Resources For Parents

Step 5: Make Sure Your Records and Documentation Are Complete

Your clinic may request previous fertility records, laboratory results, identification, consent forms, donor documentation, embryo storage information, and other records related to your treatment.

If your embryos were created or are currently stored at another fertility clinic, additional coordination may be necessary to transfer records or arrange for the embryos to be transported to the clinic that will manage the surrogate’s transfer.

For international intended parents, there may be additional documentation to coordinate from your country of residence. GRACE, for example, requires international parents to provide a recent background report from their country of residence and requires intended parents to complete a psychological evaluation.

Getting these documents organized early can prevent administrative issues from slowing down the next stage.

Where Does the Legal Process Fit In?

Medical and legal preparation often overlap, but they serve different purposes.

Before you begin the surrogacy process, you’ll complete agency and clinic documents related to treatment, consent, and your participation in the program. There may also be agreements related to embryo storage, genetic testing, egg or sperm donation, or other fertility services depending on your circumstances.

The gestational surrogacy agreement itself is a separate legal step involving attorneys for the intended parents and surrogate. It establishes each party’s rights, responsibilities, expectations, and other important terms before the embryo transfer can take place.

Surrogacy laws vary by state and individual circumstances, so legal questions should always be addressed with an attorney experienced in assisted reproduction law.

What Can Delay Medical Approval Before Matching?

One of the most helpful things you can do at this stage is build some flexibility into your expectations. A delay doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a serious problem. Sometimes the clinic simply needs another result or document before it can move forward.

Common reasons the process may take longer include:

• Additional or repeat medical testing
• Waiting for genetic screening results
• An IVF cycle that does not produce enough viable embryos
• Missing medical records or documentation
• Coordination between different fertility clinics, donor programs, or laboratories

Embryo creation itself can also take more than one cycle. Fertility treatment does not always follow the timeline you initially expect, and your physician may recommend adjusting the treatment plan based on how your body responds.

If something does slow the process down, ask what specifically needs to happen next. Having a clear next step is often much easier than sitting with an undefined delay.

What Happens Once Your Embryos Are Ready?

Reaching this point is an exciting milestone because the focus can begin shifting toward finding the right surrogate.

At GRACE, surrogate matching begins after embryos have been created and tested. Surrogate profiles presented to intended parents have already gone through an initial qualification process that includes review of their medical records.

Once you and a surrogate agree that the match feels right, additional steps follow before transfer. The surrogate will complete the fertility clinic’s required medical clearance, the legal agreement will be finalized, and the clinic will eventually establish the medication and transfer schedule.

You don’t need to coordinate all of those pieces by yourself. Your agency, fertility clinic, attorneys, and other professionals each handle different parts of the process while keeping the larger timeline moving forward.

How Can You Prepare for Surrogacy Medical Screening?

You can make this stage easier by gathering your fertility and medical records before they’re requested, especially if you’ve previously worked with another clinic.

It’s also helpful to ask your fertility specialist early about embryo requirements. Find out which tests you’ll need, whether genetic testing is recommended or required for your case, and what must be completed before your embryos are considered ready for surrogacy.

If you’re using donor eggs or sperm, ask who will coordinate the donor screening and records. If you already have frozen embryos, confirm where they’re stored and whether they will eventually need to be transported.

Most importantly, don’t compare your timeline too closely with someone else’s. Two intended parents can begin at the same time and have very different medical preparation based on their reproductive history and family-building plan.

Get Clear on the Steps Before Matching

Surrogacy medical screening can feel like a long checklist when you’re seeing it for the first time. Once you understand how the pieces fit together, it becomes easier to see what you’re working toward: completing the medical, embryo, and documentation requirements needed to move confidently into matching and transfer preparation.

At Surrogacy GRACE, we help intended parents understand how these early steps connect with the rest of the surrogacy process. If you’re preparing for surrogacy and aren’t sure what needs to happen before you can be matched, contact the GRACE team. We’ll talk through where you are now, answer your questions, and help you understand what comes next.