Surrogacy Terms and Definitions

Hello, Intended Parents or hopeful surrogate mothers. If you’ve been researching the topic of surrogacy long enough, or you are currently in the process of finding a surrogate or you are currently in a surrogacy contract- you know that there are many terms you may not be familiar with.

To help you further with the interpretation of surrogacy terminology, we will provide a list of terms and definitions below. Most of this medical terminology is used during the surrogacy process and the IVF process:

• Surrogate Mother: The woman who carries the child
• Intended Parent: Person or people who are the parents of the child and set up the surrogacy arrangement
• Traditional Surrogacy: The surrogate is inseminated with either the intended father’s sperm (to be matched with her egg) or donor sperm. The surrogate mother is related to the child genetically.
• Gestational Surrogacy: An embryo created through the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) is transferred into the uterus of the surrogate by a simple procedure. The surrogate is not genetically related to the child, and a surrogacy arrangement is agreed and signed between the surrogate mother and the intended parents which establishes parentage. During this process of surrogacy, the egg and sperm used to create the embryo most likely came from the intended parents or may have been donated from either sperm or egg donors.
• ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology): All treatments that involve surgically removing eggs from a woman’s ovaries, and combing the eggs with sperm to assist in the process of producing an embryo
• Aspiration: The Egg aspiration procedure is performed to remove the eggs from the ovaries
• Canceled Cycle: An assisted reproductive cycle in which ovarian stimulation was carried out but which stopped before eggs were retrieved.
• Mock Cycle: When a doctor puts a surrogate mother on full or partial medications to see how her body will respond. They do this with the clear intent not to transfer the embryo. The surrogate mother is compensated for this.
• Dropped Cycle: This is when the surrogate has taken all of her medication in preparation of a transfer, but the cycle is cancelled. The surrogate mother is compensated for this.
• Surrogate Compensation Package: A list of benefits the surrogate mother receives in addition to her base compensation. This can include compensation for travel, child care, and monthly doctor appointment visits.
• Surrogate Profile: A short summary of the proposed surrogate, her life and reasons for being a surrogate
• Parent Profile: A short summary of the intended parent(s), their life and goals for the surrogacy journey
• Legal Contracts: The phase of the surrogacy process where intended parents and surrogate mother sign a surrogacy agreement.
• Surrogacy Arrangement: The legal agreement between surrogate mother and intended parents for purposes of having a child. It establishes clear contractual guidelines and parentage in order to avoid conflicts between two parties.
• Egg: The female reproductive cell, also called an oocyte
• Egg retrieval: the process to retrieve eggs from the donor or intended parent’s ovaries.
• Embryo Transfer: the placement of embryo(s) into the surrogate mother’s uterus through the cervix, after in vitro fertilization (IVF)
• IVF (In Vitro Fertilization): An ART procedure that involves removing eggs from the intended parent’s ovaries or egg donor’s ovaries and fertilizing them outside of the woman’s body. The eggs are fertilized using sperm from a donor or intended parent and the fertilized eggs create embryos.
• Embryo: The result of IVF whereby sperm and eggs are fertilized outside the uterus to form a human baby. This embryo is then transferred in the surrogate mother’s uterus by process of embryo transfer.
• Follicle: A structure in the ovaries that contain a developing egg
• Gestation: The period of time from conception of the embryo to birth of the child.
• Miscarriage: A pregnancy ending in the spontaneous loss of the embryo or fetus before 20 weeks of gestation.
• Reduction: A procedure to reduce the number of fetuses the surrogate mother is carrying
• Sperm: The male reproductive cell
• Ultrasound: A technique used in assisted reproduction and also normal births to visualize follicles in the ovaries, or visualize the growing child in the womb.

Abbreviations and “shorthand” related to surrogacy and In Vitro Fertilization:

• AH- Assisted Hatching
• AHI- At home insemination
• AI- Artificial Insemination
• ART- Assisted Reproductive Technology
• ASA- Anti-sperm Antibody
• ASRM- American Society of Reproductive Medicine
• BA- Baby Aspirin
• BCP- Birth control pills
• BG- Blood glucose
• BW, b/w- Bloodwork
• CASA- Computer-assisted Semen analysis
• BCP- Birth control pills
• BBT- Basal body temperature
• CD- Cycle day
• C-Section- Caesarean Section
• CF- Cervical fluid
• CM- Cervical mucus
• CNM- Certified nurse midwife
• COH – Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation
• 19) CPFM – ClearPlan Fertility Monitor
• CVS -Chorionic Villae Sampling
• D&C – Dilation & Curettage
• D&E – Dilation & Evacuation
• DE – Donor Eggs
• DI – Donor Insemination
• DOR – Diminished Ovarian Reserve
• DOST – Direct Oocyte-Sperm Transfer
• DPO – Days Post-Ovulation
• DPR – Days Post-Retrieval
• DPT – Days Post-Transfer
• Dx – Diagnosis
• E2 – Estradiol
• EB, EMB – Endometrial Biopsy
• ED- Egg Donor
• EDD – Estimated Due Date
• EPT – Early Pregnancy Test
• ER – Egg Retrieval
• ET – Embryo Transfer
• FBG – Fasting Blood Glucose
• FI – Fasting Insulin
• FET – Frozen Embryo Transfer
• FHR – Fetal Heart Rate
• FP – Follicular Phase
• FSH – Follicle Stimulating Hormone
• GC- Gestational Carrier
• GD – Gestational Diabetes
• GIFT – Gamete Intra-fallopian Transfer
• GnRH – Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone
• GP – General Practitioner
• GTT – Glucose Tolerance Test
• GS – Gestational Surrogate
• HCG – Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
• HCP – Health Care Practitioner
• HPT – Home Pregnancy Test
• HRT – Hormone Replacement Therapy
• HSC – Hysteroscopy
• HSG – Hysterosalpingogram
• ICI – Intra-cervical Insemination
• ICSI – Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection
• IF – Infertility
• IF- Intended Father
• IGTT – Insulin and Glucose Tolerance Test
• IM – Intra-muscular (WRT injections)
• IM – Intended Mother
• IOR – Immature Oocyte Retrieval
• IP – Intended Parents
• IR – Insulin Resistant
• ITI – Intra-tubal Insemination
• IUI – Intra-uterine Insemination
• IVC – Intra-vaginal Culture
• IVF – In Vitro Fertilization
• LAP – Laparoscopy
• LH – Luteinizing Hormone
• LMP – Last Menstrual Period (start date)
• LP – Luteal Phase
• LPD – Luteal Phase Defect
• LSP – Low Sperm Count
• MC, m/c, misc. – Miscarriage
• MF – Male Factor
• MIFT – Micro Injection Fallopian Transfer
• MMR – Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine
• MRI – Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• NEST – Non-surgical Embryonic Selective Thinning
• NORIF – Non-stimulated Oocyte Retrieval In (office) Fertilization
• NP – Nurse Practitioner
• NSA – Non-surgical Sperm Aspiration
• O, OV – Ovulation
• OB – Obstetrician
• OB/GYN – Obstetrician/Gynecologist
• OC – Oral Contraceptives
• OPK – Ovulation Predictor Kit
• OPSS – Overweight & Pregnant Support (mail list)
• OPT – Ovulation Predictor Test
• OTC – Over The Counter
• P4 – Progesterone
• PA – Physician’s Assistant
• PCAO – Polycystic Appearing Ovaries
• PCO – Polycystic Ovaries
• PCOD – Polycystic Ovary Disease
• PCOS – Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
• PCP – Primary Care Physician
• PCT – Post Coital Test
• PESA – Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration
• PG – Pregnant
• PGD – Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis
• PI – Primary Infertility
• PID – Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
• PIO – Progesterone in Oil
• PMS – Pre-menstrual Syndrome
• PNM – Perinatal Mortality
• POC – Products of Conception
• POF – Premature Ovarian Failure
• PROM – Premature Rupture of Membranes
• PTLS – Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome
• RE – Reproductive Endocrinologist
• R-FSH, R-hFSH – Recombinant Human Follicle Stimulating Hormone
• RI – Reproductive Immunologist
• RPL – Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
• RSA – Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
• Rx – Prescription
• SA – Semen Analysis
• SART – Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology
• s/b, S/B – Stillbirth
• SCORIF – Stimulated Cycle Oocyte Retrieval In (office) Fertilization
• SHG, SonoHSG – Sonohysterogram
• SI – Secondary Infertility
• SIS – Saline Injection Sonogram
• SM – Surrogate Mother
• STD – Sexually Transmitted Disease
• TESA – Testicular Sperm Aspiration
• TESE – Testicular Sperm Extraction
• TET – Tubal Embryo Transfer
• TL – Tubal Ligation
• TR – Tubal Reversal
• TORCH -Toxoplasmosis, Other, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus & Herpes test
• TR – Tubal Reversal
• TS – Traditional Surrogate
• TTC – Trying to Conceive
• TTCAR – Trying to Conceive after Reversal
• TUFT – Trans-uterine Fallopian Transfer
• US, u/s – Ultrasound
• V – Vasectomy
• VR – Vasectomy Reversal
• ZIFT – Zygote Intra-fallopian Transfer

Have any questions? Call us at (916) 226-4342