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UK Surrogacy Process

What is the UK clinical process for surrogacy

We’ve outlined below, the process that a UK surrogate will follow in UK clinics. 

Once you are matched with your Intended Parent(s) and have spent time getting to know each other, then you will be referred to one of our partner fertility clinics. Your first stop at the clinic will be to see one of the Medical Consultants to further discuss your medical history and to ensure that you are clinically safe to proceed. This is usually carried out virtually and is preferable that your partner attends – if you have one. This consultation is extremely important as you’re given lots of information about surrogacy treatment, so you can then make an informed decision if this is the right pathway for you.

There are a couple of tests that you will need to undergo, to ensure that clinically you are able to have the treatment needed to carry a pregnancy. The first being, Saline Infusion Sonography – this is a test to determine that you have no anomalies within your uterus that would prevent an embryo implanting. This is a vaginal examination whereby fluid is instilled into the uterine cavity so the doctor can clearly see the endometrium and the uterine cavity during a transvaginal ultrasound examination. Often, we may find small anomalies that could prevent an embryo implanting in your endometrium such as polyps or fibroids, but you will be advised at the examination if these could prove problematic.

The other required tests are mandatory screening tests that involve you having blood taken to be tested for certain virology conditions such as HIV, Hepatitis B & C and some sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and Sphyllis. If you are married or in an enduring relationship, then your partner will need to be tested also.

The clinic will require that you attend an implications counselling session with your partner(if applicable) and a separate session with your intended parents, this is to ensure that you fully understand the implications of the treatment you are about to undergo in the surrogacy pathway. For you to fully understand the implications of surrogacy treatment the consultant at the clinic and the surrogacy team will discuss all aspects of the treatment with you. This will include the medication you will need to take and how to take it. Your body will need to be triggered into thinking that you are producing an egg, so the endometrium responds and thickens. The ultrasound scans that you will need to have so the team can measure the endometrial thickness so we can be assured you have responded to the medication. All the scans that you will have will be trans-vaginal, you may need 1-2 scans depending on your response to the medication.

Pregnancy can be risky, so we need to be assured that you understand the risks associated with pregnancy and any potential complications. The clinics in the UK are bound by an elective single embryo transfer strategy so unless there are exceptional circumstances, only 1 embryo will be replaced.

You and your husband/partner (if you have one) will need to complete several mandatory consent forms. The clinic staff will guide you on completing them, as these forms will give the clinic and the legal framework clear instructions regarding your intentions for parenthood.

Who the second legal parent is at birth will depend on your circumstances. If the surrogate is married or in a civil partnership, her partner will automatically be the second legal parent (until a parental order is granted), unless it can be shown that her partner did not consent to her treatment.

If the surrogate is single, then the man providing the sperm (if he wants to be the father) will automatically be the second legal parent at birth. However, it is possible for the surrogate to nominate a second legal parent such as the intended mother or non-biological father if you’d all prefer. To do this, both the intended second parent and the surrogate will need to give their consent before the sperm, egg or embryo are transferred.

Although the clinic may touch on the legal requirements that you will need to understand in order for you to be accepted as a surrogate, it will be the legal team that will support you with any questions you may have, however the clinic will want to see evidence of an ‘Intention Agreement ‘that you will draw up with your intended parents.

The embryo transfer is the nicest part of the journey through the clinic, this is the day you can share with your intended parents when you all get to see an image of the embryo that will be transferred. The embryo is now a collection of 2 different types of cells, one that will give rise to the foetus and the 2nd that will give rise to the placenta that will support the pregnancy. The embryo transfer is carried out in the lithotomy position, and a speculum will be inserted to enable the clinician to insert the small catheter that will be carrying the actual embryo. The procedure is not painful and can be like a smear test being carried out. One the procedure is over you will be able to go home shortly after.

You will carry on with all your medication and return to the clinic approximately 12 days later to have a pregnancy blood test carried out. It is important that the test is via blood and not urine as we do not want to risk having a false negative test. Once we know the outcome of your test you will be advised what to do with your medication moving forward and planning a pregnancy scan at around 7 weeks of pregnancy.

Always be open with your clinic and let them know if you have any concerns during your treatment, as they are there to support you and your intended parents during a very exciting period.