What is a Surrogacy Clinic? [What You Need to Know]

As an intended parent or prospective surrogate, you may be wondering, “Do fertility clinics handle surrogacy?” The answer is yes, and this guide will give you important information on surrogacy fertility clinics. 

Before we continue, it’s important to note that you can always reach out to a surrogacy specialist to get information on the surrogacy process and how surrogacy fertility clinics handle the medical aspect of your journey.  

If you’re an intended parent having gone through infertility treatments at a clinic, you already have experience working with these professionals. If you’re new to fertility clinics, what they are and what they do, this guide will help you better understand their services and role in the surrogacy process. 

To start, what does the surrogacy medical process entail, and why are surrogacy fertility clinics important? 

What is a Surrogacy Clinic and What Do They Do? 

A surrogacy clinic is a fertility clinic that helps intended parents with infertility treatments, like in vitro fertilization (IVF), followed by surrogacy when those treatments don’t result in a successful pregnancy. 

For intended parents struggling with infertility, a single individual ready for parenthood or members of the LGBTQ community dreaming of raising a child, surrogacy fertility clinics can help you with the medical process, including: 

  • Medical screening for prospective surrogates: Before intended parents and surrogates can take their surrogacy journey, the fertility clinic will complete a medical screening including blood tests, saline sonograms and more to determine whether a prospective surrogate is physically prepared for the process. 
  • Gamete retrieval and IVF: Once intended parents and a surrogate get medically cleared for the surrogacy process, a surrogacy clinic will begin the IVF process. Preparing the intended mother or egg donor for egg harvesting and syncing cycles with the surrogate is part of surrogacy’s medical process. The fertility clinic for surrogacy will also prescribe a regimen of medications to the surrogate to help prepare her body for pregnancy and will closely monitor her to make sure her body is responding correctly. When she is ready, the embryo transfer will take place at the clinic, as well.
  • Pregnancy testing: After embryo transfer to the surrogate’s uterus, the surrogacy clinic will do a blood and hormone level test to confirm a pregnancy. This type of testing for a positive pregnancy is much more in-depth than standard at-home pregnancy tests. Once pregnancy occurs, the surrogate will move forward with prenatal care with a regular OB-GYN. 

Most gestational surrogacies follow this process. However, speaking with a surrogacy specialist and your fertility clinic to determine what your specific medical process will look like is strongly encouraged. 

You can check out this complete guide to the surrogacy medical process for a more in-depth breakdown of what to expect. 

For intended parents in need of a donor egg, sperm or embryo, your experience with a surrogacy fertility clinic will look a little different. Ultimately, however, surrogacy is an option for you and is a life-changing opportunity to build a family and a lifelong relationship between intended parents and surrogates. 

Remember, if you have important questions about the surrogacy medical process or surrogacy clinics, complete this online form to connect with a specialist. 

So, how do you find a surrogacy clinic? 

Finding the Best Surrogacy Clinic 

As a prospective surrogate, you might be asking, “Are there surrogacy clinics near me?” 

There is a good chance the intended parents you work with likely already have experience working with a fertility clinic. In this case, you would need to travel for important appointments for critical surrogacy steps such as a complete medical screening and the embryo transfer.

If not, intended parents have two options for finding the best surrogacy clinic. 

  • Work with your surrogacy agency – A surrogacy agency has resources and referrals for the best clinics for surrogacy. Utilize your agency and professional to locate a surrogacy fertility clinic that fits your specific needs and makes you feel most comfortable. 
  • Find a surrogacy clinic independently – Whether you prefer to find a surrogacy clinic on your own or you’re committed to a fully independent surrogacy journey, you can research how to find surrogacy clinics in the USA. A good source for finding the best surrogacy clinic is the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. This organization can provide statistics on rates of success for surrogacy clinics across the country. 

You can get more information to help answer your question of, “Are there surrogacy clinics near me?” and how to find the best surrogacy clinics in the USA when you complete this online form. A professional is ready to help you with all of your surrogacy needs. 

The Benefits of Working with a Surrogacy Agency 

Intended parents and surrogates face a lengthy surrogacy process and numerous steps along the way. Because each step is crucial to ensuring you have the best possible experience, working with a surrogacy agency can provide you with the resources you need for each of those important steps. 

Among those services is helping you work with a surrogacy clinic with proven success that is capable of giving you the best medical care. 

Even when an intended parent already has experience with a surrogacy fertility clinic, having a professional to help coordinate the medical process with the fertility clinic means everyone involved gets added support and case management so that you both can focus on the pregnancy. 

If you have yet to locate a surrogacy fertility clinic, complete this contact form and speak with a professional that can refer you to some of the best surrogacy clinics in the USA. 

Surrogates Working with an Intended Parents’ Surrogacy Clinic 

As a surrogate determined to be medically, physically and emotionally prepared for the surrogacy process, speak with the intended parents before reaching out to a surrogacy clinic. 

The intended parents likely already have a fertility clinic they are working with, which means your surrogacy medical process will, in most cases, take place with their clinic.  

It’s important to note that the intended parents cover all travel costs incurred.