The surrogacy process follows a clear timeline

Surrogacy is a long commitment, and it helps to see the whole shape of it before you start. This guide walks through the usual order, month by month, from your first application to the weeks after delivery.

The months below are typical ranges. Your own timeline will vary. Matching, clinic schedules, legal review and how many transfers it takes can all move things earlier or later. It is general information, not medical or legal advice.

Most surrogacies take about 14 to 20 months in all

From your first application to the end of recovery, most surrogacies take about 14 to 20 months. Roughly half of that is the pregnancy itself. The rest is screening, matching, the legal agreement and preparing for transfer.

If a transfer does not result in a pregnancy, or a step needs to be repeated, the total can be longer. We give you a clearer timeline once you are screened.

Before transfer

Month 1: You apply and share your history

You start with a short pre-screen. If it fits, you complete a full application with your health and pregnancy history, your family life and what you hope for from the experience.

You also sign a release so your past pregnancy and delivery records can be requested. A real person on our team reads everything and follows up with questions.

Months 1 to 3: Your records and background are reviewed

Medical records often take two to six weeks to arrive. Once they do, they are reviewed for anything a clinic will want to know about, such as complications or the type of delivery.

Most programs also run background checks on you and on any adult partner in your home. You may have an early conversation with a mental health professional during this stage too.

Months 2 to 5: You match with intended parents

Matching is about fit. We introduce you to intended parents whose wishes line up with yours, such as how much contact you want during and after the pregnancy. You read each other's profiles, then meet, usually by video first.

Nobody is matched until both sides say yes. For some surrogates this takes a few weeks. For others it takes a few months.

Months 3 to 6: Medical and psychological screening

After you match, you visit the intended parents' fertility clinic. Screening usually includes bloodwork, infectious disease testing and an exam of your uterus, often with an ultrasound. Some clinics also check how your body responds to the medications before the real cycle.

You and your partner, if you have one, also meet a licensed mental health professional. They make sure you understand what lies ahead and feel ready. With results, this stage often takes four to eight weeks.

Months 4 to 7: The legal agreement is signed and escrow is funded

You and the intended parents each work with your own lawyer. They negotiate the surrogacy agreement, which covers pay, benefits, medical decisions and contact. This usually takes four to eight weeks.

In California, the agreement must be signed and notarized before medications or an embryo transfer begin. The intended parents then fund an independent escrow account, and your health insurance is reviewed so the pregnancy is covered.

Months 5 to 8: Medications prepare you for transfer

Your clinic gives you a calendar. Some surrogates take birth control pills for a short time first, so their cycle lines up with the clinic's schedule. Then you take estrogen for a few weeks to build the lining of your uterus. Progesterone starts a few days before transfer, often as an injection.

The embryo transfer itself takes only a few minutes. The doctor places the embryo in your uterus through a thin, soft tube, guided by ultrasound. Most surrogates describe it as similar to a Pap smear. You can usually go home the same day and rest.

About 10 days after transfer: The first pregnancy test

A blood test checks for pregnancy about ten days after transfer. If it is positive, you have more blood tests over the next week or so to see that hormone levels are rising.

If it is negative, your medications stop. Many clinics wait for a cycle or two before trying again. A second transfer usually adds one to three months.

During the pregnancy

Weeks 6 to 12: The fertility clinic monitors the early weeks

An early ultrasound, often around six or seven weeks of pregnancy, looks for a heartbeat. You keep taking your medications through the first trimester, often until about 10 to 12 weeks, as your clinic directs.

Once the pregnancy is stable, the clinic releases you to your own OB, often somewhere between 8 and 12 weeks. Under most California agreements, monthly base pay begins once the pregnancy is confirmed.

Months 4 to 6: The second trimester and the pre-birth order

For many surrogates, the second trimester is the most comfortable stretch. You have routine prenatal visits, including a detailed anatomy scan and a glucose test. The intended parents often join appointments, in person or by video, as you have agreed.

During the pregnancy, the lawyers ask a California court for a pre-birth parentage order. It names the intended parents as the legal parents and confirms that you are not. You usually do not need to go to court. To learn how it works, read California lets you become a legal parent before your baby is born.

Months 7 to 9: Planning for the birth

Your coordinator works with the hospital's social worker on a birth plan. It covers who is in the delivery room, where the baby stays after birth and who receives hospital wristbands. The pre-birth order is sent to the hospital before the due date.

Appointments become more frequent toward the end of the pregnancy, as with any pregnancy. Plan help at home for the last few weeks and for after the birth.

After delivery

Delivery: About eight and a half months after transfer

Because an embryo transfer happens at a known date, the due date is known from the start. Delivery usually falls about eight and a half months after transfer, though babies keep their own schedules. The intended parents are named on the birth certificate under the pre-birth order.

Weeks 1 to 8: You recover

Most people recover from a vaginal birth over about six weeks, and recovery after a C-section often takes longer. You usually have a postpartum checkup around six weeks after delivery.

Your monthly allowance and some benefits continue during recovery, as your agreement states. The remaining base pay is released after delivery. Counseling remains available to you, and some surrogates find it most helpful in the weeks after the birth.

Many surrogates stay in touch with the families they helped. How much contact you have is something you and the intended parents agree on from the start.

You can start with a short pre-screen

If you are 21 to 42 and have had at least one healthy, full-term pregnancy, you can start with our pre-screen. It takes a few minutes, and a real person on our team will follow up with you. For the requirements in full, read Becoming a surrogate in California starts with a few clear requirements.

This article is general information. It is not medical or legal advice.