In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the medical procedure behind gestational surrogacy and egg donation. In the process, eggs are removed from an egg donor or from the intended mother and fertilized with sperm in a lab to
create embryos. The resulting embryos are grown in laboratory conditions for 3-5 days. In a surrogacy arrangement, these embryos are then implanted into the uterus of a gestational surrogate. In an egg donation arrangement, they are transferred into the intended mother.
In preparation for the IVF procedure, surrogates and egg donors undergo medical treatments. An egg donor will self-administer injectible medications to stimulate the production of eggs. A surrogate takes medications to
prepare her body for the embryo implantation.
Intended parents need to make a variety of choices in conjunction with the medical team at your IVF clinic. These decisions directly affect not only the success of the procedure, but also the number, health, and the
biological makeup of the prospective children. The quality of the resulting embryos may affect the number that is recommended to be implanted. You will also have legal agreements in place that stipulate the number of embryos that can be transferred. You will also need to determine what to do with any
remaining frozen embryos following the procedure.
The egg retrieval and IVF procedures are brief. Following the embryo transfer, your surrogate will require a period of bed rest. At any point in the process, you should feel free to reach out to your IVF clinic for any
medical questions or to our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception, with any questions about your contract, travel or any other related issues. We always look forward to hearing from you.
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