Beginning the surrogacy process is a significant step toward building your family. This guide offers an overview of what you can expect as an intended parent, from key decisions, the flow of the journey, and the support systems that help everything come together seamlessly. 

For a deeper dive into how surrogacy works, you can explore our “What is Surrogacy?” blog post.

Surrogacy at a Glance for Intended Parents

Surrogacy is a process in which a surrogate carries a pregnancy on behalf of intended parents. This path to parenthood welcomes people from many walks of life: heterosexual couples navigating infertility, LGBTQIA+ couples who require sperm and/or egg donors and surrogates, parents who may want to use surrogacy for personal reasons, and single parents who want to build their families with intention and support.

While every journey is unique, it revolves around mutual trust and a shared dedication to your path to parenthood.

Is Surrogacy Right for You as an Intended Parent?

Before you dive into the surrogacy process, make sure this path feels like the right fit. Surrogacy is a rewarding way to build your family, but it also involves emotional commitment, a long-term partnership with your surrogate, and navigating medical, legal, and financial steps along the way. 

Intended parents choose surrogacy for all kinds of reasons: medical conditions that make pregnancy unsafe, LGBTQIA+ family-building needs, or simply for personal reasons. Whatever brought you here, what matters most is that the process feels right for you.

How can you tell if this is the right path for you? Here are some things to consider: 

• You’re open to forming a supportive partnership with a surrogate over a 2 year journey. 

• You feel prepared to deal with the medical, legal, and financial aspects of the process.

• You value open communication, trust, and mutual respect.

• You’re ready to trust a surrogate with your child’s earliest development.

• You want a family-building experience supported by professionals.

Remember: We share this information to highlight the realities of the journey so you know exactly what to expect. It’s about making sure the journey aligns with your goals of growing your family.

Key Decisions Intended Parents Make Early in the Surrogacy Process

Before starting your journey to parenthood, there are some important decisions to consider as intended parents. These considerations will help shape your family-building experience.

Choosing Your Surrogacy Team

Most intended parents begin by selecting a surrogacy agency, a fertility clinic, and, if needed, an egg or sperm donor. A reputable agency acts as your central support system, coordinating matching, screening, emotional support, legal guidance, and the countless details that happen behind the scenes.

At Growing Generations, our role is to provide you with a seamless and personalized journey every step of the way.

Domestic vs. International Surrogacy Considerations

Where you are located will make a difference in finding the right surrogate for you. Whether you're pursuing surrogacy internationally or domestically, you should know that each has its own considerations, including legal ones. A surrogacy agency can help you understand the timeline, processes, and legal paperwork involved.

Deciding on Your Path to Parenthood

Your fertility specialist will guide you through the medical recommendations based on your individual circumstances, helping you understand whether you’ll move forward using your own eggs, your own sperm, donor eggs, donor sperm, or a combination of these options.

Some intended parents can use their own gametes to create embryos. However, others may need donor eggs or donor sperm due to medical, genetic, or biological factors. Regardless of which option becomes the right fit,  we make sure the process is customized and tailored to your needs. 

We offer access to exceptional donor matching resources, selecting only the top 1% of all donor applications. Our expert team will guide you through the process, regardless of which option you choose.

The Surrogacy Journey for Intended Parents: Step-by-Step Overview

Here’s an overview of the steps you’ll have to take during your surrogacy journey.

Consultation: Your journey begins with a comprehensive consultation where you’ll discuss your goals, medical background, legal considerations, and emotional readiness. This is your opportunity to ask questions, clarify expectations, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the full process. By the end of this stage, you’ll feel more informed, grounded, and prepared to begin.

Matching with a Surrogate: Once you are ready to move forward, the matching process begins. You’ll be matched with a surrogate whose values, communication preferences, lifestyle, and medical history align with your own.

Legal Agreements: With a match established, both you and your surrogate will work with independent attorneys to create detailed legal contracts. These agreements outline rights, responsibilities, compensation, expectations, and the legal framework for parentage. Once signed, these contracts allow the medical process to move forward securely.

Pregnancy & Parentage Orders: After embryo transfer and a confirmed pregnancy, your surrogate will receive ongoing medical care and support while you stay connected through structured communication. Pre-birth or post-birth parentage orders ensure you are legally recognized as the child’s parents, making the transition after delivery seamless and joyful.

Emotional Support & Building a Healthy Relationship with Your Surrogate

Surrogacy is a life-changing experience, and it often brings a wide spectrum of emotions for intended parents. Hope, excitement, deep gratitude, and even moments of anxiety are all natural responses to the experience. These feelings deserve to be acknowledged and supported with care, compassion, and understanding.

A healthy relationship with your surrogate starts with thoughtful communication, whatever that looks like for you. Some intended parents enjoy frequent check-ins and ongoing connection, while others prefer limited communication. Either approach is completely okay . Growing Generations surrogates are fully informed of your expectations from the very beginning, so you never have to hesitate to express your preferences. Whatever choice you make is valid, and our team will support your decision.

At Growing Generations, we offer support and resources throughout your journey. It includes guidance from experienced case specialists and access to counseling resources. As our client, you will never feel alone or out of the loop during your surrogacy journey.

Begin Your Surrogacy Journey with Confidence

Surrogacy is a complex process, but with the right team behind you, it becomes seamless, and the next thing you know, your dreams of welcoming your baby have come true. At Growing Generations, we are here to provide you with a bespoke, tailored experience at every stage of your journey. When you are ready, we’re here for you.