What to Expect During the Surrogacy Process in California

Key Takeaways

• Surrogacy is a selfless act that can help create new families.
• Surrogacy laws are based on the state where the surrogate resides, rather than where the embryo transfer occurs.
• Choosing the right agency is vitally important.
• California is a surrogacy-friendly state, and all legalities should be completed before the embryo transfer.
• The entire process takes 12 months from application to delivery.

If you are looking at the option of becoming a surrogate, you may not know what to expect if you are in California. It’s normal to be apprehensive and have loads of questions; it wouldn’t be normal if you didn’t! But you should be excited about the possibility of a new experience, and one that changes lives. Understanding the gestational surrogacy process is your first step, and an important one. Thankfully, the surrogacy timeline is straightforward for gestational surrogacy in California.

Before You Begin

Starting as a surrogate in California is the most incredible personal journey you can take. It’s a time of personal growth, and because of this choice, you should have a great sense of joy throughout the time. But there are a few things you need to do to get started.

Choose an Agency

Once you are ready to embark on your journey, you need to decide on an agency to work through. An agency like My Baby Donor Agency will offer you all the guidance and support you need throughout the gestational surrogacy process. You need to choose a reputable agency that can offer you hands-on support and more information on the surrogacy timeline. The agency should take a deep interest in you and your well-being.

They should also offer top-notch prenatal care and give you access to the best legal counsel.

The agency should offer confidentiality for this very personal journey. At My Baby Donor Agency, we are invested in our surrogates’ well-being and do everything we can to deliver a highly supportive and stress-free experience.

Application and Screening

Fill out an application so that we know that you have an interest in becoming a surrogate. Once you have applied for the gestational surrogacy process, a member of our team will be in contact to get you started.

After that, you’ll go through a screening process, which includes a background check, medical record review, and sometimes a psychological evaluation. This helps ensure that you are healthy and ready for the journey ahead.

These screenings are in place to ensure that your body can handle both the preparatory fertility drugs and the embryo transfer. They are also important to ensure that you are psychologically prepared to carry a child and help intended parents realize their dreams of parenthood.

Finding the Perfect Match

The next step in the surrogacy timeline is finding the perfect match. We are fortunate that gestational surrogacy in California is supportive of the gestational surrogacy process as long as all requirements have been met. This makes surrogacy an exciting possibility for intended parents.

Once you are approved, we will introduce you to intended parents who are looking for a surrogate. You will have a chance to meet them (often through a video call) and decide together if you feel a good connection.

Medical Evaluation and Legal Process

After matching, you will visit the fertility clinic for medical testing. If everything looks good, you will then work with an attorney (at no cost to you) to review and sign the surrogacy contract, making sure you are fully protected and supported.

Embryo Transfer Preparation

You will receive a treatment plan, including medications to prepare your body for embryo transfer. You’ll follow the doctor’s instructions carefully to give the embryo the best chance to implant successfully.

Embryo Transfer and Pregnancy Confirmation

The embryo transfer is a quick and simple procedure. After the transfer, you will rest and take good care of yourself. A few days later, you will take a blood test to find out if you are pregnant: one of the most exciting moments!

Pregnancy and Support

Once pregnant, you will have regular check-ups with your doctor and stay in communication with the intended parents. Many surrogates build a warm relationship with the parents during this time. Your agency and medical team will be there to support you every step of the way.

Delivery & Bringing Joy to a Family

When the time comes, you will deliver the baby, and the intended parents will finally meet their little one, all thanks to your incredible gift! After delivery, you will have time to rest and recover with full support.

We Work With Caring Professionals

We are very proud of the amazing team we work with, both inside My Baby Donor Agency and externally. Our network of vetted and experienced medical professionals and legal counselors helps to make the gestational surrogacy process flow smoothly.

Legal Consultation and Protection

Our legal network consists of experienced specialists who are familiar with surrogacy laws, and they will guide you through all the legal aspects of your surrogacy journey. There are a few interesting points to know.

• With California’s surrogacy-friendly laws, gestational surrogacy is legal, and legal contracts that are signed before or during the surrogacy timeline can be upheld in court.
• Pre-birth parentage orders are enforceable with gestational surrogacy in California, making the intended parents the child’s legal parents before the child is born. This happens around the start of the second trimester of the pregnancy.
• Another positive factor is that the intended parents do not have to be genetically linked to the baby to assume responsibility.
• Before continuing the gestational surrogacy process, California law requires that all contracts be finalized and notarized.
• California law is inclusive for married couples and single individuals, and LGBTQ+ families.

Medical Care and Support

Our medical network is well-trained and compassionate about the journey you’ve taken. They understand how selfless and dedicated you are to the process and will do everything to ensure your well-being and comfort.

Once everything is in place, the medical phase actually begins. Your body needs to be prepared for the pregnancy, so a part of the surrogacy timeline is when you will be given medication to prepare your uterus for the embryo transfer.

The transfer is an important and exciting part of the gestational surrogacy process, as it is the start of your journey and your role in caring for a new life. It takes only a few minutes to complete. After that, you’ll relax, rest, and then return to the clinic for a few tests to learn whether you are pregnant.

The Pregnancy

One of the most wonderful experiences you can have is being a part of a gestational surrogacy journey in California. When the pregnancy is confirmed, everything really begins.

The next nine months will be filled with wonder and excitement. As you’ve already had a pregnancy, you’ll know what to expect, but this time you’ll have the thrill of knowing how you’re helping a loving family become complete. Part of the gestational surrogacy process means going for regular checkups to check that the baby is healthy, growing, and that you are doing well, too.

Your attorney will ensure the pre-birth parentage order is provided to the hospital before the birth. This legal order ensures that the intended parents are recognized immediately as the legal parents.

After the Delivery

When the baby is born, and the intended parents get to meet their newborn baby for the first time, and will feel immense pleasure knowing that you made this possible. Your altruism is the ultimate gift, and besides the joy that the new parents will feel, they will also be immensely grateful that you went through the gestational surrogacy process.

The Ultimate Gift

You have the opportunity to change lives. Your actions can give hope and make a difference, and it starts with only one decision: to become a surrogate. You can rest easy now that you have a better understanding of the surrogacy timeline, gestational surrogacy in California, and what to expect during the surrogacy process in California. To find out more about the process, you can speak to our compassionate surrogacy team.