What Is an Intended Parent and How Surrogacy Works for You

Becoming an intended parent is one of the most meaningful decisions you’ll ever make.

But in 2025, the path to parenthood—especially through surrogacy—looks very different from what it did even a few years ago.

There’s more information. More options. More legal clarity. More screening, structure, and support.

Yet… the process can feel overwhelming when you're just getting started.

So if you’re wondering:

• What does intended parent even mean?

• Where do we start with surrogacy?

• What does the journey look like from our side?

  
  

You’re in the right place.

This guide will walk you through exactly what intended parents need to know in 2025, step by step.

But first, let’s define the basics.

Intended Parent Meaning (Clear Definition)

The term intended parent refers to the individual or couple who plans to become the legal and permanent parent(s) of a child born through surrogacy or assisted reproduction.

To put it simply:

The intended parent is the person (or people) who the child is being carried for.

This includes:

• Heterosexual couples

• Same-sex couples

• Single parents

• Couples using donor eggs or sperm

• Individuals unable to carry a pregnancy

  
  

What matters most is intention and legal parentage—not genetics and not pregnancy.

Why Surrogacy Exists for Intended Parents

Surrogacy allows intended parents to grow their family when pregnancy isn’t medically, physically, or structurally possible.

Common reasons include:

• Infertility

• Medical conditions

• Prior pregnancy complications

• Same-sex couples

• Single male parents

• Uterine factor infertility

• Recurrent miscarriage

  
  

Surrogacy creates an opportunity for intended parents to have a child who is genetically related to them (in gestational surrogacy) and raised by them from birth.

Intended Parents Surrogacy: How It Works in 2025

Surrogacy may appear simple from the outside, but it’s the detailed surrogacy process behind the scenes that makes everything safe, ethical, and predictable.

Here’s how it works today:

Step 1: Initial Consultation & Intended Parent Intake

Your parenthood journey begins with a personalized Zoom consultation to understand your goals, followed by an Intended Parent Questionnaire and a few personal photos to help create a customized profile for the ideal surrogate match.

Step 2: Matching You with the Right Surrogate

Once their profile is finished, the agency begins matching intended parents with compatible surrogate candidates, guiding both sides through the match meeting and the required psychological evaluations that ensure everyone is fully prepared for the journey ahead.

Not everyone qualifies to be a surrogate and that’s intentional. Surrogates must have a healthy uterus, previous uncomplicated pregnancies, emotional stability, and financial independence.

Step 3: Medical Screening & Legal Agreements

Once psychological evaluations are complete, the journey moves into medical screening, legal agreements, and embryo transfer. All carefully coordinated until pregnancy is confirmed and the first heartbeat is joyfully seen.

Step 4: Surrogate Pregnancy Process

Once medical and legal steps are complete, the surrogate begins the pregnancy phase, with the agency coordinating prenatal care, maintaining communication, and preparing parental rights documents so the intended parents are fully supported from IVF graduation through delivery.

Step 5: Birth, Support and Parenthood

As delivery approaches, the team supports both parents and surrogate at the hospital, ensures all legal steps are in place, and manages post-birth payments and trust account closure, helping parents smoothly transition into their new chapter.

And from that moment on—you are officially and legally the child’s parent(s).

What Intended Parents Often Ask Before Starting Surrogacy

Here are the questions almost every intended parent has at the beginning:

• How long does it take?

• Will the surrogate be related to the baby?

• What does the legal process look like?

• How do we choose a surrogate?

• What are the medical steps?

• Is surrogacy safe?

• What’s the total cost?

  
  

These are not “beginner questions”—they’re critical ones. The clearer the answers, the smoother the journey.

Gestational vs. Traditional Surrogacy for Intended Parents

Most intended parents today opt for gestational surrogacy, largely due to the key differences between gestational and traditional surrogacy.

Here's why:

Gestational Surrogacy

• Surrogate has no genetic connection

• Uses IVF

• Legally clearer

• Emotionally safer

• Most widely supported by clinics and agencies

  
  

Traditional Surrogacy

• Surrogate uses her own egg

• Far more legally complex

• Rarely used in agency settings

  
  

If you’re an intended parent, 99% of the time, you’ll be pursuing gestational surrogacy. It’s the modern standard for a reason.

What Qualifies Someone to Become an Intended Parent?

Unlike surrogate qualification (which is medically strict), intended parent requirements are more flexible but still structured and they apply equally to all family types, including LGBTQ intended parents.

You may need to complete:

• Medical screening

• Infectious disease testing

• Psychological consults

• Background information

• Financial planning review

• Legal readiness

  
  

This ensures surrogacy operates ethically, safely, and without future legal discrepancies.

Surrogacy Costs for Intended Parents

The big question:

How much does surrogacy cost for intended parents?

In 2025, the typical range is:

$90,000 – $180,000+

This usually covers:

• Surrogate compensation

• IVF & medical costs

• Legal contracts

• Screening & evaluations

• Insurance

• Agency support

• Travel & logistics

  
  

Each journey is unique, but transparency is key from the beginning.

The Intended Parent Experience: What It Feels Like

Surrogacy is more than a medical process, it’s an emotional one.

Intended parents often describe the journey as:

• Exciting

• Nerve-wracking

• Hopeful

• Deeply meaningful

• Transformative

  
  

You’re watching someone else carry the most precious part of your life. Clear communication, transparency, and trust make all the difference.

Why Intended Parents Choose Surrogacy

Here’s the bottom line:

Surrogacy allows intended parents to build a family with:

✔ Biological connection (when using their own egg/sperm)

✔ Legal certainty

✔ Medical oversight

✔ Emotional support

✔ Predictability and structure

For many people, it offers a family-building path they never thought possible.

Final Takeaway

Becoming an intended parent is a life-changing decision and understanding what the role means, how surrogacy works, and what to expect is the key to starting your journey with clarity and confidence.

If you're beginning your research and want to explore the process from the intended parent perspective, you can continue learning here.