surrogacy prenatal care
Surrogacy Prenatal Care: Your OB Visits and What to Expect
Surrogacy prenatal care looks and feels like a normal pregnancy for most of the journey. You see your own local OB near home, follow a regular schedule, and have a personal coordinator checking in throughout.
Quick Answer
- After embryo transfer, Rocky Mountain Surrogacy coordinates the handoff to your local OB at around 8–10 weeks gestation
- Surrogacy prenatal care follows the same schedule as a typical pregnancy — monthly visits early, weekly in the third trimester
- All prenatal costs — visits, ultrasounds, bloodwork, medications — are paid by the intended parents
- Your Rocky Mountain Surrogacy coordinator stays in contact throughout and helps share milestone updates with the intended parents
From Embryo Transfer to Your Local OB
After a good embryo transfer, the IVF clinic watches you closely. You will have blood tests and a few ultrasounds.
Around 8 to 10 weeks, the clinic releases your care to a local OB. This is called graduation. Most surrogates look forward to it.
From here, surrogacy prenatal care follows a schedule like any normal pregnancy. You see your OB each month. Then every two weeks. Then weekly near delivery.
Your contact at the agency stays in touch through all of this. The intended parents also get updates. The level of contact is agreed on early in the match.
The Office on Women's Health outlines a standard prenatal visit schedule. See the surrogate compensation page for what is covered at each stage.
Once you graduate from the IVF clinic, all prenatal care happens near you. No long-distance appointments. Just regular OB visits, close to home.
What Your OB Visits Look Like as a Surrogate
Your prenatal appointments look a lot like a standard pregnancy. The OB listens for the baby's heartbeat. They check your blood pressure and weight. They track how the baby is growing.
You get standard screenings at the same times as any pregnant woman. Blood tests, a glucose tolerance test, and a Group B strep test are all covered by the intended parents. This follows the general prenatal care guidance from ACOG.
Ultrasounds happen at key points in the pregnancy. Your coordinator at Rocky Mountain Surrogacy helps you share images and updates with the intended parents, in whatever way works for everyone.
The intended parents do not come to your routine OB visits unless you invite them. Your prenatal appointments are yours. You control what is shared and how.
Surrogate pregnancies follow the same blood tests, ultrasounds, and screenings as any healthy pregnancy. No extra procedures are required. See ACOG's guidance on prenatal health for more on the standard schedule.
Communicating With the Intended Parents During Prenatal Care
One of the best parts of surrogacy prenatal care is keeping the intended parents informed.
Most surrogates and intended parents set a rhythm during matching. Some send a weekly text. Others share ultrasound photos or short video clips.
Some intended parents attend a key visit via video. Every match is different. Your contract says what contact looks like throughout the pregnancy.
Your Rocky Mountain Surrogacy contact helps set these norms early. Nothing is left to guesswork.
For families in other countries, time zones can be tricky. The agency has experience bridging this gap. Your contact helps make it work.
Shared moments — a heartbeat, a gender reveal, a growth scan — are often the most meaningful parts of the surrogacy prenatal care journey.
- Weekly text or photo updates — if that is what you both want
- Ultrasound sharing through the coordinator
- Key milestone video calls with intended parents
- Agency mediates any communication questions or concerns
Ready to Become a Surrogate?
If the idea of carrying for a family who needs you feels right, the first step is simple. The online application takes about ten minutes.
You must be 21 to 38, have a prior healthy pregnancy, have a healthy BMI, be a non-smoker, and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
A real person reads your application and responds within a few days. If it looks like a match, they schedule a call.
From there, medical and psychological screening, family matching, legal contracts, and the IVF process all follow in a clear order. Rocky Mountain Surrogacy has been guiding women through this since 2007.
Apply to be a surrogate and find out if this journey is right for you.
- Age 21–38 with a prior healthy pregnancy
- Healthy BMI in the range defined by the IVF clinic
- Non-smoker, no felony convictions, U.S. citizen or resident
- Ready to carry for a family who needs you
Frequently Asked Questions
When does surrogate prenatal care start?
The IVF clinic monitors you after the embryo transfer. Around 8–10 weeks, they transfer your care to a local OB. Rocky Mountain Surrogacy coordinates this handoff so your prenatal schedule continues without interruption.
Do I have to use a specific OB as a surrogate?
In most cases, no — you work with an OB near your home. Rocky Mountain Surrogacy does not dictate your provider, though the fertility clinic may have recommendations.
Do the intended parents come to my OB appointments?
Only if you invite them. Routine OB visits are yours. Many surrogates share milestone moments like ultrasound photos with intended parents, but attendance at appointments is always your choice.
Who pays for prenatal care during surrogacy?
The intended parents pay all medical costs. This includes prenatal visits, blood tests, ultrasounds, delivery, and any pregnancy-related prescriptions. You pay nothing out of pocket.