You’ve been pregnant before, so you know the drill. Now you’re considering becoming a gestational carrier in Pennsylvania, and you’re probably wondering: What’s going to be different this time around?
The surrogacy medical process in Pennsylvania builds on everything you already know, with thoughtful differences in coordination and support. Here’s what might surprise you—gestational carrier medical care is often more streamlined and personally supported than your own pregnancies were.
Let’s walk through what you can expect from Pennsylvania surrogate medical support at each stage, so you can feel confident and informed about the medical side of this meaningful experience.
Your Medical Care: What’s Different and What’s the Same
What Stays the Same
The heart of your medical care during surrogacy is reassuringly familiar—it’s the same high-quality prenatal care you remember from your own pregnancies. You’ll still enjoy:
- Regular prenatal visits with an OB/GYN you trust
- The same pregnancy monitoring and testing you remember
- All the safety protocols and medical standards you’d expect
- Hospital delivery with the professional medical team you deserve
What’s Different
Surrogacy medical care Pennsylvania has some thoughtful differences that actually make this experience special. You’ll have enhanced coordination between your fertility clinic, OB/GYN, and surrogacy agency—think of it as having a whole team keeping everyone informed about how you’re doing. The intended parents might join you for some medical appointments (only if you’re comfortable with it), which creates this really special shared experience of watching their baby grow and develop.
The intended parents’ insurance or surrogacy-specific policies typically cover your medical expenses, which requires some behind-the-scenes coordination but completely removes any financial stress from you. And before you get pregnant, you’ll follow specific medication routines and monitoring that are a bit different from conceiving naturally—but your medical team will guide you through every step.
When you work with the right team, you could be matched with qualified intended parents in less than four months.
Before You’re Pregnant: The Medical Prep Phase
Initial Medical Screening
Getting started with the medical surrogacy process means you’ll go through comprehensive health screening and psychological evaluation at a Pennsylvania fertility clinic—and yes, we know this might feel like a lot at first, but it’s all designed to set you up for success. This thoughtful medical evaluation involves a complete physical exam and health history review, psychological assessment and counseling (which many women find helpful for processing this decision), STD testing and infectious disease screening, and a careful review of your previous pregnancy and delivery records—basically, they want to understand your unique health story and ensure you’re medically and emotionally prepared for the surrogacy journey.
“The screening process that I went through with American Surrogacy made me feel safe. They made me feel like they cared not only about the child that I was going to give birth to but myself.” – Alissandra, a surrogate who worked with American Surrogacy
Only 2% of women who apply actually complete the full screening process—but those who do have a 95% success rate. If you’re reading this, you’re already showing the kind of thoughtfulness and commitment that makes a wonderful surrogate.
Medication and Monitoring Protocols
Once you’re matched with intended parents and ready to move forward, you’ll start preparing your body for embryo transfer—and honestly, this part is usually easier than most women expect. This preparation phase means taking fertility hormones like estrogen and progesterone to prepare your uterine lining for implantation.
You might take pills, use patches, or receive injections, depending on what works best for your body and what your Pennsylvania fertility specialist recommends. You’ll also have regular ultrasounds and blood work at your Pennsylvania surrogacy fertility center to monitor how your body is responding to the hormone therapy. Think of it as getting VIP monitoring throughout your cycle preparation. If you’re using fresh embryos, they’ll carefully coordinate your menstrual cycle with the egg donor’s or intended mother’s cycle using hormone medications.
“I chose American Surrogacy because I wanted to have an experienced team behind me that I knew I could go to if I had questions or I can go to if I needed extra support. That support was so strong that I felt confident to take on anything that was coming.” – Jade, a surrogate who worked with American Surrogacy
The embryo transfer itself is surprisingly simple and happens at your fertility clinic. Most surrogates describe it as being similar to a routine gynecological exam, though you might feel a flutter of excitement knowing this could be the magical moment that starts a pregnancy for your intended parents.
During Pregnancy: Your Medical Journey
Standard Prenatal Monitoring
Once you’re confirmed pregnant (usually about 9-10 days after transfer, and yes, those days of waiting can feel long!), you’ll transition from your fertility clinic to regular prenatal care with an OB/GYN practice. Many Pennsylvania surrogates happily continue with their existing obstetrician when the practice is comfortable with and supportive of gestational carrier arrangements.
Your surrogate pregnancy medical care follows the same familiar rhythm and approach as any pregnancy—you know this routine:
- Monthly prenatal visits in the first trimester
- Bi-weekly obstetric appointments in the second trimester
- Weekly check-ups in the third trimester
- The same pregnancy monitoring you remember, including genetic screening, glucose tolerance testing, and fetal growth assessments
Enhanced Communication
What makes gestational carrier medical care in Pennsylvania really special is the enhanced communication with your intended parents and surrogacy team. You might choose to share ultrasound images and appointment updates with the intended parents, include them in big milestone appointments like anatomy scans, and check in regularly with your surrogacy coordinator about any medical updates or questions that come up.
Many surrogates are pleasantly surprised by how normal and comfortable the medical care feels—exactly like their own pregnancies, just with more people celebrating each milestone and developmental update along the way.
The medical aspects that might seem overwhelming at first often turn out to be much more manageable than expected, especially with proper support and preparation. Watching video testimonials from other surrogates can give you insight into these positive experiences.
What if the medical side of surrogacy turned out to be easier and more supported than your own pregnancies?
Delivery and Hospital Care in Pennsylvania
Birth Planning in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania hospitals are generally supportive of surrogacy arrangements, but you’ll want to plan ahead. Your surrogate medical team will work with the hospital to make sure all the paperwork is ready for the legal arrangements, the intended parents can visit and have access as needed, everyone understands the birth certificate process, and there’s a clear plan for postpartum care.
Hospital Policies and Procedures
Most major Pennsylvania hospitals—including those in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Allentown—have lots of experience with surrogate deliveries. They’ll need to figure out who can be present during delivery, how immediate newborn care and bonding will work, room assignments and visiting arrangements, and discharge planning for both you and the baby.
The main difference you’ll notice is the emotional side—while you’re focused on having a safe delivery, the intended parents are experiencing the overwhelming joy of meeting their baby for the first time. Many surrogates find this incredibly rewarding, even though it feels different from their own deliveries.
Postpartum Care: After Delivery Support
Medical Recovery
Your postpartum recovery follows the same gentle timeline as any delivery. You’ll have a comfortable hospital stay (usually 1-2 days for vaginal delivery, 3-4 days for C-section), a follow-up appointment with your OB/GYN 2-6 weeks after delivery, and the same careful attention to make sure you’re healing beautifully.
Emotional Support
The medical care surrogates receive in Pennsylvania thoughtfully extends beyond just physical recovery to include emotional support too. You’ll have access to counseling services through your surrogacy agency, support groups with other surrogates who truly understand the unique emotions you might experience, and you can always reach out to your surrogacy team with any questions, concerns, or feelings that come up.
Breast Milk Considerations
If you decide to pump breast milk for the baby, your medical team will support you every step of the way with guidance on safe pumping and storage, thoughtful suggestions for how long to continue, and gentle help with gradually stopping when you feel ready. This is just one of many considerations that make becoming a surrogate such a meaningful choice.
Surrogacy Medical Professionals in Pennsylvania
When choosing your surrogacy support team, responsiveness and genuine care make all the difference. In our experience, American Surrogacy has a well-established network of medical professionals. “Ultimately I chose American surrogacy because I saw how responsive they were even before I committed to the process they were committed to me. Regardless of whether I chose to go with them or whether I chose to do a different agency or I chose to be independent they cared about my experience as a surrogate and that was important.” – Jade, a surrogate who worked with American Surrogacy.
Finding the Right OB/GYN Practice
Pennsylvania has truly excellent medical care for surrogates, with many practices that genuinely understand and wholeheartedly support surrogacy arrangements. When you’re choosing an OB/GYN, consider these important factors:
- Real experience with surrogacy patients (not just general pregnancy care)
- Genuine willingness to communicate with intended parents when appropriate
- Hospital affiliations and delivery policies that support your needs
- Location that’s convenient for your regular appointments
If you have questions about the process, don’t hesitate to ask potential providers about their experience with gestational carriers.
Top Pennsylvania Fertility Centers
The leading fertility clinics that actively support the surrogacy medical process in Pennsylvania include Penn Fertility Care in the Philadelphia area, Reproductive Medicine Associates of Pennsylvania, The Fertility Center in Reading and surrounding areas, and several respected Pittsburgh fertility clinics serving western Pennsylvania.
Hospital Networks
Pennsylvania’s major hospital systems are exceptionally well-prepared for surrogate deliveries.
You’ve got UPMC hospitals throughout the state, the comprehensive Penn Medicine network in southeastern Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley Health Network in eastern Pennsylvania, and Geisinger Health System in central Pennsylvania, all with experience supporting surrogacy families.
Most people assume surrogacy medical costs would be overwhelming—but the reality might genuinely surprise you.
Insurance and Medical Costs in Surrogacy (for Surrogates)
One of the most reassuring aspects of gestational surrogacy is that the intended parents handle all the medical costs and healthcare expenses, not you—which means you can focus completely on what matters most: your health and wellbeing. Understanding why surrogates are compensated can help you feel confident about this arrangement.
What’s Covered
Comprehensive medical coverage typically includes everything you’d expect and more:
- All prenatal care and pregnancy monitoring throughout your gestational period
- Complete delivery and hospital costs for labor and birth
- Full postpartum care and recovery support for the surrogate mother
- All prescription medications related to pregnancy and fertility treatments
- Any emergency medical care that might be needed during the surrogacy journey
Most surrogates never have to worry about a single medical bill since the agency handles all the insurance coordination seamlessly, allowing them to focus completely on staying healthy and enjoying this special experience.
A well-established surrogacy agency will already have strong relationships with insurance providers and medical facilities throughout Pennsylvania, which makes the financial coordination smooth and stress-free for both you and the intended parents.
With comprehensive insurance coordination, you’ll have one less thing to worry about during your experience.
Ready to Learn More About the Full Process?
Understanding surrogacy medical care builds on your pregnancy knowledge while adding meaningful support and coordination with intended parents. Pennsylvania’s surrogacy medical process ensures excellent care from skilled professionals, with comprehensive insurance coverage and dedicated team support throughout your journey.
Taking the first step just opens conversation—American Surrogacy can connect you with experienced Pennsylvania medical professionals to confidently start this meaningful path. Your journey toward helping another family while receiving excellent medical care can start with a simple conversation.