Two main types of surrogacy, gestational and traditional one, can be arranged in different ways, such as agency arranged and independently arranged. Surrogacy may be done between strangers who never meet, persons who meet only a few times, persons who meet and become quite close during the process of surrogacy and often after the surrogacy, and those who are friends before ever making a surrogacy agreement or are family members. All these surrogacies may have different experiences but usually they all have a similar chain of events which are as follows:
| Research surrogacy and making choice | 3 months to 5 years | | Research and choose a lawyer, agency and/or IVF center | 1-3 months | | Interview intended parents or surrogate mothers and/or egg donors | 1-14 months | | Choose a match and carry out all medical and psychological examinations | 1-3 weeks | | Begin and complete surrogacy contract | 2 weeks -3 months | | Medical treatment and attempt pregnancy | 2-12 months | | Conceive a child in a gestational way | 1 month-2 years | | Conceive a child in a traditional way | 1-6 months | | Fill in all custody documents | 1-6 months |
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