Intended parents: process

How do you bring your baby home after a surrogacy birth?

The short answer

Bringing your baby home after a surrogacy birth takes four steps: hospital discharge with the pre-birth order and your car seat, adding the newborn to your health insurance within 30 days of birth, obtaining the birth certificate (typically 1 to 3 weeks in Illinois) and, for out-of-state parents, waiting for the pediatrician to clear travel, usually within the first week. International parents also need a US passport for the baby, which requires the birth certificate and takes 2 to 6 weeks with expedited processing, plus any documents their home country requires. Private Label Surrogacy coordinates the discharge paperwork with the hospital, reviews infant nutrition with Julie Bendix, RD, and keeps your surrogate's postpartum care on schedule.

Written by Natalie Gaudio-Fricano

Case Manager. Three-time egg donor and gestational surrogate (2016); in medicine since 2002.

Medically reviewed by Mark Silverberg, MD

Last updated October 14, 2026

What do you need before the hospital will discharge the baby?

This section is being written.

How do you add the newborn to your insurance?

This section is being written.

How and when do you get the birth certificate?

This section is being written.

When is it safe to fly or drive home with a newborn?

This section is being written.

What extra documents do international parents need?

This section is being written.

What does the surrogate's postpartum period look like, and what do you owe her?

This section is being written.

Table in preparation

Discharge-to-home checklist table: task, document needed, typical timing, who handles it.

Frequently asked questions

How soon can we fly home with the baby?

Most pediatricians clear healthy full-term newborns for air travel within the first week or two; your pediatrician decides.

How long does the birth certificate take?

Typically 1 to 3 weeks in Illinois; international parents then apply for a US passport, which takes 2 to 6 weeks expedited.

Whose insurance covers the baby?

Yours. Add the newborn within 30 days of birth; the surrogate's policy does not cover the child.

What is still paid after birth?

The surrogate's final compensation installment, postpartum recovery and any pumping compensation ($200 per week at PLS) if you choose breast milk.