By Dr. Arnold Mahesan
Fertility SpecialistBeverly Hills Babies
Dr. Arnold Mahesan is a board-certified fertility specialist with extensive experience in IVF, fertility treatment, and gestational surrogacy. He is committed to helping intended parents navigate their journey with personalized care and expert guidance
A surrogacy journey includes the preparation before pregnancy as well as the pregnancy itself. Its length depends on whether embryos already exist, how quickly a medically suitable match is available, and when the medical, legal and insurance steps are completed. A proposed schedule is a planning tool rather than a promised birth date.
I find it more useful to discuss the next milestone and what it depends on than to give every family the same calendar.
1. Your starting point determines the first stage
If you need embryos, donor selection or ovarian treatment may be the first major step. Testing, scheduling an egg retrieval, embryo development and any genetic testing each take time. Some families need more than one retrieval to create the embryo reserve that fits their goals.
If embryos are already frozen, the first step is reviewing their records and confirming arrangements with the clinic that will perform the transfer. Transporting embryos requires coordination between laboratories. Existing embryos can shorten preparation, but they do not eliminate the other parts of the journey.
2. Matching depends on readiness and compatibility
Surrogate recruitment, records review and medical evaluation all influence when a potential match can be discussed. Communication preferences, location and other expectations can also affect availability.
At BHB, medical suitability comes before presenting a potential match. Doing that work early helps you understand the candidate you are meeting. It does not mean that every later requirement is complete or that health information can never change.
You should feel able to evaluate a match without pressure from an ambitious timeline. An early match that unravels later can cost more time than a deliberate decision at the beginning.
3. Clearance comes before the transfer calendar
Legal agreements, insurance review, counseling and current medical clearance need to be coordinated before the transfer cycle proceeds. Some tasks can happen in parallel, while others depend on information from an earlier step.
Once the surrogate is ready, the clinic plans monitoring and medication around her treatment protocol. A cycle may need to be postponed if a medical finding makes proceeding inappropriate. That decision protects the patient and the embryo even when it is disappointing.
4. Transfer day is followed by several milestones
A blood pregnancy test is generally scheduled around one to two weeks after transfer, according to the clinic’s protocol. A positive result is followed by further testing and ultrasound. Confirming an ongoing pregnancy takes longer than receiving the first positive test.
Pregnancy is dated using the embryo’s age and the transfer date, so the surrogate is already several weeks pregnant by obstetric dating at the time of the first pregnancy test. The delivery date remains an estimate, particularly if complications develop.
For international intended parents, planning also includes travel, time near the delivery hospital and the documents needed to return home with the baby. Begin that work early with the appropriate professionals.
Bring your embryo records and family goals to a BHB consultation so we can explain which steps can begin now and which milestones will determine your schedule.
