Surrogacy is an excellent option for many Intended Parents who are on a quest to start their family with a true biological link to their child. One of the downfalls of surrogacy is that you’re dependent on many other individuals and factors that are beyond your control when it comes to the speed and success of your surrogacy. However, no pregnancy method is without its own obstacles. 

Let’s talk about a few common setbacks you might encounter when it comes to your surrogacy timeline, so you have a better idea of the issues that you might run into during the process.

Legal and Paperwork Taking Longer Than Expected

While nobody really enjoys paperwork, it is necessary and there are a lot of small details like costs and preferences that need to be documented and agreed upon before the medical portion of surrogacy begins. The legal side of surrogacy is a multi-step process where documents need to be drafted, negotiated, revised, and then finalized. 

During this period of  time, it’s possible that either the Intended Parents or the surrogate may need to pause this process to resolve any conflicting details before signing onto the agreement. If there is a unique circumstance, like requirements specific to your state, or even international laws that need to be considered, this process could take even longer. Expect the legal process to take at least a few weeks at minimum.

Matching With a Surrogate

If the Intended Parents are using an agency to match with a surrogate instead of providing their own, it will take some time to go through the matching process and find the perfect fit. This can take even longer if they have specific requirements the surrogate must meet, for example, specific lifestyle requirements. Having very strict requirements for your potential surrogate will narrow the eligible pool of candidates and also lengthen the process.

If you’re choosing to work with an agency to help match you with a surrogate and you want to speed up the process as much as possible, you’ll want to do your research before committing to an agency. Many agencies will share their general ‘wait time’ to get matched, which is dependent on their current pool of surrogates, their systems, and their marketing plan. Some agencies promise they can likely match you within 1- 4 months, while others advertise that it could take up to 12, or even 18 months!

Another way you can get matched more quickly is to be more willing to match with a surrogate that doesn’t meet every one of your strict requirements. If you absolutely need them to be local, then maybe you can be a little more lenient when it comes to other factors like her age, her marital status, whether or not she has health insurance, etc. This will widen your opportunities, open you up to a larger pool of candidates, and allow you to be matched faster, speeding up your surrogacy process timeline.

Navigating a Negative Pregnancy Test

Unfortunately, the outcome of a negative pregnancy test is always a possibility, as disappointing as it may be. If the surrogate ends up having a negative pregnancy test after the embryo transfer process, then the process will need to start all over again, adding on additional weeks of time.

In a similar, but much worse scenario, it’s possible that your surrogate has a miscarriage during her first trimester. In this case, she may have to go through a process where her uterus is cleared of any remaining tissue, and then after healing emotionally and physically, the process starts over (if everyone agrees to try again). This will also extend the timeline.

Delayed Medical Appointments

Once you’re matched with your surrogate, if they have not already been pre-screened, they’ll be going through a complete medical screening process. At this time, it’s possible that unexpected issues may appear that require a closer look. Some potential issues that may arise could include a screening showing abnormal cells, polyps, or even an abnormal PAP. 

In order to get medical clearance to resolve these issues, your surrogate will have to go through additional testing and further screenings to move forward with the surrogacy process. Your doctor may refer your surrogate to meet with a specialist. Depending on the availability of this specialist, your surrogacy timeline may be significantly impacted, possibly for over a month. If your surrogate fails to get medical clearance, you’ll need to be re-matched with another surrogate which will take more time.

Unexpected Life Events

Since surrogacy pregnancy happens over an extended time, you never know what might come up during the process. Circumstances can change at any time, family emergencies happen, or schedules may not line up. Any one of these things can delay the surrogacy process.

Unfortunately, these are the types of events that show up without warning, so there’s not much you can do to prepare for them. However, you can control how you take care of yourself, self care for both the surrogate and Intended Parents are important during this time. It’s also just good to be aware that at some point, your process may be delayed, and not be too hard on yourself about it.

Your Surrogacy Timeline

While there is no exact answer to the common question of, ‘How long does surrogacy take?’, there are a large number of variables that will decide the exact length of your surrogacy process timeline. No matter how long your surrogacy journey lasts, remaining patient throughout each step of the process is important. 

It may seem difficult at the time, but in the end, the most important thing is that your baby is born healthy. Making sure that every detail along the way sets you up for that success is a big factor in the result, so don’t rush the process and try to enjoy it as it comes.

At Surrogacy Simplified, we understand firsthand how hard these setbacks can be. That's why we've created a free Intended Parent Community. It is a community where Intended Parents can learn about surrogacy, connect with other Intended Parents who truly get it. We are always accepting new members and would love for you to join. Join today and feel fully supported as you go through the ups and downs of surrogacy.