Surrogacy Terminology Every Intended Parent Should Know

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A practical guide to understanding your journey from first consultation to birth and beyond

Surrogacy is a structured, carefully coordinated journey that involves legal planning, medical expertise, psychological readiness, and constant communication between many professionals. For intended parents, the terminology can initially feel overwhelming, but behind every term lies an explanation designed to provide a better understanding of the surrogacy journey.

Let’s walk through the most important concepts in the same order you might encounter them during your journey.

Altruistic Surrogacy

Altruistic surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman agrees to carry a pregnancy without receiving financial compensation beyond reimbursement for medical and pregnancy-related expenses.  While it is sometimes referred to as “compassionate surrogacy,” it is important to understand that even in altruistic programs, there is still structured reimbursement that the surrogate receives along the way of medical supervision, legal agreements, psychological screening, and coordinated antenatal care. The absence of compensation does not mean the absence of professionalism or safeguards.

Compensated Surrogacy

In compensated surrogacy (also known as commercial surrogacy), the surrogate receives financial compensation in addition to medical expense coverage. Compensation is carefully structured and defined in the legal agreement. It is important to note that regulations differ significantly between countries, and compliance with local law is essential before entering into such arrangements.

Gestational Surrogacy

In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate carries an embryo created using another woman’s egg (either donor or intended mother). She has no genetic link to the baby.  This is the most widely practiced and legally structured form of surrogacy today, as it clearly separates genetic and gestational roles.

Traditional Surrogacy

In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate uses her own egg, making her the biological mother of the child.  Due to legal and emotional complexities, this type of surrogacy is far less common today compared to gestational surrogacy. GS Consulting does not practice Traditional surrogacy

Egg Donor

An egg donor is a woman who provides her eggs for fertilization through IVF.  Donor selection is a delicate process. Donors typically meet criteria such as:

• Age between 21–28
• Healthy BMI
• Good ovarian reserve
• Favorable AMH levels
• No significant genetic risks

If intended parents undergo Carrier Genetic Testing (CGT), compatibility analysis is performed before IVF begins.

Anonymous Egg Donor

In some programs, egg donors remain anonymous. This means the intended parents and the future child do not receive identifying information about the donor. However, anonymity does not mean uncertainty. Donors go through strict medical screening, hormonal evaluation (AMH levels, ovarian reserve testing), genetic analysis when required, and psychological assessment before approval. Only donors who meet strict criteria are presented for selection.

Known Egg Donor

In some cases, the egg donor’s identity is known to the intended parents, or they are able to find out the identity of the donor once the child is 18 years old. Even in known donation, medical and genetic compatibility testing remains essential to minimize risk.

Egg Retrieval

Egg retrieval is a medical procedure performed after controlled ovarian stimulation.  The donor undergoes hormonal treatment to ensure several oocytes are growing simultaneously. The donor undergoes ultrasound monitoring for approximately 12–14 days. Once follicles mature, eggs are collected in a clinic under medical supervision. These eggs are then fertilized in the laboratory.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

IVF is the process of fertilizing eggs outside the body in a laboratory. In many programs:

• ICSI is recommended
• 4–5 sperm vials are frozen as backup
• Embryos may undergo genetic testing
• Embryos are frozen before transfer

IVF is a carefully monitored, multi-step medical process requiring close coordination between the clinic and the intended parents.

Embryo

An embryo is created when sperm fertilizes an egg. This process usually occurs in the laboratory through IVF. The resulting embryos are monitored for several days to evaluate their development before being frozen or transferred. Nowadays day 5, blastocyst stage embryos are frozen, and it is always preferable to freeze one embryo per straw.

PGT-A testing for Aneuploidy

Pre-implantation genetic testing for Aneuploidy is the testing performed on the biopsied materials of the embryos on day 5 or 6 of embryo development, before embryos are frozen. Typically, testing time is up to 2-3 weeks, and based on results, only Euploid (having normal chromosomal structure and number) embryos are transferred to the surrogate or the woman.

Frozen Embryo (Cryopreservation)

Embryos can be frozen through a process called vitrification. Frozen embryos allow:

• Future sibling journeys
• Multiple transfer attempts
• Safer timing between cycles
• International shipment when necessary

When shipping embryos or sperm internationally, import permission from the Ministry of Health is required, along with detailed documentation and secure cryogenic transport.

Surrogacy Contract

Before any medical procedures begin, a legal agreement is drafted between the surrogate and intended parents. This document outlines:

• Rights and responsibilities of the surrogate and Intended parents
• Financial arrangements among the surrogate and Intended parents
• Decision-making in complicated medical situations
• Birth planning preferences
• Parental rights after delivery

Although in some jurisdictions surrogacy agreements may not be fully enforceable, they serve as an essential ethical and practical roadmap for everyone involved. Legal consultation ensures transparency and clarity from the very beginning.

Embryo Transfer

Embryo transfer is the medical procedure during which a selected embryo is placed into the surrogate’s uterus. Before transfer, the surrogate undergoes preparation with hormonal medication. Infection screenings are repeated close to transfer, and hormone levels (progesterone and estradiol) are carefully monitored to optimize success.

Antenatal Care (Pregnancy supervision)

A surrogate is a woman who carries the pregnancy for intended parents. Throughout pregnancy, she receives structured antenatal care:

• First trimester lab testing
• Regular ultrasounds
• Infection screenings
• Blood pressure and weight monitoring
• Fetal morphology scans
• Ongoing medical supervision

Emotional well-being and postnatal recovery are also prioritized after delivery.

We hope the following articles help you better understand terminology. Of course, there are many more that you will learn along the way, and always remember that asking questions is normal; you are not a medical doctor, and whatever questions you have, they must always be asked

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