Working with a Gestational Carrier (Surrogate)

Partnering with a gestational carrier is a deeply personal process. Once you have chosen a carrier, either independently or through a trusted surrogacy agency, there will be a thorough screening process and legal contracts before your cycle is scheduled.

If you and your partner will be using your own eggs and sperm we will go through the process of egg retrieval and sperm collection to prepare an embryo for implantation into the gestational carrier’s uterus. In other instances where donor eggs, sperm, or both are being used, the same steps will occur to create the embryos.

The embryos will grow in our lab for several days under careful observation, then the healthiest will be selected for freezing. During this time you may also elect to do additional genetic testing to determine if any of the embryos have genetic abnormalities.

The next step will involve the gestational surrogate undergoing an embryo transfer cycle, which involves hormonal therapy, testing such as bloodwork and ultrasound, and eventually transfer of the embryo into the uterus.

The gestational carrier will continue hormonal supplementation through their first trimester until the placenta has matured and supplements are no longer required. For the remainder of the pregnancy, you, your gestational carrier, and your doctor will work together closely as a team to ensure the highest possible success for the pregnancy and health of both the baby and the carrier.

Your doctor will work closely with you to determine whether a gestational carrier is right for you. This can be a potential option for anyone who is unable to carry their own pregnancy. Reasons for this can include:

• Ovulation issues
• Difficult past pregnancies or factor that would make your pregnancy high risk if you carried it yourself
• Recurrent miscarriage or other infertility issues
• You do not have a uterus
• You are a man seeking single parenthood or a gay male couple