The Surrogate Process
Step-By-Step Surrogacy Process for Surrogates
The surrogacy process, from application to postpartum, takes an average of 16-18 months. As a full-service agency, we handle every part of it, including matching surrogates with intended parents, supporting you through screening, and coordinating appointments. You can focus on being a surrogate and caring for your own family, while we take care of the rest.
With over 30 years of experience supporting surrogates, and team members who have been surrogates themselves, we know you might have a lot of questions, and we're glad to answer them. Below, we break down all the steps to becoming a surrogate, so you have a clear picture of the path ahead.
7 Steps in the Surrogate Process
Circle specializes in supporting gestational surrogacy, the most common type of surrogacy. In this kind of journey, the surrogate doesn't use her own eggs. That makes it more straightforward than traditional surrogacy — both emotionally and legally. Without that genetic connection, there's no question about who the parents are, which keeps the legal side clearer and, for many, makes the emotional side simpler too: you're carrying a baby for someone else, not your own.
Since the surrogacy process can feel a little overwhelming at first (and filled with all sorts of emotions), we recommend looking at the full journey in seven steps. Our goal is to ensure you understand what the surrogacy steps are, what's expected of you as a surrogate, and what the surrogate process timeline looks like. Remember, every surrogacy is different, so timing may not be exact for your journey.
1
Prescreening
1-2 Weeks
Fill out application
Connect with Surrogate Advisor
Available medical records review
Evaluation and background checks
The first step in the process of becoming a surrogate is to complete our surrogate application. This initial application helps us get to know you and helps you figure out if you want to move forward. You'll answer questions about:
Personal Information (such as your name, email and phone number)
Health and pregnancy information (we'll ask for your available medical records at a later date)
Financial Information
Your support network
After completing the surrogate application, you'll be given access to our Surrogate Portal. After your application is received and reviewed, if approved, a Surrogate Advisor will reach out to you to meet you, answer your questions, and request and review your available medical records. You'll work closely with your Surrogate Advisor until you are matched with intended parents.
These first steps in the application process will help you understand what goes into being a surrogate, how the surrogate process works, and if you qualify to become a surrogate.
2
Surrogacy Consultation and Screening
1-2 Weeks
Video call with a licensed mental health professional
Phone call with Primary Support Person
Psychological screening
During the surrogacy consultation process, you'll have a video interview with a licensed mental health professional on our surrogate support team. This detailed call can last approximately 2-2 ½ hours. However, you can break it up into two shorter meetings if that works better for your schedule. You'll be asked questions about your:
Motivation to become a surrogate
Support system
Pregnancy history
Family
Interpersonal relationships
Interests
Life experiences
Every surrogate is required to have a Primary Support Person (PSP) with them on their journey. Your PSP will be someone you choose, and they should be a person you can count on. For example, surrogates often pick their spouse or partner, a friend, or a family member to be their PSP. Responsibilities for the PSP can be anything from driving you to and from appointments, accompanying you during your medical screening or embryo transfer, watching your children, and just being there when you need emotional support. Your PSP will have a phone call with our team so they're prepared for the journey ahead.
Once you've completed your surrogacy consultation and appear to be a strong surrogate candidate, you'll complete a psychological assessment called the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), which is interpreted by a licensed psychologist.
3
Matching with Intended Parents
Varies
Review profile(s) for intended parent match
Video call with potential match
Officially matched!
Your Surrogate Advisor will support you in finding the right intended parent match. Surrogate matching criteria include your preferences on the types of intended parents you’d like to work with, whether you're open to a single or multiple embryo transfer, and your views on selective reduction and termination. If you have any questions about these topics, your Surrogate Advisor will be there to help you.
When it comes to the matching process itself, we use our proprietary MatchMade™ approach. Our process was designed to find genuine compatibility between surrogates and intended parents to support a comfortable, rewarding experience. You'll review an intended parent profile, and when one feels right, our team arranges a video call so you can meet before deciding to move forward.
If you are interested in meeting intended parents after reading their profile (and they are interested after reading yours), our team will set up a video call so you can officially meet them and see if you're a good match. On this call, you and the intended parents will get to know each other a little bit more and talk about your families and friends and your hopes for the surrogacy journey. There is no script for this video call, and our team does not attend. After the call, if you feel a connection and would like to move forward, you can share with your Circle team. If the intended parents do the same after the call, we'll have a match!
4
Medical Screening and
Legal Contracts
2-3 Months
Medical screening at the IVF clinic (overnight trip)
Contract negotiation and finalization with attorney
Your medical screening takes place at your intended parents’ IVF clinic with their doctor. This is usually an overnight trip, and expenses are covered by your intended parents.
Here’s what you can expect at the medical screening:
Physical exam
Sonogram
Blood tests
You’ll also be working closely with your legal counsel to finalize your Carrier Agreement (contract). This will be completed with your intended parents’ lawyer. Your contract will outline all aspects of the surrogacy journey, including the number of transfers, compensation, and parental rights. Both you and the intended parents will each have your own independent legal counsel to review and finalize the agreement.
5
Monitoring Appointments
and Embryo Transfer
3-4 Weeks
Begin medications
Attend local monitoring appointments
Embryo transfer (3-7 day trip)
During this phase, you'll begin your surrogate medications and start attending your outside monitoring appointments. These appointments will be at a clinic near where you live (not at your IPs' IVF clinic). Monitoring appointments consist of bloodwork and ultrasounds to make sure your body is responding well to the fertility medications.
When the doctor has determined that your body is ready, you will travel for the embryo transfer. This is usually a 3-7 day trip with a travel companion to your intended parents’ IVF clinic. The embryo transfer itself is relatively quick, and the doctor will give you instructions to follow after the transfer. Many intended parents will attend the embryo transfer if they can, and spend time in person with their surrogate.
6
Pregnancy
About 9 Months
Beta tests at outside clinic
Routine doctor appointments
Deepen relationship and share the pregnancy with intended parents
After you return home from the embryo transfer, you’ll continue with appointments at your outside monitoring clinic for beta tests (blood tests). These visits are to ensure that the pregnancy is progressing as it should.
The first test is usually 10 days after the embryo transfer. If you have positive beta tests, you'll have an ultrasound at the monitoring clinic at around 6 weeks to confirm the heartbeat(s). This is when we consider you officially pregnant!
Around week 10 of pregnancy, your care will move to your OB/GYN until delivery. During this time, you can deepen your relationship with your intended parents; we recommend maintaining at least weekly contact with them to give them updates, share photos, and get to know them even better. You’ll attend your routine appointments, and before you know it, it'll be delivery day. Then, you'll get to witness your intended parents meeting their baby for the first time!
7
Fourth Trimester and Postpartum
2+ Months
Say goodbye to your intended parents and their baby
Allow your body to heal
Adjust to “normal” life
Spend time with your family
Reflect on what an AMAZING thing you did
The fourth trimester can be filled with many emotions — excitement, sadness, pride, and emptiness, to name a few. All of these emotions are normal as you adjust to life after surrogacy. We encourage you to spend time with your intended parents and the baby if you wish to do so, while they are still local to you. Saying goodbye can be difficult, but remember, it does not have to be a “forever” goodbye. Many of our surrogates and parents continue their friendship beyond the birth of the baby; you’ll find the right level of relationship that works for you.
Surrogacy Process FAQs
Still have questions about the different surrogacy steps? Read our FAQs below, review our general FAQ page, or reach out to our team!
Once Circle receives your online application, we will contact you within 1-2 business days. If you meet our initial qualifications, you will gain access to our Surrogate Portal, where you can move forward in the prescreening and screening processes. The Portal contains online forms that allow you to submit photos, medical history information, insurance details, and matching preferences. Once you’ve completed these tasks and we have reviewed your medical records as well as insurance information, we will schedule screening calls for you and your support person with one of our licensed mental health professionals.
A licensed mental health professional from our screening team will walk you through the surrogate pregnancy process and what to expect. You will have the opportunity to ask all of your questions about our program, the IVF cycle, the matching process, insurance, and compensation, as well as how we support you during the pregnancy. During this screening, we will ask you many questions about your support system and your motivations for being a surrogate. In addition, your support person will also be screened.
A typical surrogacy journey for a surrogate, from application to delivery, is approximately 16-18 months. Every surrogacy journey is unique, so the timing of your journey may be a little longer.
A surrogate is considered pregnant if she has a positive Beta test 10 days after her embryo transfer. If a surrogate is pregnant on her first transfer, she can be pregnant as soon as 3-4 months after she applies to become a surrogate. Once a surrogate has her medical screening and begins her medications, she will have her embryo transfer within a month if her body is ready.
Postpartum depression can affect any new mother, and surrogates are no exception. According to the CDC, about 1 in 8 women experience symptoms of depression after childbirth. If you experience postpartum depression after your surrogacy journey— talk to your OB/GYN and reach out to us, so we can stay in your corner no matter what.
Your Primary Support Person (PSP) will have their own conversation with a mental health professional during the application process.
This is something you should discuss with the intended parents. It's not unusual for surrogates and intended parents to continue their friendship after the baby is born. The nature of your relationship is whatever works for all involved.
Testimonials
"I've never experienced such outstanding communication from a company—Circle ensures you feel heard, supported, and genuinely appreciated every step of the way. They truly make you feel like a superhero! I can't recommend Circle Surrogacy enough; they are absolutely the best in the business!"
Mandy
“Being a surrogate not only allowed me to help a couple start a family, but it changed my life forever by being lucky enough to call these individuals family now. I had no idea my family would grow as well during this journey.”
Linnéa
“Without the team of people who worked together and the knowledge everyone had, it would have been a very different and less fulfilling process. We are so very thankful for sweet baby girl! My IPs were the perfect match for us and the perfect fit to be her daddies.”
Alyssia
"I couldn't have asked for a better journey being a first time surrogate. You guys also nailed the personality matching. We are so similar and we've gained life-long friends and we are already planning our trip to Norway to visit the Baby for her first birthday!"
Lauren
"I have witnessed many people struggle with fertility, and felt the pull to do more to help someone achieve their dreams of becoming parents. My surrogacy journeys have been the most rewarding, and fulfilling experiences of my life, and I am so happy to call my Intended Parents family!"
Sarah Harris
Circle Program Manager
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"Everything was so perfect! I’m so very blessed to have been matched with the most amazing IPs and seeing the love and adoration on their faces when they look at their beautiful daughter, makes this journey more than fulfilling! Thank you to everyone on the Circle team for all of your help and support in making this the best journey ever!"
Amber
Ready to Take the First Step to Becoming a Surrogate?
Becoming a surrogate is a journey made up of many milestones — from your first conversation with your Surrogate Advisor to watching the intended parents hold their baby for the first time. We know that becoming a surrogate is a major decision, and it's natural to have lots of questions along the way.
Many of our team members have been in your shoes, so we understand the questions you might have — and we want to help! Whether you're still thinking it over or want to move forward, fill out our surrogate application to get started, or reach out to our team to talk things through.