Can Surrogates Use Their Own Doctor?
What to expect from your medical team as a surrogate?
A common question we hear from potential surrogates is: can surrogates use their own doctor during the process? Surrogacy is a complex process, involving a team of medical professionals. The good news is, as a surrogate your own OB/GYN and general practitioner can – and should! – definitely be included along the way. Read on to find out who is responsible for a surrogate’s medical care, and how to use your own doctor for surrogacy.
Overview of the Surrogacy Process
To understand how surrogates can use their own doctor, we first need to go over the basic surrogacy process. The medical parts of surrogacy follow these major steps:
- Physical and psychological screening before the pregnancy
- IVF treatment to transfer the embryo
- Confirmation of pregnancy
- Prenatal care
- Labor and delivery
Because these steps require different expertise and specialization, they often involve different doctors along the way.
Which Doctors Do Surrogates Use For Their IVF Procedure?
For the first few steps of the process, surrogates are treated by a fertility doctor at the fertility clinic chosen by the intended parents (who cover any travel costs for the surrogate). First, the clinic’s medical team conducts the physical and mental screenings to ensure the surrogate meets all health requirements. Once the surrogate is approved, the clinic’s doctors will also guide the surrogate through her IVF treatment, including prescribing hormone medications and performing the embryo transfer. About two weeks after an embryo is implanted, the fertility doctor will order a blood test to confirm the pregnancy. Once the pregnancy is confirmed and stable, the surrogate will be released to her personal OB/GYN for prenatal care.
When Can a Surrogate Use Their Own Doctor?
Once the pregnancy has been confirmed, often by an ultrasound a few weeks after the transfer, you will be released to your own OB/GYN, who will provide prenatal care for you throughout your pregnancy. This care should be the same as any other pregnancy, although you may need to visit your OB/GYN more often, especially if you are carrying multiple babies. It’s also important to stay current with wellness appointments with your primary care doctor, just as you would if you weren’t pregnant.
Can A Surrogate Use Their Own Doctor For The Surrogate Birth?
Absolutely! You should plan to deliver the baby in your chosen hospital with your preferred medical team. Depending on your surrogacy agreement with the intended parents, they may travel to your hospital to be present at the birth of their child. At Eggceptional Fertility, we work with all of our surrogates and their medical teams to make sure that everyone is informed about the intended parents’ presence for the delivery.
Call Us to Discuss How Surrogates Can Use Their Own Doctor
As a surrogate, your safety and comfort (along with the safety and comfort of the child you’re carrying) are our number one priority. Surrogacy is a team effort – it takes a whole village of medical professionals, support staff, and of course your generosity to bring a child into the world and make the intended parents’ dreams come true. That team includes fertility specialists and your own personal doctors to make sure you are provided the best medical care in the most comfortable environment. Our staff at Eggceptional Fertility are dedicated to guiding you through this process, including what to expect from using your own doctors as a surrogate.
If you are interested in becoming a surrogate, contact us today.
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