Resources
The words you'll hear, in plain English.
Surrogacy comes with its own vocabulary. Here is what the most common terms mean.
- Beta
- A blood test for the pregnancy hormone hCG, taken about nine to ten days after an embryo transfer to confirm whether a pregnancy has begun.
- Egg donor
- A woman who provides eggs to create embryos for intended parents. In gestational surrogacy, the egg donor and the surrogate are always different people.
- Embryo transfer
- The procedure in which an embryo is placed in the surrogate's uterus through a thin catheter. It is brief and usually painless.
- Escrow
- An arrangement in which an independent company holds funds and pays them out only according to a written agreement. In surrogacy, it holds the surrogate's compensation and reimbursements.
- Fetal heartbeat
- A heartbeat seen on ultrasound, usually around six to seven weeks of pregnancy. Surrogate base compensation typically begins once it is confirmed.
- Fund management agreement
- The contract between intended parents and the escrow company setting out how escrow funds are held and paid.
- Gestational carrier
- A woman who carries a pregnancy for intended parents, with an embryo created from their or donors' eggs and sperm. She has no genetic connection to the child. Often called a gestational surrogate.
- Gestational carrier agreement
- The contract between the surrogate and the intended parents, negotiated by their independent attorneys, covering compensation, medical decisions, insurance, communication and parentage.
- Independent counsel
- An attorney who represents only one party. In surrogacy, the surrogate and the intended parents each have their own.
- Intended parent
- A person who will be the legal parent of a child born through surrogacy.
- IVF
- In vitro fertilization. Eggs are fertilized in a laboratory to create embryos, which can be transferred or frozen for later use.
- Legal clearance letter
- A letter from each attorney confirming to the fertility clinic that the agreement is signed, so that medications and transfer may begin.
- Match
- The mutual agreement between intended parents and a surrogate to pursue a journey together.
- Mock cycle
- A trial run of the medications used before a transfer, sometimes used by clinics to check how the surrogate's uterine lining responds.
- Parentage order
- A court order declaring the intended parents to be the child's legal parents. A pre-birth order is issued before the birth; a post-birth order after.
- PGT-A
- Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy. A test of embryos for the correct number of chromosomes, which can improve the chance of a successful transfer.
- Pre-birth order
- A parentage order issued before the birth, allowing the hospital to name the intended parents on the birth certificate from the start.
- Reproductive endocrinologist
- A physician specializing in fertility treatment, who manages IVF and embryo transfer.
- Single embryo transfer
- Transferring one embryo at a time. It is now the standard of care in most cases, because it greatly reduces the risks of a twin pregnancy.
- Traditional surrogacy
- An arrangement in which the surrogate's own egg is used, so she is genetically related to the child. Angel Heart Surrogacy does not facilitate traditional surrogacy.
