When looking to start the family-building process, intended parents often wonder if they should start the egg donation or surrogacy step first. The answer is not hard and fast, but here is the advice we would give based on our experience in egg donation, as well as our experience in surrogacy through our parent company, Northwest Surrogacy Center.
Which to start first - egg donation or surrogacy?
We advise intended parents to start the egg donation and surrogacy process at the same time. Typically, it takes 4-6 months for an egg donation cycle to be completed. This timeline is from matching with a donor through the retrieval, not factoring in the time it may take for the intended parents to choose their donor.
For surrogacy agencies, if they do a screening process for the surrogate, wait times can be 6-18 months. Consequently, it's good to start the egg donation process and also get on the wait list for a surrogate, so by the time you are done with with the egg donation cycle and have your embryos, hopefully you will be matched with a surrogate as well.
At the end of the day, this process can be unpredictable and there are no hard and fast rules. Timeline can also depend on your particular situation and family-building goals. It's always worth speaking with your egg donation agency, surrogacy agency, and IVF clinic to make the best decision for you.
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