Abbreviations, Terms, and Definitions of Surrogate Motherhood
Surrogacy acronyms, and terms are important to understand as you start your journey into surrogate motherhood. After finding out what is surrogacy, its time to learn the various definition of surrogacy terms. Surrogacy has its own language.
Use this guide to help you understand what it all means.
Definition of Surrogacy Terms
What is Surrogacy?
The definition of surrogacy is the act of one woman carrying a child that belongs to someone else.
When the baby is born, the woman carrying the baby will not parent the child; the intended parents who contracted the surrogacy arrangement will be the legal parent of the child.
Surrogate Mother or Surrogate Carrier
The woman who carries the child for someone else. This woman is not the mother of the child.
Gestational Surrogate Mother or Gestational Carrier
A woman who goes through IVF to become pregnant as a surrogate mother. The baby or babies she carries have no biological link to her whatsoever.
Traditional Surrogate Mother or Traditional Carrier
In this definition of surrogacy, a woman who goes through artificial insemination to become pregnant as a surrogate mother. The baby or babies she carries are biologically her own children. She will sign over the legal rights to these children at birth.
Egg Donor
The woman who, in some surrogacy arrangements, donates her own eggs or ovum to the process. A woman does not need to be involved in surrogacy to be termed an egg donor.
Intended Parents
The parents of the baby or babies carried by the surrogate mother. These are the parents the surrogacy is intended for. At least one of the intended parents are most likely biologically related to the surrogate babies.
Intended Mother
The mother of the baby the surrogate is carrying. She may or may not be a biological relative of the child.
Intended Father
The father of the baby the surrogate is carrying. He may or may not be a biological relative of the child.
Intended Fathers
When plural, intended fathers usually refers to a set of intended parents that are gay. Thus, there are two intended fathers instead of just one.
Main Surrogacy Acronyms
The following surrogacy acronyms are comprised of terms directly related to the surrogate motherhood. There are many other definition of surrogacy acronyms that are used on message boards and in blogs, but this first list goes over the industry specific ones.
SM
Surrogate Mother
GS
Gestational Surrogate Mother or Gestational Carrier
TS
Traditional Surrogate Mother or Traditional Carrier
ED
Egg Donor
IP or IPs
Intended Parent(s)
IM
Intended Mother
IF
Intended Father
IFs
Intended Fathers
Other Common Surrogacy Acronyms
2WW
The Two Week Wait
This is the time after a transfer that the surrogate and intended parents wait before finding out if the transfer was successful.
AI
Artificial Insemination
BCP
Birth Control Pills
BFN
Big Fat Negative
BFP
Big Fat Positive
CD
Cycle Day
D&C
Dilation & Curettage
ET
Embryo Transfer
FET
Frozen Embryo Transfer
HPT
Home Pregnancy Test
IVF
In Vitro Fertilization
PG
Pregnant
PIO
Progesterone in Oil
PIP
Previous (or potential) Intended Parents
PIF
Previous (or potential) Intended Fathers
POAS
Pee on a Stick
(when taking a home pregnancy test)
RE
Reproductive Endocrinologist
STD
Sexually Transmitted Disease
TTC
Trying to Conceive
US
Ultrasound
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What is Surrogacy?
SM
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