The words, in plain words.
Surrogacy and IVF come with a lot of jargon. Here is what each term means.
- Gestational surrogacy
- A pregnancy carried by a woman who is not the child's genetic mother. The embryo is created through IVF and placed in her womb.
- Surrogate
- The woman who carries the pregnancy for the intended parents. Also called a gestational carrier.
- Intended parents
- The person or people who will raise the child and are the intended legal parents.
- Surrogacy agreement
- The written contract between the intended parents and the surrogate. It is signed after each has had independent legal advice, and before treatment starts.
- Independent legal advice
- Advice from a lawyer who acts only for you. A surrogate and the intended parents should each have their own.
- Parentage
- Who the law recognises as a child's legal parents. It depends on the country and on the steps taken after the birth.
- Parental order
- A UK court order that can make intended parents a child's legal parents after surrogacy. UK solicitors explain when it applies.
- Birth registration
- The official record of a child's birth. In Nigeria it is one of the first steps after the birth.
- Genetic link
- A biological connection between a parent and a child. Many countries, including the US for citizenship, look for one.
- DNA test
- A test that shows the genetic link between a parent and a child. It is often part of the citizenship process.
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad
- An official US document recording that a child born abroad is a US citizen. Your US immigration lawyer explains whether it applies.
- IVF
- In vitro fertilisation. Eggs and sperm are joined in a laboratory to create embryos.
- ICSI
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection. A single sperm is injected into an egg during IVF.
- IUI
- Intrauterine insemination. Prepared sperm is placed in the womb around ovulation.
- Embryo
- The earliest stage of development after an egg is fertilised.
- Blastocyst
- An embryo that has developed for about five to six days. See our article on blastocyst transfer.
- Embryo transfer
- The step where an embryo is placed in the womb.
- Frozen embryo transfer
- A transfer using an embryo that was frozen earlier.
- Ovarian stimulation
- Medication that helps the ovaries produce several eggs in one cycle.
- Egg retrieval
- A short procedure to collect eggs from the ovaries.
- Donor egg and donor sperm
- Eggs or sperm given by someone who is not the intended parent. Who provides them affects the legal and citizenship steps.
- Genetic testing of embryos
- Testing embryos for certain genetic conditions before transfer. Also called preimplantation genetic testing.
- Beta hCG test
- A blood test that confirms and tracks a pregnancy.
- Two-week wait
- The period between an embryo transfer and the pregnancy test.
- Medical screening
- Tests and assessments that check a surrogate's and the intended parents' health before treatment.
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