The Role of Fertility Clinics in the Surrogacy Process
Many people who first learn about surrogacy imagine the process quite simply: there are intended parents, a surrogate mother, and a contract between them.
In reality, the birth of a child through surrogacy involves the coordinated work of an entire team of specialists.
Their involvement begins long before the embryo transfer and continues even after the baby and the surrogate mother leave the maternity hospital. In a surrogacy program, a fertility clinic is not just the place where IVF is performed.
It functions as a coordination centre through which medical, legal, and psychological processes are managed simultaneously.
Medical Care: From Screening to Delivery
The first and most extensive responsibility of the clinic with a surrogacy program is the medical supervision of everyone involved in the program. This includes the surrogate mother, the intended parents, and donor material if it is used.
Medical Screening of the Surrogate
A comprehensive medical evaluation of a prospective surrogate typically includes:
- assessment of reproductive health;
- screening for infectious diseases;
- blood tests and a general medical examination;
- genetic counselling when indicated.
Depending on the individual’s medical history, the list of examinations may be expanded with additional tests or consultations with specialists.
Stimulation and Embryo Transfer
Preparation for embryo transfer involves several medical stages. The physician selects an appropriate hormonal protocol to prepare the surrogate’s endometrium and monitors her condition through ultrasound examinations and blood tests. Based on these results, the most suitable day for embryo transfer is determined.
The IVF procedure itself is carried out in the clinic’s embryology laboratory and includes ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilization, and embryo culture. In some cases, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is also performed to assess the chromosomal status of embryos before transfer.
Pregnancy Monitoring and Delivery
Once pregnancy is confirmed, the clinic coordinates the surrogate’s care together with an obstetrician-gynaecologist. This includes scheduled medical visits, laboratory tests, ultrasound monitoring, and routine examinations. The clinic keeps the intended parents informed about the progress of the pregnancy and provides access to test results, when necessary, through secure digital platforms.
Psychological Support
Psychological support within the clinic serves several important purposes:
- assessing the surrogate’s motivation and psychological readiness;
- identifying potential risks before the program begins rather than during it;
- preparing all participants for emotionally challenging stages, such as the transfer of the child, possible medical complications, or situations of uncertainty;
- supporting the surrogate during the postpartum period.
Clinics that follow international standards usually involve a psychologist or psychiatrist experienced in reproductive medicine. Contact with this specialist is maintained throughout the program.
Legal Coordination
Although the clinic is not a legal party to the surrogacy agreement, it plays an important role in ensuring that the process is properly documented. In particular, the clinic provides:
- medical documentation required for the preparation of the surrogacy agreement;
- confirmation of genetic parentage when such documentation is required for birth registration;
- coordination with notaries and civil registry authorities when documents are required after the birth.
In Ukraine, where surrogacy is regulated by law, the clinic effectively serves as the central coordinating body of the program. Medical documentation issued by the clinic forms the basis on which the biological parents are entered into the birth certificate immediately after delivery, without court procedures.
Choosing a fertility clinic means choosing the team that will guide one of the most significant processes in a family’s life. For this reason, it is important to obtain clear information about medical protocols, program conditions, business legitimacy and communication with specialists before starting the program.
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