Right after my 35th birthday, I decided I was done waiting around for “the one.” It was time to put single motherhood on my agenda. Since you cannot access fertility treatments in China without a marriage certificate, local clinics were out of the question. My strategy was simple: complete all my baseline pre-IVF fertility tests in Hangzhou, take those medical reports, and connect directly with an overseas clinic. Looking back, the entire journey was much less chaotic than I feared, though managing the transitions between each stage required me to stay on top of every single detail—especially aligning my travel schedule with my body’s biological clock.
Adjusting My Workout Routine 30 Days Before Starting IVF
Once I finished my hormone panel, AMH test, and transvaginal ultrasound in Hangzhou, I found out I had an antral follicle count (AFC) of 11. That was a massive relief. After sending my reports to the overseas clinic to open my file, I had a full 30-day window before flying out to start ovarian stimulation. I used to be a regular marathon runner, but my clinic coordinator quickly pointed out that working out during an IVF cycle requires a completely different mindset.
For the first two weeks of that prep month, I stuck to 40 minutes of brisk walking and light Pilates every day, focusing entirely on boosting pelvic blood flow. The day my period arrived—which meant it was time to start stimulation injections—I immediately cut out all running, jumping, and ab crunches. By day 6 of stimulation, my follow-up ultrasound showed significantly enlarged ovaries. At that point, I had to be careful even when turning over in bed, because high-impact movements carry a serious risk of ovarian torsion.
Here is my practical advice for anyone prepping for a cycle: downgrade your cardio to brisk walking a month before you start. Once the hormone shots begin, cap your daily steps at 3,000 and strictly avoid anything that engages your core. Keep this up until your very first period after the egg retrieval is completely over.
14 Eggs Retrieved: How Blastocyst Grading Shaped My Decisions
The egg retrieval surgery went smoothly. The doctor retrieved 14 eggs, and 11 of them fertilized successfully. Then came the most nerve-wracking part of the whole process: the 5-day wait for the blastocyst report. When the lab’s email landed in my inbox on the morning of Day 5, my hands were literally shaking. The report showed that 4 embryos had made it to the blastocyst stage, graded as 4AA, 4BB, 4BC, and 3CC.
Before this, blastocyst grading was a total mystery to me. I quickly learned that the number indicates how far the embryo has expanded, while the two letters grade the quality of the inner cell mass (which becomes the fetus) and the trophectoderm (which forms the placenta). To maximize my implantation chances later on, I planned to do PGT (Preimplantation Genetic Testing) on the embryos. However, the 3CC embryo was graded too low. The embryologist advised against biopsying it, explaining it likely wouldn’t survive the cell extraction process. In the end, we sent 3 blastocysts for testing. Two weeks later, the genetics report confirmed that both the 4AA and 4BB were completely euploid (chromosomally normal), while the 4BC had a segmental duplication and couldn’t be used. Walking away with two golden embryos from 14 eggs felt like a solid win.
Navigating Overseas Surrogacy: How Long Matching Really Took
Because I suffer from severe adenomyosis, my uterine environment is far from ideal. After reviewing my scans, my doctor recommended starting the surrogacy process alongside my IVF cycle. Honestly, selecting a gestational carrier drained more of my energy than the ovarian stimulation itself. The agency sent over 5 candidate profiles, and I spent hours combing through their delivery records and lifestyle habits.
The woman I ultimately matched with was 27 years old and had delivered two children vaginally with zero history of C-sections. From the day I locked in her profile to the moment she cleared her comprehensive medical screening at the clinic—which covered infectious disease panels, a hysteroscopy, and a psychological evaluation—it took a total of 42 days. We actually hit a snag midway when my first choice was medically disqualified due to a sudden thyroid issue, forcing a rematch that set my timeline back by two weeks.
If you are heading down this path, you must scrutinize three specific things in a surrogate’s screening file: a recent hysteroscopy confirming no polyps or adhesions, obstetrical records showing zero history of gestational hypertension or diabetes in past pregnancies, and a psychological evaluation confirming strong family support. Getting a green light on these three areas will save you endless headaches down the road.
From Legal Contracts to Heartbeat: Key Post-Transfer Milestones
The moment she passed medical clearance, we moved straight into the legal phase. Since I was pursuing this as a single parent, I had an independent reproductive attorney review the parentage contract word for word. From our notarized video signing to receiving the final legal clearance letter, the process took 14 days.
Right after legal clearance, the clinic started prepping her uterine lining. On day 12 of her estrogen protocol, an ultrasound showed her endometrium had reached 8.8mm with a textbook trilaminar (triple-line) pattern. She then started progesterone injections for 5 days before the doctor transferred my top-grade 4AA embryo. Nine days post-transfer, her blood test came back with a strong beta HCG of 215 mIU/mL, confirming implantation. On day 28 post-transfer, the clinic sent me a video of the first ultrasound—hearing that strong, steady fetal heartbeat through the screen made every single exhausting step worth it.
Going through overseas IVF and surrogacy solo isn’t a sprint; it’s a project management marathon. If you take it one milestone at a time, trust the medical data, and stay proactive with your clinic, you will get across that finish line.