Surrogacy Glossary
A complete A-to-Z guide to surrogacy terms, definitions, and medical/legal vocabulary.
Surrogacy involves medical, legal, and emotional concepts that may be unfamiliar to new intended parents. This glossary explains every term you’ll encounter throughout a gestational surrogacy or international surrogacy journey—clearly, simply, and in everyday language.
Use this guide as a reference as you explore the surrogacy process.
A
Agency (Surrogacy Agency)
A professional organisation that manages screening, matching, legal coordination, pregnancy support, and logistics between intended parents and surrogates.
Agreement (Surrogacy Agreement / Contract)
The legal contract between intended parents and the surrogate defining rights, responsibilities, compensation, medical decisions, and parentage.
Altruistic Surrogacy
A surrogacy model where the surrogate receives no additional compensation beyond pregnancy-related expenses. Common in the UK and Canada.
Alternative Family Building
Any family-building method outside natural conception, including IVF, surrogacy, and egg/sperm donation.
B
Birth Certificate
The legal document naming the child’s parents. International surrogacy may require pre-birth or post-birth legal steps to ensure intended parents are listed correctly.
Birth Plan
An agreement between the surrogate, intended parents, and medical team defining preferences for labor, delivery, contact, and post-birth care.
C
Carrier (Gestational Carrier)
The woman who carries the pregnancy in gestational surrogacy. She is not genetically related to the baby.
Often used interchangeably with “surrogate.”
Compensated Surrogacy / Commercial Surrogacy
Surrogacy in which the surrogate receives structured compensation. Available in the USA, Colombia, Mexico (certain states), and other regulated countries.
Cryopreservation
Freezing embryos, sperm, or eggs for later use.
D
Double Donation
When both egg and sperm donors are used to create an embryo for surrogacy.
Donor (Egg Donor / Sperm Donor)
A person who donates eggs or sperm to create embryos for IVF.
E
Early Ultrasound
First pregnancy scan used to confirm gestational age and number of embryos.
Egg Donation
The process of using donated eggs to create embryos through IVF.
Embryo
A fertilised egg that begins development before implantation.
Embryo Transfer (ET)
The procedure in which an embryo is placed into the surrogate’s uterus.
Exit Process
Post-birth steps required for international parents, including citizenship, passport, and legal parentage procedures before traveling home.
F
Fertility Clinic / IVF Clinic
A licensed medical centre that carries out IVF, embryo creation, screenings, and embryo transfer.
FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer)
Transfer of a previously frozen embryo into the surrogate’s uterus.
G
Gestational Carrier (GC)
A surrogate who carries a baby created using the intended parents’ or donors’ embryos. She has no genetic link to the child.
Gestational Surrogacy
The modern standard for surrogacy. Embryos are created through IVF and transferred to a gestational carrier with no biological connection to the child.
I
Intended Parents (IPs)
Individuals or couples who will become the legal parents of the child born through surrogacy.
IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation)
A process where eggs are fertilised by sperm in a laboratory to create embryos for transfer.
IUI (Intrauterine Insemination)
A fertility treatment sometimes used in traditional surrogacy where sperm is inserted directly into the surrogate’s uterus.
L
Legal Parentage
The legal status granting parental rights to intended parents. The process varies by country.
LMP (Last Menstrual Period)
The first day of the last period – Used to calculate gestational age during early pregnancy.
M
Matching (Surrogate Matching)
The process of pairing intended parents with a medically and emotionally screened surrogate.
Medical Screening
Comprehensive tests to confirm a surrogate’s health, including blood tests, OB/GYN history, ultrasounds, and psychological evaluation.
Mock Cycle
A simulated preparation cycle to confirm how a surrogate’s body responds to medications before embryo transfer.
N
NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)
A specialised hospital unit for newborns requiring additional medical support.
O
OB/GYN (Obstetrician-Gynecologist)
A doctor specialising in women’s reproductive health and pregnancy care.
Ovarian Stimulation
Medications used to induce egg production during IVF.
P
PGT-A (Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidies)
Embryo testing that analyzes chromosome numbers to improve success rates.
PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis)
Genetic testing used to detect inherited diseases.
PGD full form: Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis.
Pre-Birth Order (PBO)
A court order issued before birth establishing intended parents as the legal parents.
Post-Birth Order (BO)
A court order issued after birth confirming parentage.
Prenatal Care
All medical care during pregnancy.
Progesterone
A hormone used during IVF cycles to support early pregnancy.
R
Reproductive Endocrinologist
A fertility doctor specialising in IVF and assisted reproduction.
Recipient Parents
Intended parents receiving embryos created by donors.
S
Single Embryo Transfer (SET)
Transferring one embryo to minimise risk and increase safety.
Surrogacy
An arrangement in which a gestational carrier carries a baby for intended parents through IVF.
Surrogate / Surrogate Mother
A woman who carries a pregnancy for intended parents.
In gestational surrogacy, she is not the genetic mother.
Surrogate Compensation
Payment provided to surrogates in compensated programs.
Surrogacy Journey
The entire experience from consultation to returning home with the baby.
T
Traditional Surrogacy
A form of surrogacy in which the surrogate uses her own egg, making her genetically related to the baby. Not used in international programs.
Transfer Window
The period during which embryo transfer is medically optimal.
U
Ultrasound
A scan used to monitor fetal development.
V
Viability Scan
Ultrasound confirming a healthy early-stage pregnancy.
W
Waiting Time (Match Time)
The estimated time required to match with a surrogate—varies by country and program.
Z
Zygote
The earliest stage of embryo development immediately after fertilisation.