How long does it take to find a surrogate? American Surrogacy matches families with a surrogate in an average of 1 - 6 months.
Instead putting you on a surrogacy wait list, we keep surrogate and intended parent numbers balanced, which means that as an intended parent, you don’t have to wait to find a surrogate, we have surrogates available when you’re ready to go.
Fill out our simple form to get help with matching now.
How Long Does it Take to Find a Surrogate?
At American Surrogacy, our surrogacy wait time is 1 - 6 months. The average time to find a surrogate through an agency varies, with some hopeful parents waiting years before being matched with a suitable surrogate. This is because we have an advanced surrogacy matching process, and we keep surrogate and intended parent lists balanced.
Surrogacy Matching Process [5 Steps]
Before you get matched with a surrogate, a lot goes on behind the scenes. At American Surrogacy, we complete these steps before you contact us:
Step 1. Marketing and Advertising
There is a limited number of women who are eligible to become a surrogate and also excited to become a surrogate. Our agency strives to find the best surrogates through advertising, networking, and referrals.
Step 2. Surrogate Screening
When women apply to become a surrogate, we complete a thorough screening, which includes background checks, health assessments, and assessments for matching that help us find a family who is a good fit.
Step. 3 Find Your Perfect Match
When you start with our surrogacy agency, this is the last phase of matching—we’ve done the leg work before you begin. You can view pre-screened surrogates, and our experienced surrogate specialists will help you find a great fit for your family.
Step 4. Get to Know Your Surrogate
When you’ve found a surrogate who is a great fit for your family, you can get to know her and get excited about the journey you will take together.
Step 5. Complete a Surrogacy Contract
As you discuss the surrogacy process, our professional staff will help you plan the details with your surrogate and make sure that you have come to an agreement about the most important steps of surrogacy.
What is the average timeline for surrogacy?
In some cases, you can expect roughly 1 year, in other cases, it may take 2-3 years or longer from the start to when you welcome your baby into the world.
The average timeline for surrogacy varies depending on several factors.
Finding a surrogate, successfully creating an embryo, and completing embryo transfer can take anywhere from months to years depending on how long it takes to find a quality surrogate and whether you have embryos available.
Once your surrogate has a confirmed pregnancy, it takes another 9 months to welcome your new baby, but it can be longer if your first attempt is unsuccessful and you need to try embryo transfer again.
How Hard Is It to Find a Surrogate?
With American Surrogacy, we have surrogates available now, which means once you get started with our agency, it won’t be hard to find a surrogate. However, if you choose to try to find a surrogate on your own or find a surrogate with another agency, things can be different.
Other reputable surrogacy agencies may find a good surrogate, but with a longer wait time (in some cases, years).
Is it Hard to Find a Surrogate On Your Own?
Finding a surrogate on your own can be much more complicated than working with a surrogacy agency, here are some of the reasons why:
You May be Vulnerable to Scams and Risk
Without an agency by your side to do a background check and help you assess surrogate candidates, you may be leaving yourself open to risks of getting scammed or losing money if your surrogate isn’t a good fit or the plans fall through.
Few Women Qualify to be Surrogates
Since few women are qualified to be surrogates, if you try to network or ask someone you know, there is a good chance they may not be a candidate for surrogacy.
Longer Wait Times
The screening process takes time—background checks as well as medical checks have their own timelines. If you are finding a surrogate yourself, each surrogate will need to be screened individually, and if a surrogate ends up not being eligible, you will have to restart your search.
Managing Surrogacy Can be Complex
Once you have found a surrogate, there are still many steps to be taken, and if you don’t know the process, it may take longer and become more complicated.
Our agency can help coordinate with the professionals you need and handle the details to save you time and effort.