How Does Surrogacy Work
For women who have ever considered being a surrogate, this is to help you to understand how exactly you can carry a child for another woman.
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You will meet with a licensed psychologist to make sure you are making the best decision for you and your family
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The fertility specialist will examine your medical records from previous births and make sure you uterus is in good condition to carry another pregnancy
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In order for your body to carry a pregnancy for another the doctor will give you hormones that are natural to your body to prevent you body from rejecting the pregnancy. This may include medication to suppress your normal cycle and estrogen will thicken the lining of your uterus to help the embryos to stick to your uterine lining. Progesterone will help your body to retain the pregnancy
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You will start taking the hormones, listed above, a couple of weeks before the embryo transfer. You will continue to take these hormones until the end of the first trimester. At that point you body will be producing these hormones on its own and the rest of the pregnancy is pretty much like any other pregnancy.
Embryo Transfer
The embryo transfer is a simple and painless process that takes place in the fertility specialist office. Some doctors may give you a mild sedative to make sure you are relaxed. The embryos are drawn into a very small tube called a catheter. The catheter is gently inserted into your vagina and directly into your uterus. The doctor gently releases the embryos into your uterus in a drop of fluid. You will rest for a little while then go home. The first pregnancy test will be a about 10 days to two weeks and the pregnancy is usually confirmed about 30 days after the transfer when a heart beat is detected by the doctor. Once the heart beat is detected you are considered officially pregnant.
You will continue to see the fertility specialist until the end of the first trimester when you can stop taking the hormones. At this point in you can begin seeing your regular OBGYN closer to your home. Your OBGYN must be board certified and have privileges to practice at a hospital that has at least a level 2 Neonatal Unit.
