Here’s the thing: finding the right surrogate doesn’t have to feel impossible. When you work with the right agency and understand how matching really works, you can connect with a qualified surrogate in 1-4 months. It’s about knowing what slows things down—and avoiding those pitfalls.

Schedule a consultation today to learn how our pre-screened surrogates and balanced waitlists can help you become a parent faster

Let’s talk about why it is so hard to find a surrogate, what actually makes the difference between a quick match and a painfully long wait, and how we help families skip the frustrating parts.

Why is it So Hard to Match with a Surrogate?

There’s no single answer to why it is so hard to find a surrogate. The challenges of finding a surrogate really depend on which agency you choose and how they run things.

The biggest issue? Simple math. There are way more intended parents looking for surrogates than there are surrogates available.

At a lot of agencies, you’re joining a crowded waitlist where you’re competing with dozens of other hopeful families for the same small group of women.

But here’s what makes it worse: some agencies let you browse and pick surrogates who haven’t even finished screening yet. You might think you’re making progress, but then weeks later you find out she doesn’t qualify—and you’re back to square one after getting your hopes up.

Surrogates are in high demand, but the real question isn’t whether surrogates exist—it’s whether the ones you’re seeing are actually ready to go.

The Surrogate Screening Process—and Why Timing Matters

Understanding the surrogate screening process helps explain why timing matters so much when you’re trying to match with a surrogate. Here’s what real screening looks like:

• Step 1: Initial Basic Screening (ASRM Guidelines): Making sure she meets the basic health, age, and pregnancy history requirements.
• Step 2: Social Questionnaire, Interviews, and Home Assessment: Deep-dive conversations about her life, support system, and why she wants to do this. We visit her home to make sure everything’s stable.
• Step 3: Past Pregnancy Medical Records Review: We look at records from her previous pregnancies to catch any red flags.
• Step 4: Criminal and Background Checks: Everyone’s safety matters—we do thorough background screening.
• Step 5: Psychological Testing and Counseling: A licensed professional makes sure she’s emotionally ready and understands what’s ahead.
• Step 6: Intended Parents’ Clinic Review: Your fertility doctor does their own final medical check based on their specific requirements.

Here’s where other agencies mess up: they let you pick someone after just Step 1, then do the rest of the screening after you’ve already chosen her. Imagine connecting with someone perfect, only to learn weeks later she doesn’t actually qualify. Talk about heartbreaking.

We do things differently. Our surrogates finish Steps 1-5 before you ever see them. So when you’re looking at potential matches, you know she’s truly qualified and ready.

Why Matches Fall Through

Even when you think you’ve found her, things can still fall apart. Here’s why.

Bad screening is usually the culprit. When agencies don’t properly vet surrogates upfront, problems pop up later—medical issues, psych concerns, background problems that should’ve been caught from the start.

Every failed match means starting over and losing months.

Sometimes surrogates drop out, especially if they weren’t really ready to begin with.

Some women start the process without fully understanding how demanding it is. Others have unexpected life stuff come up. When the screening isn’t thorough enough to spot low commitment, more people bail.

And if you try finding a surrogate on your own without an agency? You’re risking scams. Some people actually pretend to be surrogates just to take money from desperate families. An agency protects you from that nightmare.

Becoming a parent faster means avoiding these problems before they happen.

How Agencies Manage Waitlists and Matching

Not all agencies handle waitlists the same way, and this makes a huge difference in how long it takes to find a surrogate.

Some agencies pack their intended parent lists way too full. You’re waiting behind dozens of other families for just a handful of available surrogates. Even if you’re perfect candidates, you could wait months or years simply because others got there first.

We don’t do that. We keep a 1:1 intended parent to surrogate ratio—meaning we’re not bringing in more families than we can actually match. No massive waitlist. No brutal competition.

Our marketing and outreach also sets us apart. We actively recruit qualified surrogates nationwide, which means way more potential matches for you.

This whole system is why intended parents experience the shortest wait times with us. We built everything around cutting out unnecessary delays without sacrificing quality.

How Long Does it Take to Find a Surrogate?

Families find a match within an average of 1–4 months when they work with us. That’s because we maintain a large pool of pre-screened, qualified surrogates and keep our intended parent and surrogate lists balanced.

You’re not competing with hundreds of other families—or wasting time reviewing profiles of women who might not even qualify. Every surrogate you see has already passed medical and psychological screening and is ready to match.

Other agencies often skip pre-screening or overload their waitlists. The result? Long delays, broken matches, and months (or even years) of waiting. Those setbacks can be emotionally exhausting and completely avoidable.

The difference between a 2-month match and a 12-month wait often comes down to one thing—choosing an agency with the right system. At American Surrogacy, that system is already working for families like yours.

How American Surrogacy Supports Intended Parents

You deserve a partner who gets what’s at stake. We know every month of waiting feels eternal when you’re ready for your family.

We help you create a profile that really connects with surrogates—showing who you are, what you value, what makes your family special. A strong profile leads to better, faster matches.

We also offer unlimited matching at no extra cost through our full-service programs. If a match doesn’t work out for any reason, you won’t pay again. That peace of mind matters.

What if finding a surrogate didn’t have to be the hardest part? With the right support, pre-screening, and approach, it doesn’t have to be.

Schedule a consultation today and let us show you exactly how we’ll help you match with a qualified surrogate faster than you thought possible.