From matching to baby, what is the average time? What are the major steps and timeframes?

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Hi, this is Danielle Gage, Case Manager at Bright Futures Families Surrogacy, with Ask a Surrogacy Expert. And today our question is: From matching to baby, what is the average time and what are the major steps involved?

So for matching to baby, I would say the average time, if the first embryo transfer is successful, would be around three years. Your first major step is to create embryos. So once those embryos have been created, then the next step would be that you would be on the waiting list for a gestational carrier. The next step after that is once we have a match for you would be to have a match meeting. If both parties agree to move forward and you match, then the next big step would be that we send your gestational carrier's medical records to your fertility clinic that your embryos are stored at. Once they have approved those records and say it's acceptable for her to basically become one of their patients, the next big step is that you would establish an escrow account. You wouldn't fully fund an escrow account at this time. You just establish it. The next step after that would be your carrier would go for her medical screening and that's a full medical evaluation at your fertility clinic. The next step after that, when she receives medical clearance from your clinic, would be the legal contract phase where you both would choose your attorneys and agree on a gestational carrier agreement. And once that agreement has been signed, then you would receive legal clearance. Once legal clearance has been completed, you would fund the escrow account that you created with the minimum balance required by the legal contract. And the next step after that would be that the gestational carrier would start her medication for the transfer cycle. And then the embryo transfer would take place about a month or so after starting that medication. The next step would be that your carrier would travel to your clinic for that embryo transfer. And then about roughly 10, it kind of depends on the clinic, but 10 to 14 days after the procedure, they'll do a blood pregnancy test to determine if she is in fact pregnant. And then if you get a positive two days later, they confirm that and make sure that HCG is rising as it should. And then about a few weeks later, you would have an ultrasound to confirm the heartbeat. The next big step after that would be around 14 weeks. Your attorneys will start the pre birth order process. And that's to get the judge. They'll go and do an order that would allow your names as the intended parents to be listed on the birth certificate. And they get that going. And then the agency, at around 36 weeks, we reach out to the hospital where the carrier plans to deliver the baby and make sure they have all the information they need for the upcoming delivery. And then the final step would be the delivery of your child. Yeah. Very exciting. Thank you for your question.