30+ Surrogacy Terms: Trusted Guide for Safe Surrogacy Journey

Starting a surrogacy process can be a little overwhelming with complicated medical jargon and terms beyond understanding. Amidst doctor visits, screenings, medical reports, and legal battles, you will encounter dozens of unfamiliar medical terms and abbreviations.

Making intended parents as well as surrogate mothers overwhelmed, scratching their heads with a dictionary. Terms like “gestational carriers,” “AMH,” “blastocyst,” “FET,” and others can be confusing during consultations. That’s why it’s necessary to understand these surrogacy terms to make the whole process easier and understandable. Mastering these acronyms ensures your interests are fully protected during legal drafting. Let’s review them to build your confidence moving forward.

What Is Surrogacy?

Surrogacy is a type of process where a woman is a carrier of a baby meant for another couple facing pregnancy issues. The child has no link to the intended parents as well as the gestational carrier biologically. This process is often done by couples who are facing problems in bearing a child through natural ways, cancer survivors, single mothers, same-sex couples, and those who can’t carry the pregnancy naturally. It’s a tedious process involving medical tests, screening, fertility treatments, and a legally binding agreement.

Basic Surrogacy Terms

Surro - Surrogate

A surrogate is a woman who bears the child for intended parents. Many fertility centers might refer to them as “gestational carriers,” which is medically more precise. So, even if you are looking for another word for “surrogate,” then choose alternatives such as

GC = Gestational Carrier

GS = Gestational Surrogacy/Surrogate

TS = Traditional Surrogacy

ART = Assisted Reproductive Technology

IPs - Intended Parents

Then, we have the other party who will adopt the baby and become the legal parents, often called “intended parents.”

GS - Gestational Surrogacy/Surrogate

This is the most common type of surrogacy today. In this, the surrogate mother has no biological connection with the child because the embryo is created through IVF.

TS - Traditional Surrogacy

This type of surrogacy is not found today, as the mother is linked biologically to the child. Here, her own eggs are extracted, and then an embryo is made, linking the child genetically to the bearing mother.

Common IVF and Fertility Terms

IVF - (in vitro fertilization)

The most common terms to make the surrogacy process understandable. In this fertility treatment, eggs and sperm are curated in the lab to create the final embryos.

ER - Egg Retrieval

A process in which doctors collect eggs from the ovaries for IVF.

ED - Egg Donor/Egg Donation

The person who donates the eggs, or the process of getting donated eggs.

EMB - Embryo

An embryo is a fertilized egg made in the lab before the treatment cycle begins.

BLST - Blastocyst

It’s an embryo that is curated for six to seven days before transfer to the womb. Many fertility clinics use blastocysts because they improve the success chances.

ET - Embryo Transfer

A process where an embryo is placed in the uterus of the surrogate.

FET - (Frozen Embryo Transfer)

It simply means a frozen embryo that is thawed and transferred into the mother’s womb during an IVF cycle.

FT - Fresh Transfer

This is done when the embryo is transferred after a few days of fertilization without freezing it first.

Medical Jargons in the Surrogacy Process:

AI: Artificial Insemination

Having a baby through traditional methods where the surrogate carrier is the egg donor as well.

BFN - Big Fat Negative

A test done to say no pregnancy.

BFP - Big Fat Positive

To announce the pregnancy.

AMH - (Anti-Müllerian hormone)

A hormone test is done to check the egg supply or ovarian reserve.

HCG - Human Chorionic Gonadotropin

A hormone that tells about the pregnancy.

BT - Beta Test

A blood test performed by fertility clinics after embryo transfer to check HCG levels, which can confirm pregnancy.

Two-week wait (2WW)

A time period between embryo transfer and pregnancy test outcome. This is the longest waiting period emotionally as well as physically draining, where people sit and stare at calendars.

TS - Trigger Shots

A type of hormone injection given before the egg retrieval process to extract mature eggs properly.

ST - Stims

It is called fertility stimulation and is used during the IVF cycle to encourage ovaries to produce more eggs.

MC - Monitoring cycles

A time period when doctors examine ultrasounds and do blood tests to check hormone levels and follicle growth.

US - Ultrasound

It is done to check pregnancy development and to monitor embryo growth during surrogacy.

Genetic Testing Terms

PGT-A - (Preimplantation Genetic Testing)

A test is done on embryos before the transfer to confirm any embryo abnormalities.

CS - Carrier Screening

It is a type of genetic test done to find any inherited medical condition that might be passed to the newborn.

Fertility Specialist Terms

REI - (Reproductive Endocrinologist)

He is a type of fertility doctor trained specially in reproductive medicine and does IVF treatment.

FC - Fertility clinics

A place or a medical center where IVF procedures are performed, from embryo transfer, testing, and pregnancy monitoring to the final handover to intended parents.

DE - Donor Egg

An egg that is retrieved from another woman to make embryos for the IVF process.

SD - Sperm Donor

A person who donates sperm for fertilization with eggs for the IVF process.

Legal Surrogacy Terms

SA - Surrogacy Agreement

A legal document that binds doctors, surrogate mothers, and intended parents with responsibilities, parental rights, and compensation. It is mandatory as it has a list of responsibilities and duties for both parties involved.

PBO - Pre-Birth Order

Also, a legal document that states intended parents as the newborn baby’s legal guardians right from birth. And is changed according to the regional criteria.

AS - Altruistic Surrogacy

A type of surrogacy process that provides pregnancy-related compensation and reimbursement to the bearing mother but not extra charges.

CS - Commercial Surrogacy

In this surrogacy, financial compensation is given beyond medical expenses and pregnancy costs to the gestational carriers.

Conclusion

Hence, it’s necessary to understand surrogacy terms so that your fertility journey becomes less confusing with all that medical jargon. Learning these terms makes medical appointments easier as you are familiar with the terms, abbreviations, and legal terms, making you embrace this journey without any problems. So, whether you are looking for another word for “surrogate” or simply trying to know another word for “surrogate mother,” these terms will make you more prepared and informed about the process.

Surrogacy Terms: Everything You Need to Know

What Is Surrogacy?

Basic Surrogacy Terms

Surro - Surrogate

IPs - Intended Parents

GS - Gestational Surrogacy/Surrogate

TS - Traditional Surrogacy

Common IVF and Fertility Terms

IVF - (in vitro fertilization)

ER - Egg Retrieval

ED - Egg Donor/Egg Donation

EMB - Embryo

BLST - Blastocyst

ET - Embryo Transfer

FET - (Frozen Embryo Transfer)

FT - Fresh Transfer

Medical Jargons in the Surrogacy Process:

AI: Artificial Insemination

BFN - Big Fat Negative

BFP - Big Fat Positive

AMH - (Anti-Müllerian hormone)

HCG - Human Chorionic Gonadotropin

BT - Beta Test

Two-week wait (2WW)

TS - Trigger Shots

ST - Stims

MC - Monitoring cycles

US - Ultrasound

Genetic Testing Terms

PGT-A - (Preimplantation Genetic Testing)

CS - Carrier Screening

Fertility Specialist Terms

REI - (Reproductive Endocrinologist)

FC - Fertility clinics

DE - Donor Egg

SD - Sperm Donor

Legal Surrogacy Terms

SA - Surrogacy Agreement

PBO - Pre-Birth Order

AS - Altruistic Surrogacy

CS - Commercial Surrogacy

Conclusion

Ira Nissel

Table of Contents

Ira Nissel

Ira Nissel

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