When signing up for a surrogacy program there is a lot of questions. Intended parents naturally want to know as much as possible about the surrogate mother and how everything will work during the program. This need for information will not lessen during the course of the program. On the contrary, the further along the process and the pregnancy goes, the more important it becomes for the intended parents to be updated and informed. We are happy to guide our intended parents through the program and to provide answers to any questions or inquires that they might have.
The Need for Information
We have found that one of the most frequently asked questions is what the program entails for the surrogate mothers. Naturally intended parents seek information about the tests and screenings that the women go through to be eligible as surrogates and what type of commitments is included in the arrangement. But, in the end, what seems to be most important to the intended parents is the exams and the medication that the surrogate mother will get during the surrogacy.
The Preparation Period
Once the surrogate mother has been chosen and the agreement between the parties has been established, a timeline is set up. Depending on how the specific programme is designed the preparations for the surrogate mother must begin. This preparation usually takes place over a period of 14 days. During these two weeks the surrogate mother will visit the medical clinic frequently. She will go through examinations that will determine if her body and uterus are reacting to the treatment in the expected way and in accordance with the schedule.
The surrogate mother goes through the preparation to ensure that she is ready to receive the embryo. There are different stages and different medication that the surrogate mother will be asked to take during these stages. Some of the medications that the surrogacy mother might be prescribed during the preparation period include birth control pills, Estradiol and Progesterone. This medications is given to make sure that the conditions for the transferred embryos is the best they can possibly be and that the body is prepared for the implantation.
The Results of the Medication
Timing is crucial in a process where an embryo is transferred. During the preparation period, and while the surrogate mother is medicated, the doctors will keep her under close observation. What they are looking for is a thickening in the endometrium. The doctors observe the progress of the endometrium by measuring its size. The embryo transfer takes place first when the endometrium has a thickness of at least 9 millimetres. The reason for this is that the embryo has an increased chance of attaching to an endometrium of that thickness.
Medications are also prescribed and administered after the the transfer of the embryo. These medications are taken by the surrogate mother for two weeks before the first blood test. This blood test is conducted in order to establish a pregnancy and to see if the transfer has been successful. If the pregnancy is confirmed the surrogate mother will continue to take medication in order to be able to carry out the pregnancy in the best possible way. What type of medication will be administered is determined in each individual case, and depending on what our doctors consider necessary.
Each surrogacy process is unique and that is why it is so important with regular check- ups at our clinics. There our experienced and knowledgeable medical team will monitor the progress and determine what type of medication or treatment the surrogacy mother needs. The surrogate is required to follow the medical schedule created by the doctors in order for the program to have the best possible chance of success.
