Understanding the Timeline of the First Embryo Transfer

Embarking on a surrogacy journey is a thrilling adventure filled with questions about the timeline of the first surrogate embryo transfer. Your surrogacy experience may vary depending on the country you’ve selected and the surrogacy agency you’ve partnered with. While we can provide you with an approximate timeline, it’s important to recognize that every surrogacy journey is unique.

Here, you will find an approximate timeline of the surrogacy process, but remember that no two surrogacy journeys are alike.

Keep in mind that surrogacy is not a fast journey.

Finding a Match

In Canada, some surrogacy agencies are quoting up to eighteen months to match with a surrogate mother. This process can be faster in the United States, but it also depends on the agency and the state. When you have no particular requirements, most intended parents in the US match in one to three months. 

Creating a compelling intended parents profile becomes essential when you opt to work with an agency. An attractive profile increases your chances of finding a surrogate quickly.

Remember to do careful research if you decide to use a surrogacy agency. Finding the best surrogacy agency can be challenging. Ask numerous questions, including how long the surrogacy company has been in operation, what surrogate qualifications are required, and what requirements and restrictions are in place. 

Medical Screening and Psychological Evaluation

Once you have matched with your surrogate mother, you must arrange the medical screening and psychological evaluation. This phase might take from two weeks to two months, depending on the surrogacy agency and the fertility clinic and if the surrogate is not breastfeeding.

Surrogacy Contracts

The next phase is to prepare the contracts. It can take one or two months on average.

After signing the contract, the surrogate will start with the medication. Usually, the medication begins six weeks before transfer. It has to be synchronized with the surrogate’s and the egg donor’s cycles if you are going to do a fresh embryo transfer. Some clinics start medication without the contract, so you save time, but they will only do the transfer with the agreement signed.

One option to save time is to find an egg donor first (you can use an egg donor database online to look for a donor), create the embryos, and freeze them. By so doing, it would take less time to complete the transfer (about two to three months after matching a surrogate). However, you should consider the pros and cons of doing a transfer with fresh embryos. This decision should occur between the doctor and the intended parents.

Additionally, this process can be faster if you use an experienced surrogate and a proven egg donor. This is because:

• Some of the screenings would be skipped, as the clinic already would have their charts on file, and
• They already know what to expect during the drafting of the surrogacy agreement.

Starting Medications and IVF Transfer

After signing surrogacy agreements, you will move on to the medical preparation for the embryo transfer.

Each IVF clinic will have its own medication protocol. So, not everyone will follow the same medical procedure, and the time they will be on the medications can vary. But in general, surrogate mothers start medication about four weeks before the embryo transfer.

Factors Influencing the Surrogate Embryo Transfer 

The timeline from finding a match to the first embryo transfer can vary widely. Several factors come into play, including:

1. Surrogate Matching: The time to find a suitable surrogate can vary based on your specific criteria.
2. Medical Screenings: Medical and psychological screenings are scheduled depending on the surrogate’s and clinic’s availability.
3. Embryo Creation: If the creation of embryos is necessary, this can extend your timeline. It involves several steps, from egg retrieval to fertilization and embryo development.
4. Cycle Synchronization: Achieving optimal synchronization between the surrogate and the intended mother (or egg donor) is essential for a successful transfer. However, it can sometimes be unpredictable and may require adjustments.
5. Clinic Availability: The availability of the fertility clinic for the embryo transfer procedure is another critical factor.

In Conclusion

While the timeline for the first embryo transfer in your surrogacy journey can vary, it’s essential to remember that each step is crucial for a successful outcome. Working closely with your surrogacy agency and medical team will help ensure that everything goes smoothly. From the initial agreement to the embryo transfer, your surrogacy journey is an orchestrated process that brings you one step closer to realizing your dream of parenthood.