What to Expect : 10 Steps to Surrogacy

Step 1. Fill out an intake form and have a phone interview.

When you are ready to begin your surrogacy journey, just fill out our intake form. Someone from our staff will call you to ask you some questions and tell you more about our program. Then we'll have you fill out a longer questionnaire so that we can get to know you better and make sure you're eligibile to be a surrogate.

Step 2. Meet with Northwest Surrogacy Center.

Once we review your questionnaire and run a background check, we will invite you to Portland for an interview to meet with our director and co-founder, Sandra Hodgson. Sandra will learn more about you, explain the surrogacy process, and take as much time as you need to answer all of your questions. Click here for answers to common surrogacy questions.

Step 3. Wait for intended parents to review your profile.

After your interview we will request medical records for your previous pregnancies and copies of your health insurance policy, if you have one. We will also ask you to send us pictures of yourself and your family. Then we will create your profile, with your identifying information removed, to share with potential intended parents.

We believe a great match is the key to an extraordinary surrogacy experience. We match surrogates with intended parents based on a variety of factors, especially on shared goals and expectations for the surrogacy. You always have the option of choosing not to work with a family if they don't feel like the right match.

Step 4. Meet the intended parents.

When we have a potential match, you and the intended parents will meet in our office for an introductory visit. International intended parents may conduct a first meeting by phone or Skype, but will travel to Portland to meet you before signing a contract with you.

If you and the intended parents feel comfortable with each other, we will move on to the next step.

Step 5. Undergo additional screenings and sign a contract.

As we prepare a contract for you and the intended parents, you will undergo additional screenings, including a medical screening. The intended parents may also be undergoing psychological and medical screenings at this time.

Your medical screening will include a “mock cycle” of injections that usually lasts about two weeks and allows the clinic to determine the specific effect of the IVF medications on your body and what dosages you should receive in the full cycle. During the mock cycle you will be monitored with blood draws and ultrasounds to check your uterine lining. You and your partner will undergo blood work and STD screening, and you will meet with an obstetrician to receive clearance for pregnancy.

Around this time we will provide you with a draft surrogacy contract. You and the intended parents will review the document with separate attorneys, reach an agreement, and sign the contract. At this time you will begin receiving a $200 monthly allowance.

Step 6. Begin medication cycles.

Once the contract is signed and the intended parents have placed money for your fee in a trust account with us, we will send a letter to the IVF (in vitro fertilization) clinic giving them clearance to begin preparing you for the embryo transfer. You will then begin your full cycle, which involves taking medications for about six weeks before the embryo transfer can occur.

If the intended parents are planning to use an egg donor, they will choose a donor, and the IVF clinic will synchronize your cycle with the donor’s.

Step 7. Undergo embryo transfer.

The embryo transfer will occur at the IVF clinic. Some intended parents choose to attend this procedure.

Step 8. Pregnancy is confirmed.

About ten days after the embryo transfer, you will receive a blood test as an initial pregnancy test. If the pregnancy test results are positive, you will receive another blood test a few days later. About three to four weeks after the transfer you will receive an ultrasound to confirm pregnancy.

Once pregnancy is confirmed by ultrasound, you will begin receiving installments of your base compensation.

In the event that pregnancy does not occur, you may begin another IVF cycle with the intended parents.

Step 9. Enjoy the pregnancy!

During your pregnancy, NWSC will be sending you your monthly payments and taking care of your pregnancy expenses. We will be available to you at all times in case you have questions, want us to help mediate issues with the intended parents, or just want someone to talk to. We’ll also be checking in with you regularly to make sure you have everything you need.

The IVF clinic will continue to provide your medical care for the first eight to ten weeks of your pregnancy, but then you can return to your own doctor for prenatal care.

Depending on the type of relationship you and the intended parents want, they may be attending appointments and spending time with you during your pregnancy. Other surrogates and intended parents prefer to be involved mainly during the birth. Either way, relax and enjoy being pregnant!

Step 10. Present the intended parents with their new baby!

The wait is over, and it’s time for you to give the intended parents a child who will change their lives forever.

If there are rooms available, most hospitals allow intended parents to stay in the hospital to have time alone with their baby. You may also wish to spend some time with the baby or have your children meet him or her, although many surrogates and intended parents prefer that the baby be with the intended parents most of the time.

As soon as the baby is medically ready to be discharged from the hospital, the intended parents can take their new baby home, and you can return to your own family!

NWSC will continue to be there for you after the birth. You are welcome to contact us any time.