Sarah’s First Surrogacy Journey: What It’s Like to Be a First Time Surrogate Between Matching and Embryo Transfer

For a first time surrogate, the months after matching follow a set order: medical clearance at the intended parents’ fertility clinic, a legal agreement signed by the surrogate, her husband, and the intended parents, and then embryo transfer. Sarah is in the middle of that stretch right now. She’s matched, her clinic evaluation is underway, and transfer is close enough to picture. If you’ve carried a pregnancy of your own and want to know what surrogacy feels like from the inside before you apply, her story shows one piece of a journey that typically runs 18 to 24 months. “People ask if I’m tired of waiting,” Sarah says. “Honestly, it feels more like getting ready.”

Why Did Sarah Decide to Become a First Time Surrogate?

Sarah’s decision grew out of her own pregnancies. She loved being pregnant, felt healthy through each one, and knew her family was complete. “I kept thinking there was someone out there who wanted what I already had,” she says, “and I could help with that.” She chose to work with an agency because she wanted a team handling the parts she didn’t know how to handle yet.

How Did Sarah Know She Was Ready?

Readiness, for Sarah, meant a few practical checks. Was her support at home steady? Could her schedule absorb appointments? Did she meet the surrogate requirements? Once she could answer yes to each, becoming a surrogate for the first time felt less like a leap and more like a plan.

How Did Her Husband and Family React?

Her husband asked plenty of questions, and Sarah welcomed every one. “He wanted to understand it as much as I did,” she says. “By the time I applied, it was our decision, not just mine.”

What Was the Surrogate Matching Process Like for Sarah?

The surrogate matching process is where Sarah’s first surrogacy journey stopped feeling hypothetical. Her first conversation with her intended parents, she was nervous for about five minutes and found it to be relaxed and natural after that. “We talked about everything except surrogacy for a while,” she remembers. “When we got to it, it felt like we already trusted each other.” Pathways had asked both sides about communication preferences ahead of time, so the fit felt considered rather than rushed.

What Happens After Matching With Intended Parents?

Surrogate medical clearance comes nextt. The intended parents’ fertility clinic reviews a surrogate’s health and pregnancy history, and confirms she can safely carry a pregnancy before anything legal or medical moves forward.

What Does Surrogate Screening at the Fertility Clinic Involve?

Sarah’s surrogate screening at the fertility clinic follows the same steps outlined in the Pathways surrogacy process:

• A review of her prior pregnancy and delivery records
• A physical examination and sonogram
• Blood tests, along with an introduction to the medications used before transfer

Her husband has a role here too. Surrogate spouse screening typically includes his own bloodwork.  For Sarah, she says this made her husband feel like part of the team.

How Is Sarah Handling the Wait for Surrogate Medical Clearance?

Sarah admits the wait brings nerves. “You want the clinic to say yes so badly,” she says. Her Pathways coordinator checks in regularly and keeps communication with the clinic moving, so Sarah rarely wonders where things stand. Past surrogates describe that same steady contact in their Pathways testimonials.

How Does the Surrogate Legal Agreement Work When Your Husband Signs Too?

Once the clinic grants medical approval, the surrogate legal agreement is completed between the intended parents, Sarah, and her husband, with each side represented by its own attorney. No transfer happens until it’s signed.

Why Is a Spouse Part of the Agreement?

Many women ask, “Does my husband have to sign the surrogacy contract?” For a married surrogate, the answer is yes, because the agreement addresses both spouses’ rights and responsibilities. Once it’s complete, compensation funds are placed in escrow, as described on the compensation page. “Knowing the money wil be set aside and put in escrow before the embryo transfer occurs  gives  us peace of mind,” Sarah says.

What Is Coming Next in the Surrogate Embryo Transfer Process?

After the agreement, the clinic sends a cycle calendar with medication instructions, monitoring appointments, and a transfer date. How long after matching is embryo transfer? It depends on how quickly clearance and legal work wrap up, which is why no two timelines match exactly. Preparing for embryo transfer as a surrogate usually involves 15 to 18 days of hormone medication, covered in detail in our surrogate preparation guide.

How Does Sarah Feel as Transfer Gets Closer?

Mostly excited, with some disbelief. “I picture my intended parents in the room on transfer day,” Sarah says. “That’s the part I can’t wait for.” She already knows the surrogate embryo transfer process is only the start of the next chapter, and she’s ready.

What First Time Surrogate Tips Would Sarah Give Someone Still Deciding?

Sarah’s advice for anyone considering becoming a surrogate for the first time is simple: ask every question, include your partner early, and trust the timeline. “I thought I needed to have it all figured out before I applied,” she says. “I didn’t. That’s what the team is for.”Pathway’s surrogate Alex’s first surrogacy journey started with the same uncertainty.

Is a Journey Like Sarah’s Right for You?

A path like Sarah’s fits women who have had at least one healthy pregnancy, feel their own family is complete, have steady support at home, and can commit to a journey of 18 to 24 months. If your support system is in flux or you’re still growing your family, waiting a little longer is a sound choice, and the door stays open.

Ready to Start Your Own First Surrogacy Journey?

Sarah started exactly where you are now, curious and not yet certain. Now she knows what happens after matching with intended parents because she’s living it, and she’s glad she didn’t wait. If you’re thinking about becoming a first time surrogate, the prescreening form takes about five minutes and starts a conversation, not a commitment