Surrogate pregnancy gives hopeful parents the chance to build a family when carrying a child themselves isn’t possible. Through gestational surrogacy, a woman carries a baby created with IVF, using the intended parents’ or donors’ genetic material.
The surrogate has no genetic connection to the child but plays a vital role in making parenthood possible.
At Hatch, we guide surrogates and intended parents through every stage—from initial screenings and embryo transfer to pregnancy and delivery—so the experience is safe, transparent, and rewarding.
In a surrogate pregnancy, the surrogate carries a baby conceived through IVF. The embryo is created in a lab and then transferred to the surrogate’s uterus.
Unlike a typical pregnancy, the surrogate follows a carefully structured medical plan that begins with fertility medications, frequent monitoring, and a transfer procedure before pregnancy is confirmed.
Once the surrogate is pregnant, her medical care continues under close supervision. She transitions from IVF specialists to an OB at around 10 weeks, while the intended parents stay involved through appointments, screenings, and birth planning.
What makes surrogate pregnancy different from other paths to parenthood is that it involves three groups working together: the surrogate, the intended parents, and the medical and legal professionals guiding the process.
Each plays a role in ensuring the gestational surrogacy process is safe, legal, and supportive for everyone involved.
Surrogate pregnancy is a collaborative process shaped by the needs of intended parents and the qualifications of surrogates.
At Hatch, surrogacy is based on structured agreements and clear processes that protect the surrogate and the intended parents while keeping the health of the baby at the center.
Surrogate pregnancy involves several stages:
The process begins with selecting a surrogate through a surrogacy agency.
Once a match is made, attorneys draft a legal contract that covers medical decisions, compensation, and parental rights.
This agreement must be finalized before any medical procedures begin.
After signing the contracts, the surrogate undergoes medical testing to confirm she is healthy enough for pregnancy. Fertility medications are prescribed to prepare her uterus for embryo transfer.
The embryo, created using the intended parents’ or donors’ egg and sperm, is transferred via IVF.
Pregnancy is confirmed through blood tests and early ultrasounds.
The surrogate remains under the care of the IVF clinic until about 10 weeks, when she transitions to an OB for ongoing prenatal care.
If you’re interested in becoming a surrogate, here’s what to expect during your pregnancy:
Your pregnancy will be monitored through ultrasounds and blood tests by the IVF doctor either at your recipient parents’ office, or through a monitoring clinic closer to your home until about 10 weeks of pregnancy. Here’s what you can expect during your first trimester of the pregnancy:
Once your pregnancy has been confirmed by fetal heartbeat ultrasound, your surrogate coordinator will help you transition to OB care. We’ll check what OB/hospital options are in-network with the surrogacy insurance plan, and you and your intended parent(s) will decide on the best option for this as a team.
Your IVF doctor will inform you of the time frame for setting up your first OB appointment. Before your first OB appointment, your Surrogate Match Coordinator will make sure your OB has all of the relevant information from your IVF cycle and pregnancy thus far, a copy of your insurance card, and a copy of the medical records from the IVF clinic.
Most intended parents wish to do the non-invasive pregnancy screening tests, such as the Nuchal Translucency ultrasound, at around 12 weeks, state first and second trimester blood tests, and/or the NIPT blood test. You can coordinate this through your OB, or we can provide a referral within L.A. if you’re able to travel for these tests.
Some intended parents opt to do invasive testing, such as an amniocentesis or Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS), if there are concerns resulting from the non-invasive testing. If your intended parents choose to pursue this, you’ll be compensated for the inconvenience associated with these tests.
At around 16 weeks of pregnancy, the legal parentage process will be initiated with the same attorneys who assisted with the initial contract. Depending on the state laws where you reside, both you and your spouse (if applicable) will sign documents to confirm that the intended parents are the legal parents of their baby in advance of the birth.
In some states, there are steps to complete post-birth. Because of this, it’s possible that you’ll attend a court date to solidify legal parentage.
Around 20 weeks of pregnancy, you’ll have a 20-week fetal anatomy ultrasound and possibly a fetal echocardiogram, which is the ultrasound of the baby’s heart. In many cases, the intended parents like to come out for this appointment. At this appointment, you can also tour the delivery hospital together. We can assist with finding a point of contact at your delivery hospital to coordinate this.
Most intended parents will plan to be in town two weeks before the due date (barring any indicators of an earlier birth) so that they don’t miss this special experience. It’s typical for the intended parents to be present for the birth, as long as the surrogate is comfortable with this.
If you have a scheduled C-section or induction, please make sure to let both your intended parents and us know in advance. When labor begins, please let your OB, your intended parents, and us know right away. Even if your water breaks in the middle of the night, please let us know by calling us and the intended parents. You’re never bothering anyone, and we’re all here to support you!
After giving birth, please stay in touch with us and your intended parents in case of any postpartum medical appointments. We’d all love to know how you’re recovering from birth and provide support (and gratitude) whenever we can.
While surrogate pregnancies are carefully monitored, they carry the same risks as any other pregnancy, along with some unique considerations:
Close medical supervision, combined with open communication between the surrogate, intended parents, and agency coordinators, helps manage these risks.
At Hatch, we're proud to be one of the most established surrogacy agencies in the world, with the top 5% of candidates and top compensation. We greatly appreciate and cherish your contribution as a surrogate, and we'll do everything in our power to make sure that this is the life-affirming journey it's meant to be.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact us and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Make sure to learn about Surrogacy Success Rates, Surrogate Compensation, and the Surrogate Matching Process.