How Does the Self-Cycle Surrogacy Program(Surrogacy with Your Own Eggs) Operate?

Intended parents typically partner with a fertility agency in Georgia that manages nearly every aspect of the process of surrogacy with your own eggs. These agencies meticulously organize and streamline the procedure to minimize any chance of failure. Once the intended parents commit to the program, they can choose their preferred dates for the procedure.

It is crucial to note that the IVF program requires intended parents to remain in the destination country for a week. This is due to the unpredictability of the exact egg retrieval day during the final stage of ovarian stimulation. Each ovarian stimulation is unique, and even prior data may not accurately predict the current cycle’s timing. Therefore, it’s recommended for the woman to be present from the ninth to the fifteenth day of stimulation. After the intended parents provide their preferred dates, the program is scheduled accordingly. From the contract signing, it typically takes about 6-8 weeks to complete the IVF cycle.

Pre-Program Tests for the Intended Mother

Before joining the self-cycle IVF program, the doctor will suggest some test the intended mother should undergo, which the agency requires before signing the program contracts. Some of the tests include:

• Complete blood count
• HIV test
• Blood group determination
• Rhesus factor test
• Hepatitis B test
• Syphilis test
• Herpes virus test
• Vaginal swab tests for Chlamydia
• Cytomegalovirus test
• Hepatitis C test
• Follicle-stimulating hormone levels
• Ovarian reserve tests (to be conducted on day 2-4 of the menstrual cycle)
• Luteinizing hormone levels
• Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH)
• Estradiol levels
• Thyroid stimulating hormone levels
• Prolactin levels (elevated levels may indicate infertility)

An important additional test is the antral follicle count, which, along with an ovarian scan, should be done on days 2-4 of the menstrual cycle. This provides the clearest picture of the ovarian reserve. For those not menstruating, the count should be done during the first menstrual phase. All tests should be conducted within six months of the IVF dates.

The original test results, bearing the clinic’s header and official stamp, are required. If the results are not in English, official translations with a translator’s stamp are necessary. These results are reviewed and approved by the IVF doctor and lead embryologist at the clinic before the patient is accepted into the program.

Tests for the Intended Father

The intended father must provide the following test results within six months of the IVF dates:

• Hepatitis B test
• Syphilis test
• Hepatitis C test
• Complete sperm analysis (including morphology, motility, volume, and count)

Self-Cycle (Surrogacy with Your Own Eggs) Procedure

For ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval, the intended mother can either start the stimulation at a local IVF clinic and then proceed to the agency’s clinic on the ninth day for egg retrieval, or she can complete the entire process at the agency’s clinic. If the stimulation is done by the agency, it requires a 17-day stay. The intended mother should be placed on contraceptive medication on the 3-4th day of the previous month’s cycle to synchronize with the surrogate’s cycle.

For those without a regular cycle, an expert will scan the ovaries to determine ovulation or menstrual phase, then administer contraceptive pills 15-17 days post-ovulation. The intended mother should report to the agency’s clinic three days after the last contraceptive pill to start ovarian stimulation under the IVF doctor’s guidance.

Ovarian Stimulation Steps

If starting stimulation at another clinic, the following instructions must be strictly followed:

• Submit ovarian stimulation reports on days 1, 5, and 8, including ovarian scans and follicle counts.
• Conduct estradiol tests on days 1 and 5, and send results to the medical coordinator.
• Perform a complete blood count and blood coagulation test on day 7, and send results to the medical coordinator.

These steps ensure the fertility agency and IVF doctor can accurately monitor and assess the stimulation progress. The intended mother must report to the agency’s clinic on the ninth day of stimulation.

Following the final checks, the IVF doctor will schedule egg retrieval and sperm collection, likely on the same day. It’s essential for the couple to abstain from intercourse for 3-5 days before sperm collection, as longer periods can reduce sperm quality. Five days after fertilization, the embryo is transferred to the surrogate mother.

For some reasons, using your own eggs might not be a viable option. In such cases, using surrogacy and egg donation will be better.