The surrogacy process for intended parents typically includes agency onboarding, matching with a gestational surrogate, medical and psychological screening, legal contracts, IVF treatment, pregnancy, delivery planning, and establishing legal parentage. Most journeys take between 12 and 20 months, although the exact timeline depends on embryo availability, surrogate matching, medical requirements, legal review, and pregnancy outcomes.
At Bamboo Surrogacy, an IVF clinic backed surrogacy agency based in Laguna Hills, CA, we guide intended parents through every stage of the gestational surrogacy process. Our goal is to provide clear communication, personalized support, and experienced guidance throughout the journey. This guide explains each step of the surrogacy process, how long it typically takes, and what intended parents can expect from start to finish.
How Long Does the Surrogacy Process Take for Intended Parents?
The surrogacy process typically takes 12 to 20 months from initial planning to birth. Some families move through the process more quickly when embryos have already been created and a compatible surrogate match is available. Others may require additional time for embryo creation, donor selection, medical review, or legal coordination.
Most surrogacy journeys follow three primary phases:
- Preparation and surrogate matching
- Medical and legal preparation
- Pregnancy, delivery planning, and birth
At Bamboo Surrogacy, a surrogacy agency based in Southern California, matching is handled with both care and efficiency. Families may be matched with a gestational surrogate in as little as two weeks when there is strong compatibility, shared expectations, and mutual readiness. The goal is never to rush the process, but to help qualified families move forward when the right match is available.
Surrogacy Process Timeline for Intended Parents at a Glance
Surrogacy Stage | Typical Timeline |
Agency Selection & Planning | 1–2 weeks |
Surrogate Matching | 1–4 weeks |
Medical & Psychological Screening | 2–6 weeks |
Legal Contracts | 3–5 weeks |
IVF Preparation & Embryo Transfer | 5–8 weeks |
Pregnancy | Approximately 9 months |
Parentage & Delivery Planning | Throughout pregnancy |
Birth & Bringing Baby Home | Delivery and immediate postpartum period |
Total Typical Timeline: 15–24 Months
At any given time, we typically have more than a dozen highly qualified surrogate candidates available, including candidates both in California and in other states. Base surrogate compensation starts at $45,000.
You may begin reviewing and selecting candidates whenever you are ready. There is no waitlist, no need to increase your budget to receive priority, and no hidden conditions or marketing gimmicks.
Our process is straightforward and transparent, and our goal is to help you find the right surrogate match based on your preferences and needs.
Step 1: Choose a Surrogacy Agency in California and Start Planning
The first step in the surrogacy process is selecting a surrogacy agency and completing the agency agreement. This establishes the partnership with the team responsible for coordinating your match, timeline, communication plan, and professional referrals. A full-service surrogacy agency like Bamboo Surrogacy helps coordinate the many moving parts involved in a surrogacy journey, including matching, medical referrals, psychological evaluations, legal support, financial guidance, and ongoing case management.
At Bamboo Surrogacy, planning begins with understanding each family’s goals, embryo status, timeline expectations, and preferred level of involvement throughout the journey. Our role is to help make a complex process feel organized, personal, and well-supported.
Step 2: Match With a Qualified Surrogate
The next stage is matching with a surrogate whose expectations, medical readiness, communication style, and location align with the intended parents’ needs. A successful surrogate match involves more than availability. Long-term compatibility often depends on shared expectations regarding communication, pregnancy updates, delivery preferences, and the overall relationship throughout the journey. During the matching process, both intended parents and potential surrogates have an opportunity to learn about one another, ask questions, and determine whether the arrangement feels like the right fit.
Surrogate qualifications vary by surrogacy agency, fertility clinic, IVF doctors, and state requirements. Most programs require candidates to meet age, health, pregnancy history, lifestyle, and residency guidelines. Surrogacy agencies and clinics generally look for a history of healthy pregnancies, stable physical and emotional health, and willingness to complete medical and psychological screening.
Bamboo Surrogacy offers access to medically approved, thoroughly prescreened surrogates who are ready to move forward, allowing many intended parents to secure a surrogate match in two weeks or less while maintaining a highly personalized matching process.
Step 3: Complete Surrogate Medical Screening
After matching, the surrogate completes medical screening before legal contracts and IVF preparation can move forward.
Medical screening commonly includes:
- Review of medical records
- Consultation with the fertility clinic
- Blood testing (usually including Infectious disease, prenatal and drugs)
- Saline Ultrasound (or hysteroscopy) and Mock Transfer
The purpose of screening is to confirm that the surrogate is medically prepared for pregnancy and that the IVF team has the information necessary to create a safe treatment plan.
Because fertility clinics use different medical protocols, screening requirements can vary from one clinic to another. In our experience coordinating surrogacy journeys, thorough screening at the beginning of the process helps reduce unexpected delays later and allows intended parents, surrogates, and medical providers to move forward faster with greater confidence.
Step 4: Finalize the Surrogacy Contract
Before fertility medications begin, both parties work with separate attorneys to negotiate and finalize the surrogacy contract.
The agreement typically addresses:
- Parental rights
- Surrogate compensation
- Medical decision-making
- Insurance coverage
- Travel arrangements
- Potential risks and contingencies
- Delivery expectations
- Communication guidelines
Legal contracts often take one to two months to complete, depending on attorney availability and case complexity. The legal phase is one of the most important parts of the surrogacy journey because parentage laws differ significantly by state. Working with attorneys who focus specifically on assisted reproductive technology law helps ensure contracts, parentage orders, and hospital documentation are completed correctly and on schedule. In California, both the surrogate and intended parents must be represented by independent legal counsel before executing a written assisted reproduction agreement.
Step 5: Begin IVF and Embryo Transfer Preparation
Once legal clearance is complete, the IVF process can begin. Some intended parents already have embryos created before matching. Others may still need to complete egg retrieval, fertilization, embryo development, or genetic testing before moving forward. During embryo transfer preparation, the fertility clinic uses medications to prepare the surrogate’s uterus for implantation. When the timing is optimal, a selected embryo is transferred into the uterus during a brief clinical procedure that typically does not require sedation.
Approximately 10 to 14 days after transfer, a beta hCG blood test is performed to determine whether implantation was successful. If pregnancy is confirmed, follow-up testing and ultrasound appointments are scheduled to monitor early development.
Step 6: Support the Surrogate Pregnancy
Once pregnancy is confirmed, the surrogate continues early monitoring with the fertility clinic before transitioning to routine prenatal care.
This stage includes:
- Ongoing medical appointments
- Pregnancy updates
- Agency support and coordination
- Emotional support resources
- Travel planning when necessary
- Birth preparation
Communication often becomes one of the most important aspects of the relationship during pregnancy. Clear expectations help ensure intended parents receive meaningful updates while the surrogate feels supported throughout the experience.
The birth plan is also developed during this stage. Discussions may include hospital preferences, who will attend the delivery, communication during labor, newborn care arrangements, and documentation needed before birth.
Step 7: Prepare for Parentage, Delivery, and Bringing Baby Home
As delivery approaches, legal and logistical planning becomes increasingly important. In California and many surrogacy-friendly states, attorneys often obtain a pre-birth order that legally recognizes the intended parents before the baby is born. This process helps establish parental rights and supports a smoother hospital experience.
Prior to delivery, the legal team and agency coordinate:
- Parentage documentation
- Hospital communication
- Birth plan implementation
- Medical record preparation
- Discharge planning
Advance preparation helps ensure that hospital staff understand the surrogacy arrangement and that the intended parents can focus on welcoming their child. After birth, attention shifts to newborn care, hospital discharge, recovery support for the surrogate, and the transition home with the baby.
What to Expect From the Entire Surrogacy Process
While every family’s path to parenthood is unique, most intended parents move through the same core stages:
- Surrogacy agency onboarding
- Surrogate matching
- Medical screening
- Legal contracts
- IVF and embryo transfer
- Pregnancy support
- Parentage planning and birth
Understanding the surrogacy process timeline in advance can help families prepare emotionally, financially, and logistically for the journey ahead.
At Bamboo Surrogacy, we work closely with intended parents, gestational surrogates, fertility clinics, reproductive attorneys, and other surrogacy professionals to help each stage move forward as smoothly as possible. By maintaining a personalized approach and coordinating closely with trusted experts across California, we help families navigate the surrogacy journey with confidence and clarity.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Surrogacy Process for Intended Parents
How long does the surrogacy process take for intended parents?
Most surrogacy journeys for intended parents take between 12 and 24 months from surrogacy agency onboarding to birth. The timeline depends on embryo readiness, surrogate availability, medical screening, legal review, and pregnancy outcomes.
What is the longest part of the surrogacy process for intended parents?
For many intended parents, surrogate matching and pregnancy account for the largest portion of the timeline. However, creating embryos, selecting donors if needed, and completing legal requirements can also add several months.
When do legal contracts happen during the surrogacy process?
Legal contracts are typically finalized after medical screening and before fertility medications or embryo transfer begin.
Can intended parents attend pregnancy appointments and delivery?
Many surrogates welcome intended parent involvement during appointments and delivery planning. The level of participation is usually discussed during surrogate matching and documented in the surrogacy agreement.
What happens after the baby is born through surrogacy?
After delivery, intended parents assume care of the baby immediately. Parentage documentation, hospital discharge procedures, and newborn care planning are completed according to the laws of the birth state.
How do I pay the fees?
The total cost is divided into three installment payments throughout your journey.
All funds are deposited into your independent escrow account—not paid directly to Bamboo Surrogacy or to the surrogate. The escrow account is managed by your attorney’s office (or an independent escrow management company), which disburses payments to the surrogate and other service providers according to the terms of the fully executed, notarized agreements. This process ensures that all funds are handled securely, transparently, and in accordance with the contracts.
Can you work with international intended parents?
Absolutely. We have successfully helped many intended parents from around the world, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Iran, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and other European countries.
Our multilingual team can accommodate clients in English, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Persian, Spanish, Polish, and several other languages, ensuring clear communication throughout the entire journey.
We proudly work with intended parents from all backgrounds. Whether you are single or married, using your own eggs and sperm or donor gametes, or are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, we are committed to providing personalized, inclusive, and compassionate care tailored to your family’s unique path to parenthood.
What if my embryos, eggs, or sperm are stored in another country?
No problem. We can help coordinate the entire international shipping process.
Our team works with trusted cryogenic shipping providers to arrange the safe transport of your embryos, eggs, or sperm from your overseas fertility clinic to your designated clinic in the United States. We will coordinate with both clinics and the shipping company to ensure all required documentation, permits, and logistics are handled as smoothly as possible.
Once your reproductive tissue arrives safely in the U.S., we will work with your fertility clinic to prepare for the embryo transfer and the next steps of your surrogacy journey.
