What happens after you’ve chosen surrogacy as the way you’ll build your family? As an Intended Parent, it’s important that you fully understand the surrogacy process. There’s a lot to know, but don’t panic! We’re here to guide you through the whole journey.  

  • The first step in your journey is choosing an agency and arranging a consultation. 
  • The matching process ensures that you and your surrogate are right for each other. 
  • All prospective surrogates must first undergo a strict pre-screening process before they are ready to match. 
  • Both you and your surrogate are legally protected. 
  • For an Embryo Transfer you can use an egg donor or your own eggs. 
  • Decide on a ‘delivery plan’ in advance. 

Initial Consultation and Agency Agreement 

Arrange an initial consultation to answer any questions you have. At Family Source, your consultation is totally free of charge and can be provided in multiple languages, including French, German, Japanese, Chinese, or Spanish.  

If meeting in person isn’t possible, so we offer in-person and video conference consultations. In your consultation, you’ll learn more about the process and what to expect at each step. 

If you decide to move forward with Family Source, our team will help you collate all relevant documentation to complete your file. You won’t pay anything until you sign our agency agreement, which is when the initial registration fee is due.  

Matching with Your Surrogate 

The matching process usually takes around three months. The most important part of this is making sure that you and your surrogate are right for each other. 

You’ll complete an intended parent questionnaire, you’ll answer questions that will help us get to know you better and match you with the right surrogate.  

The questionnaire will cover: 

  • Your relationship with your partner (if applicable) 
  • Your family (children, siblings, parents) 
  • Your hobbies and interests 
  • Your plan for becoming a mom or dad  
  • Why you’ve chosen surrogacy  

Potential surrogates will be basing their choice on this profile, so it’s crucial that you are as detailed and forthcoming as possible. 

Once you’ve accepted a match with a surrogate, your second agency fee payment will be due. You’ll receive a referral to an escrow fund manager who is an impartial third-party agent to hold your funds and disperses them to the appropriate parties throughout the journey. The escrow management fee and the initial funding of escrow must be paid at this time.  

Surrogate Medical Clearance 

All prospective surrogates must first undergo a strict pre-screening process before they are ready to match. This involves an in-depth application, personal interviews, and written consent from the surrogate’s obstetrician. One of our two staff nurses will then review the surrogate’s complete medical history, including her previous pregnancies and delivery records. 

After matching, the surrogate will undergo additional medical screening to be sure her body is prepared for pregnancy. This exam may include: 

  • Infectious disease testing 
  • A physical exam, 
  • A Saline sonogram 
  • A hysteroscopy 
  • A pap smear 

The Legal Process 

Once your surrogate’s medical clearance is received, the legal process can begin. This is where both you and your surrogate are legally protected. 

All Family Source surrogates are protected by a contract that states she has a right to make decisions about her own body and the birth experience. As Intended Parents, you have rights, too.  That is why both parties need an experienced legal counsel who is qualified in reproductive law. Legal counsel is crucial; your attorney will: 

  • Draft and review the contract
  • Guide you through pre-birth and parentage orders
  • Ensure your rights are protected throughout the process 

The legal process is very tricky, especially as it varies from state to state, so their guidance is essential! 

At this time, your final agency fee is due. You’ll also finalize the full funding of escrow prior to the embryo transfer.  

Embryo Transfer / Pregnancy 

If you haven’t already created embryos, now’s the time!  

Some Intended Parents will use their own eggs, and some will use an egg donor. In either case, when the eggs are retrieved, they will be fertilized with sperm from the Intended Father (or a sperm donor) to create embryos. The embryos will ultimately be transferred to the surrogate’s uterus via IVF.  

Welcoming Your Little Miracle     

After months of legalities, medical procedures, and waiting, the best part finally happens. Your little miracle arrives! 

You will have decided on a ‘delivery plan’ in advance, which will clarifies: 

  • Whether you’ll be there for the birth  
  • Who will the baby be handed to first 
  • Whether you want to cut the umbilical cord 
  • Any other specific details.

It’s important that you and your surrogate are both comfortable with each other’s wishes and that they comply with the hospital’s policies.  

Depending on your location, Family Source Consultants will help with the birth certificate and the baby’s birth registration. If you are an international Intended Parent, you will also need to apply for a passport and citizenship papers. Don’t worry! Our case managers have done this many times and are happy to guide you through the process. 

After that, it’s time to take your little one home! 

Schedule Your Complimentary Parent Consultation 

Becoming a parent through surrogacy is an incredible and sometimes overwhelming journey, but it may also be the very best experience of your life. 

 If you need to know more, Family Source Consultants are just a call or an email away. Request a consultation today! 

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Staci Swiderski, CEO and owner of Family Source Consultants, has been a prominent leader in reproductive medicine for over two decades. Through her strategic vision and dedication, she has developed Family Source Consultants into a globally recognized agency specializing in comprehensive egg donation and gestational surrogacy services. Under Staci’s leadership, the agency has become a trusted partner for intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors worldwide, known for its rigorous standards, compassionate support, and commitment to excellence in third-party reproduction.

Her professional insight is uniquely informed by her own family-building experiences. As an intended parent, Staci welcomed her son via gestational surrogacy in 2005, and as a known egg donor, she assisted an infertile couple in expanding their family. These experiences lend a rare depth to her leadership and have fueled her ongoing dedication to ethical, empathetic, and professional support within the field of reproductive medicine.