Surrogacy Terms Intended Parents Should Know
The surrogacy process is both daunting and rewarding which requires the best surrogacy agency.
Intended Parents need to arm themselves with knowledge before committing to their journey. The vocabulary associated with surrogacy can sometimes be strange and confusing, making the available information less clear.
In this post, we will define and explain some of the common terms you should know and will likely encounter when you read up on surrogacy. Hopefully, these surrogacy terms about Surrogate Mothers and surrogate babies will help you gain a thorough understanding of the process and aid you in making a decision.
Surrogacy terms applicable on Surrogate/Surrogate Mother/Carrier
Sometimes, we use surrogacy terms interchangeably. However, the general definition for a Surrogate is a woman who is carrying a baby for hopeful parents who cannot have a child on their own and there are two types of Surrogates: Gestational Surrogates and traditional Surrogates.
Gestational Surrogacy
This refers to a pregnancy, where the Surrogate doesn’t share any genetic ties with the baby and In this case, fertility experts use the egg from a donor or the intended mother and the sperm of a donor or the intended father to create the embryos. The Surrogate then carries the pregnancy to term.
Traditional Surrogacy
In this surrogacy, the carrier has a biological relationship with the child ( we use the Surrogate’s eggs). Carrier gets pregnant via artificial insemination (IUI). Although it is the most common type of surrogacy, the majority of surrogacy arrangements today involve gestational surrogacy.
Intended Parent or IP
An individual or individuals who are legal parents of a baby born via surrogacy.
Egg Donor
A young woman who donates her eggs, or premature eggs (oocytes) for assisted reproduction through IVF.
Cycle Schedule
This is a timeline that contains a list of monitoring appointments and their dates before an embryo transfer. Usually, an IVF centre creates these cycle schedules.
Egg Retrieval
In this process, we harvest eggs from the womb of an egg donor or intended mother. Then we send these eggs in the fertilization process and use fertilized eggs during the IVF process.
Matching
It refers to the process in which an egg donor or a surrogate is a pair of Intended Parents. We have a team that works together with the Intended Parents to identify Surrogates and/or egg donors who would be perfect matches based on personality, compatibility, and shared expectations.
Surrogacy Contract or Carrier Agreement
A legal agreement between the Intended Parents and their Surrogates. The attorneys, who represent the parties involved, will carry out the negotiations of the surrogacy terms of the contract. Once signed, the terms of this contract determine the parties’ interactions.
It’s important that both the Surrogate and the Intended Parents read the legal contract line by line in order to have a good understanding of all the terms and conditions. At Physician’s Surrogacy, we have created a transparent list of terms that makes us Surrogate’s favourite and the best surrogacy agency in San Diego for the Intended Parents.
“Blast” or Blastocyst
The stage of development that an embryo needs to reach before it can be implanted in the wall of the uterus. Around 40% of human embryos get to this developmental stage. After that, they get incubated in an IVF lab for five to six days.
IVF, or In Vitro Fertilization
A process through which female eggs and sperm are fertilized outside the uterus in a controlled environment, be it a Petri dish or test tube. An experienced Reproductive Endocrinologist will carry out the task at a fertility clinic. For successful IVF you need to find the best surrogacy agency.
Frozen Embryo Transfer
In this process, we transfer a frozen and thaw embryo into the Surrogate or intended mother’s womb.
Beta Testing
A blood test is carried out approximately ten days after an embryo transfer. This test determines whether or not a woman has conceived. It examines the levels of hormones that indicate a surrogacy pregnancy such as: are LH, Progesterone, Estradiol, and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG).
Amniocentesis
A medical test is used to diagnose any chromosomal abnormalities through the examination of amniotic fluid cells surrounding the Surrogate baby. Amniocentesis tests are applicable between 2 and 3 months of pregnancy. To make sure your amniocentesis is on the right track a good fertility clinic is required.
Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)
A test was carried out to examine the cells in the placenta. To do this, the doctor inserts a catheter (a thin, flexible tube) into the womb through the vagina, or inserts a small needle through the abdomen into the uterus. It is often performed between 10 and 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Like amniocentesis, it can also be used to detect chromosomal birth defects, like Down syndrome.
Pre-Birth Order
Before the Surrogate baby is born a court order will obtain. While it may be issued before birth, it is not effective until the birth occurs. This also gives the Intended Parents full custody of the child once they are born.
Post-Birth Order
After the delivery of the baby, a court order will be obtained. It will replace the names of the Surrogate with the Intended Parents’ names on the birth certificate of the baby establishing the parent’s guardianship. This also gives the Intended Parents full custody of the child once they are born.
If you want to know more about becoming a parent through surrogacy, please reach out to us (Physician’s Surrogacy San Diego) or call (858) 345-3273 to schedule a free consultation.
