Becoming a parent through surrogacy
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1. Consultation
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2. Surrogate Matching
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3. Medical Monitoring
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4. Pregnancy
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5. Parenthood
5-Step Surrogacy Process
The surrogacy process may seem complicated, but we break it down into five steps. Our goal is to help you understand each milestone and its approximate timing. Remember, every journey is unique, so your timing may vary.
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Consultation with agency
Sign agreement for services
Intro video call with clinic team
Match with egg/sperm donor (if needed)
Create or ship embryos
Once you partner with VidaVitro as your surrogacy agency in Canada, you'll be introduced to your matching specialist. They will work closely with you to find the perfect surrogate.
If you already have embryos created, you are all set until your surrogate match. If you need to create embryos, you will do so at this point in time.
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Surrogate selection
Intro video call with surrogate
Surrogate Contract
The matching stage is a key part of your journey, where you'll meet the exceptional woman who will help grow your family. Our surrogates go through a thorough screening process to meet our high standards. Our Matching Specialists carefully pair intended parents and surrogates based on shared criteria to ensure the best match.
During this time, you will also work with your lawyer to draft the Carrier Agreement (surrogacy contract), while your surrogate works with her own lawyer. Both intended parents and surrogates have their own legal counsel to negotiate the terms of the contract. This step can take a few weeks as both parties finalize the agreement.
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Surrogate medical screening
Surrogate medications and monitoring
Embryo transfer
First, your surrogate will visit the international IVF clinic for medical screening, including blood tests, sonograms, and ultrasounds. Once cleared by the IVF doctor, she will receive her protocol and begin medications and monitoring to ensure her body's response.
When ready for the embryo transfer, your surrogate will undergo the procedure. VidaVitro will coordinate all aspects of the surrogate's care at the international clinic. Intended parents can choose to attend this milestone and meet their surrogate in person. After the transfer, the surrogate will continue regular appointments at the international clinic for beta tests, leading up to a confirmed pregnancy (approximately 10-14 days post-transfer). At 6 weeks, she will have an ultrasound to confirm the heartbeat.
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Ultrasound check-ins
Birth plan
Hospital and delivery prep
The Birth of Your Baby!
Your surrogate will transition from the international clinic to her chosen OB-GYN for ultrasounds and check-ups during the pregnancy. Some intended parents attend these appointments if possible. In the second half of the pregnancy, intended parents will work with their surrogate on the birth plan, detailing delivery day preferences for everyone involved.
You will also enjoy the fun tasks like decorating the nursery, booking travel for the delivery, and packing your baby's first outfits for the trip home!
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Enjoy the wonderful feeling of being a new parent
Obtain baby’s passport
Say goodbye to your surrogate
Travel home
After a long and rewarding journey, you are finally holding your baby and experiencing the joy of new parenthood.
Upon discharge from the hospital, you will be able to take your baby home. This can be an overwhelming moment, as you are entrusted with the care of your newborn. Your VidaVitro support team will assist you during these early days, ensuring you complete necessary tasks such as obtaining the birth certificate and passport for your baby.
Who we help
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Heterosexual Intended Parents
Heterosexual individuals and couples might pursue surrogacy and egg donation due to infertility, medical conditions like cancer, or genetic issues. Using the intended mother's eggs or donor eggs, along with the intended father's sperm or donor sperm, embryos are created and transferred to a gestational surrogate.
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Single Intended Parent
Single parents, both men and women, may also seek our services to fulfill their dream of parenthood. For single women, the process typically involves using their own eggs or donor eggs combined with donor sperm to create embryos. For single men, donor eggs are fertilized with their sperm, and the resulting embryos are carried by a gestational surrogate.
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LGBTQIA+ Intended Parents
Through IVF, embryos are created in a fertility clinic lab using the genetic material of the LGBTQIA+ intended parents and a donor. At the clinic, 1-2 embryos are implanted into a gestational carrier, who will carry the baby or babies to term. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate has no genetic relationship to the child or children she carries.
Your Surrogate Support Team
When you choose VidaVitro as your agency, you gain access to a full-service program from the moment you sign on until after the baby is delivered. Our support encompasses:
A small agency feel with the resources of a large agency
Comprehensive assistance across medical, legal, financial, and travel logistics
Building relationships with surrogates who truly feel like family by the end of the process
Emotional support and guidance from staff members with personal experience as surrogates or intended parents
Surrogacy Costs
A typical surrogacy journey can cost between $100,000 and $200,000, involving the expertise of fertility specialists, lawyers, psychologists, and social workers. Working with a Canadian surrogacy agency like VidaVitro provides peace of mind, ensuring that experienced professionals manage your journey and address any challenges that come up.
We understand that planning for surrogacy costs can be challenging. Our expertise gives you the best chance of success and cost security throughout your journey. We can also recommend financing options that fit your family-building plan and budget.
