How should wait time be defined?
Wait time to match should be the number of months from the day you sign an agency agreement to the day you are introduced to a surrogate who has already passed screening.
Both ends of that definition matter.
- The start. Signing is the date you commit and pay. Counting from a later point, such as when your profile is finished or when the agency first shows you candidates, makes the number shorter without making your wait shorter.
- The end. A surrogate who has completed screening is a surrogate who can actually move forward. Being introduced to a candidate who has not been screened is not a match yet. If she fails clearance, the clock starts again.
PLS uses the longer, stricter definition on purpose. It is the one that matches your experience: the months between paying and meeting someone who can actually carry for you. A shorter number measured another way would look better on a website and help you plan less well. Because the definition is fixed, you can also compare the figure from one quarter to the next and see whether the wait is moving.
Ask every agency three questions:
- What date does the clock start?
- Is the surrogate fully screened when we are introduced?
- What is the median wait for parents with criteria like ours?
| Definition used | What it includes | Typical quoted range | PLS figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signing to introduction with a screened surrogate | All recruiting and screening time | Varies by agency; often not published | About 9 months today; target 6 or fewer |
| Profiles first shown to official match | Only the time after the agency has candidates ready | Often quoted as 3 to 6 months | Not how PLS measures |
| Signing to match with an unscreened candidate | Time to a match that may not hold | Often quoted as a few months | Not how PLS measures |
| US agencies, as commonly quoted | Mixed definitions | 3 to 18 months |
What is the PLS wait time right now?
About 9 months from signing to surrogate introduction, with a target of 6 months or fewer. PLS median wait as of [date]: [PLS_MEDIAN_WAIT]. Updated quarterly.
Every surrogate you are introduced to has completed PLS's screening: application, interview, records review by Mark Silverberg, DDS, MD, background check, insurance review, and a psychological evaluation by an independent licensed professional. The clinic's own medical screening follows.
For the full timeline, matching takes about 6 months, legal and medical foundations take 1 to 2 months, the medical cycle takes 2 to 3 months, and the pregnancy test comes 9 to 11 days after transfer. The whole journey typically takes 18 to 24 months. See how long surrogacy takes.
Why do agencies quote such different numbers?
Mostly because they measure different things. One agency says 3 months, another says 12, and they may be describing the same experience.
- Different start points. Counting from profile completion or first candidate review rather than signing.
- Different screening status at match. Matching with a candidate before records review and psychological evaluation is fast. If she then fails, the real wait is the first match plus the second. A 3-month match with an unscreened surrogate often turns into 12.
- Averages that hide the spread. An average can be pulled down by parents with very open criteria. A median for parents like you is more useful.
- Stale figures. Wait times change with surrogate supply. A number from two years ago tells you little. Ask for the date.
The commonly quoted US industry range of 3 to 18 months is an estimate, not a published statistic.
Which parent criteria lengthen the wait?
Some criteria narrow the pool of surrogates who fit. That is not a reason to drop them. It is a reason to know the effect before you decide.
| Criterion | Effect on wait | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Surrogate must live in a specific state | Often adds several months | Fewer candidates in any single state |
| Willing to carry twins | Can add time | Fewer surrogates agree to a twin transfer |
| Prior surrogacy experience required | Can add time | Experienced surrogates are a smaller group |
| Surrogate must not be vaccinated | Can add time | Narrows the pool |
| Specific views on termination or reduction | Varies | Must match the surrogate's own views |
| Contact preferences during and after pregnancy | Varies | Must fit what the surrogate wants |
| Open to surrogates in any surrogacy-friendly state | Shortens | Widest pool |
Effects are qualitative, based on PLS experience; month estimates for each criterion to be added from PLS data.
What shortens it?
- Flexibility on location. PLS surrogates live in surrogacy-friendly states across the country. Being open to any of them gives you the widest pool.
- Embryos ready. Having embryos created and tested does not shorten matching itself, but it shortens the time from match to transfer, so the journey as a whole moves faster.
- Clear, prompt answers. Reviewing profiles quickly and being clear about your criteria helps matching move.
- A clinic that works with surrogates in several states. PLS works with 14 partner fertility centers, including Kindbody, Shady Grove Fertility, Fertility Centers of Illinois and Oregon Reproductive Medicine.
What happens during the wait, and what can you do in parallel?
Most parents should not wait passively. Several parts of the journey can run at the same time as matching:
- Create embryos. IVF and, if your clinic recommends it, PGT-A testing can run in parallel with matching. Having tested embryos ready often shortens the time from match to transfer.
- Choose your attorney and read about the gestational carrier agreement so you are ready when a match happens.
- Plan your budget and set aside the escrow deposit: $10,000 at match and the balance before medications start.
- Think through your criteria with your partner, especially on termination, reduction, number of embryos and contact.
While you wait, PLS is recruiting and screening. Nancy Block, RN, runs matching personally. See how matching works.
What does the Assured tier's priority matching change?
The PLS Assured tier is $62,500. It includes priority matching, unlimited rematches, and no new agency fee if the first surrogate does not succeed.
Priority matching means Assured families are offered newly screened surrogates who fit their criteria first. The effect on wait time to be stated from PLS data once the tier launches.
Priority matching does not change screening. Every surrogate is screened the same way regardless of tier. It also does not change criteria: a family that requires a surrogate in one state will still wait longer than one open to any surrogacy-friendly state.
If you are comparing agencies on wait time, ask each the same three questions at the top of this page and compare the answers, not the headline numbers.
Sources
- SEEDS, Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy, of which Nancy Block, RN, is a former President.
- Private Label Surrogacy matching and timeline data, dated and updated quarterly.