Your personal surrogacy plan outlines your preferences, expectations and goals. It ensures that every step of the process aligns with your vision of building a family. One of our surrogacy specialists will work with you to tailor the plan to your unique situation.
Step 2: Matching With a Surrogate For this step, you’ll create a profile with a letter, photos and other personal touches. Your surrogacy specialist will share this profile with potential surrogates who match your preferences. Our average wait time to match with a surrogate is one to six months. However, your donor embryos must be ready before you can find a match.
Step 3: Medical and Legal Clearance After matching, the surrogate will undergo a thorough medical evaluation at your fertility clinic to ensure she’s physically prepared for pregnancy. Once she receives medical clearance, both of you will work with an attorney to draft a surrogacy agreement.
Step 4: Transferring the Donor Embryo The surrogate will follow a hormone regimen to prepare her body for pregnancy. Then, the donor embryo will be carefully transferred to her uterus, marking the beginning of the next chapter in your journey.
Step 5: Pregnancy and Meeting Your Baby Once the pregnancy is confirmed, you’ll have the opportunity to build a relationship with your surrogate and share your excitement. Depending on your preferences, you might even be present in the delivery room when your baby is born.
Your personal surrogacy plan outlines your preferences, expectations and goals. It ensures that every step of the process aligns with your vision of building a family. One of our surrogacy specialists will work with you to tailor the plan to your unique situation.
For this step, you’ll create a profile with a letter, photos and other personal touches. Your surrogacy specialist will share this profile with potential surrogates who match your preferences. Our average wait time to match with a surrogate is one to six months. However, your donor embryos must be ready before you can find a match.
After matching, the surrogate will undergo a thorough medical evaluation at your fertility clinic to ensure she’s physically prepared for pregnancy. Once she receives medical clearance, both of you will work with an attorney to draft a surrogacy agreement.
The surrogate will follow a hormone regimen to prepare her body for pregnancy. Then, the donor embryo will be carefully transferred to her uterus, marking the beginning of the next chapter in your journey.
Once the pregnancy is confirmed, you’ll have the opportunity to build a relationship with your surrogate and share your excitement. Depending on your preferences, you might even be present in the delivery room when your baby is born.
Yes, donor embryos generally have a higher chance of successful implantation compared to embryos created from your own egg and sperm. Research shows that donor embryos have birth rates above 25% across all age groups. This is partly because donor embryos are often of higher quality and have undergone PGT-A chromosomal testing to ensure they are genetically sound. If you’ve struggled with poor embryo quality or experienced multiple failed in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles, surrogacy with a donor embryo could increase your chances of achieving a successful pregnancy. It’s a promising option for those who have faced challenges in creating viable embryos on their own.Are Donor Embryos More Successful?
The Emotions of Surrogacy and Donation
Transitioning from IVF to surrogacy is a significant emotional step. If you’re using a donor embryo, you’ve likely already come to terms with the fact that your child won’t be genetically related to you. But are you ready to take on the additional emotional complexities of having someone else carry your baby?
You may experience:
The prospect of finally achieving your dream of parenthood brings hope and optimism, especially if you’ve faced previous fertility challenges. Trusting someone else with the pregnancy can be stressful, and concerns about the outcome of the embryo transfer may be on your mind. You may have already mourned the loss of a genetic if you’re using or considering donor embryos. If you’ve attempted IVF prior to surrogacy, it’s important that you also come to terms with someone else carrying your child. You may experience relief that after years of trying, you finally have a path forward to becoming parents.
Surrogacy requires a strong support system and a clear understanding of the emotional dynamics involved. It’s important to be honest with yourself about how you feel about this process. Taking the time to address these feelings is crucial for your emotional well-being and for ensuring a positive surrogacy experience.
Remember: You’re not alone in this journey. A surrogacy specialist can help you navigate these emotions and provide resources to support you every step of the way. Contact us today.
If you’ve exhausted your IVF options and have few viable embryos left, creating more embryos might not be possible due to health or financial reasons. In this case, using donor embryos can be a more affordable option. Donor embryos are generally less expensive than going through a full IVF cycle to create new embryos. If you want to have more embryos available for future attempts, donor embryos provide a cost-effective way to continue your surrogacy journey.Is Surrogacy Using Donor Egg and Sperm More Affordable?
What Happens After the Transfer?
After the donor embryo is successfully transferred, there’s still a journey ahead. Here’s what typically happens post-transfer:
Depending on your doctor’s advice, the surrogate may need to follow specific rest and activity guidelines to support implantation. Typically, your surrogate will return to the fertility clinic after two weeks to test for pregnancy. The surrogate will undergo regular monitoring to ensure the pregnancy is progressing well. Throughout the pregnancy, there will be key checkpoints, such as ultrasounds and prenatal visits, to evaluate the baby’s development.
The time following the transfer can be both exciting and nerve-wracking, as you wait for confirmation of the pregnancy. Staying connected with your surrogate and receiving updates can help ease some of the anxiety during this period. Your surrogacy specialist will also be there to support you and answer any questions that arise.
In order to match with a surrogate, you will need to have embryos ready to transfer. This allows you and the surrogate to move forward right away, which can save time and streamline the process. However, if you are in the process of acquiring donor embryos, you can reach out to us to begin filling out our surrogacy planning questionnaire and intended parent profile. Having these things done ahead of time means one less thing to wait on when you have your embryos, fast-tracking your parenthood journey. If you’re eager to build your family through surrogacy with a donor embryo, reach out to one of our surrogacy specialists by filling out our contact form. With their support, you’ll be one step closer to the future you’ve dreamed of.Do I Need Embryos Before I Start the Surrogacy Process?