How Many Embryos Should You Create Before Starting Surrogacy?

Starting a surrogacy journey is exciting—but one of the biggest decisions intended parents face is:

How many embryos should we create before choosing a surrogate?

Because surrogacy involves high emotional and financial investment, fertility specialists and surrogacy agencies recommend creating an optimal number of healthy embryos before embryos are transferred to the gestational carrier. This helps reduce delays, improve success rates, and avoid future IVF cycles.

Below is a complete expert-backed breakdown of the ideal embryo count, factors involved, and what intended parents must prepare.

Why Embryo Count Matters in Surrogacy 

Surrogacy depends heavily on embryo quality and embryo availability. Having too few embryos may lead to:

• Cancelled transfers
  
• Additional IVF cycles
  
• Higher costs
  
• Delays of 3–6 months
  
• Emotional stress
  

Having an adequate number of embryos ensures smoother planning and a higher chance of successful pregnancy without needing multiple IVF cycles mid-journey.

Ideal Embryo Count Before Surrogacy (Expert Recommendation)

Fertility specialists generally recommend:

4–6 PGT-tested (euploid) embryos before moving ahead with surrogacy

This number gives a high probability of:

• At least one successful pregnancy
  
• Backup embryos if implantation fails
  
• Options for future siblings
  

If embryos are not PGT-tested:

• You may need 8–12 untested embryos because not all will be chromosomally normal.
• The goal is to ensure enough viable embryos to avoid repeating IVF mid-surrogacy.

Factors That Determine How Many Embryos You Need

Age of the Egg Source

• Under 35: usually 4–6 embryos are enough
  
• 35–38: 5–7 embryos recommended
  
• 39–42: 8–10 embryos recommended
  
• 43+ or low AMH: donor eggs are often advised
  

Age affects egg quality and chances of a euploid embryo.

Using Your Own Eggs vs Donor Eggs

Egg Source	Recommendation
Your own eggs (age <38)	Create 4–6 euploid embryos
Your own eggs (age >38)	Create 6–10 embryos
Donor eggs (young donors 21–30)	3–5 embryos usually sufficient

Donor egg cycles typically produce higher-quality embryos.

Whether You Want One Baby or Siblings 

• One child: 3–4 tested embryos
  
• Two children (family building plan): 5–8 tested embryos
  

Planning ahead is cheaper and more predictable.

Implantation Success Rates

Even with PGT-normal embryos:

• 50–70% implant successfully on average
  
• A surrogate may need 2–3 attempts in some cases
  
• Backup embryos reduce delays
  

Your Surrogacy Agency or Doctor’s Protocol

Some clinics require:

• Minimum 2 euploid embryos to match with a surrogate
  
• Others require PGT-A testing
  
• A backup IVF plan before surrogacy contract
  

Always confirm requirements with your clinic.

Risks of Starting Surrogacy with Too Few Embryos

Starting with only 1 or 2 embryos poses risks:

• Failed transfer → Restart IVF
  
• Surrogate cycle pauses
  
• Contract extensions
  
• Increased costs
  
• Emotional burnout
  
• Surrogacy may extend by 4–8 months
  

Most intended parents regret starting with too few embryos.

How to Know If You Have Enough Embryos

Your fertility doctor will evaluate:

• Number of mature eggs retrieved
  
• Embryo grading
  
• PGT-A results
  
• Implantation probability
  
• Surrogate’s medical protocol
  

If you have at least 4–6 chromosomally normal embryos, most clinics consider you ready for transfer.

Cost Implications of Embryo Quantity

More embryo creation may cost more initially,

but:

• reduces the need for repeat IVF
  
• prevents surrogate rematching
  
• saves time and stress
  
• provides embryos for future siblings

Most intended parents find that creating enough embryos upfront is more cost-effective.

Expert Summary

• Best practice: Create 4–6 PGT-tested embryos
  
• If untested: 8–12 embryos
  
• Older eggs → higher embryo count needed
  
• Donor eggs → usually fewer embryos required
  
• More embryos = fewer delays and better success chances

FAQs

Q. What is the ideal number of embryos for surrogacy?

Ans : 4–6 PGT-tested embryos or 8–12 untested embryos.

Q. Can I start surrogacy with only one embryo?

Ans : It’s not recommended. If that one embryo fails, you must restart IVF, causing delays and additional costs.

Q. How many embryos survive to Day 5?

Ans : Typically 30–50% of fertilized eggs reach the blastocyst stage, depending on age and quality.

Q. Do I need PGT-A testing for surrogacy?

Ans : Most clinics recommend it to reduce failed transfers and give the surrogate the highest chance of success.

Q. What if I don’t have enough embryos?

Ans : Your doctor may suggest:

• Another IVF cycle
• Donor eggs
• Adjusting stimulation medication
• Using frozen donor embryos

Q. Can donor eggs reduce the number of embryos needed?

Ans : Yes. Donor eggs have higher success rates, so fewer embryos are needed.

Q. Should I create embryos if planning for twins?

Ans : Surrogacy agencies transfer only one embryo at a time for safety.

But you should create extra embryos if you want two children.