Your journey starts with completing our application. After your application is submitted, you will be contacted by our Intake Coordinator who will be your first team member that will be guiding you through the first step. The Intake Coordinator will review your application, schedule an interview – either over the phone or by Skype – and work with you to get all of the required paperwork to complete your application.
CHOOSING YOUR INTENDED PARENTS
Once you’re approved, we will begin sending you profiles of intended parents who are ready to start their surrogacy journey too. The matching is the most important part of your surrogacy journey. These are the ones you are doing this for and who will be a part of your life and your family’s lives forever. When you pick intended parents, the next step will be a video or phone conference, or an in-person meeting – whatever is convenient for everyone. This will be your time to get to know your potential intended parents and make sure they are the best fit for you and your family. At this step, you will be introduced to your primary consultant who will be with you during the entire surrogacy cycle with our team supporting you all the way through.
PSYCHOLOGICAL & MEDICAL EVALUATIONS
When you’re matched, we quickly move you to the screening – a psychological evaluation and a medical evaluation with the intended parent’s fertility clinic. This step can take 4-6 weeks to fully complete. Don’t worry, we will take care of everything you need – your travel arrangements if necessary & scheduling the appointments. Your consultant will be available whenever you need questions answered.
LEGAL CONTRACTS
Legal contracts between you and your intended parents will begin once you are medically and psychologically cleared. You will have your own attorney representing you in this part who specializes in third-party reproduction law. The intended parents will have their own attorney too, so there isn’t a conflict of interest. Legal contracts need to be finalized before any of the IVF process begins.
FERTILITY MEDICATIONS & EMBRYO TRANSFER
After legal contracts are all wrapped up, you will begin fertility medications that include self-injections for 2 weeks or more. You will be taking medications to get you ready for the embryo transfer at the intended parent’s fertility clinic. Scheduled appointments for blood work and ultrasounds will be made for you by your consultant team to make sure you are responding to the medications. Once your body is ready, up to 2 embryos will be transferred to you. From there, pregnancy tests and ultrasounds will be done to confirm pregnancy.
STEP SIX – PREGNANCY & DELIVERY
This is it! You’re pregnant! After you have had up to 2 ultrasounds with the fertility clinic, you will be released to your own OB/Gyn for your prenatal care and you will deliver at your hospital. The intended parents will come to you for the delivery. Open Arms will be by your side through the whole pregnancy and making sure everything is in place when it’s time to deliver.