1
Building your care plan
Your fertility specialist will review your medical history, discuss your family-building goals, and determine whether working with a gestational carrier is the right option for you.
Understanding gestational carriers
Welcoming a new baby can mean working with gestational carriers, who carry pregnancies to help people grow their families. We specialize in treatments that include the support of a gestational carriers, giving individuals and couples options tailored to their unique path.
What’s the difference between a gestational carrier and a traditional surrogate?
A gestational carrier (sometimes called a gestational surrogate) carries a pregnancy for the intended parent(s) using an embryo created through IVF. Because the embryo is created using the egg and sperm of the intended parent(s) and/or sperm and/or egg donor(s), the gestational carrier is not genetically related to the child.
For those using their own egg or sperm, gestational carriers allow many individuals and couples to build a family while preserving a genetic connection.
A traditional surrogate, however, uses their own egg and is genetically related to the child.
Who uses a gestational carrier?
A gestational carrier may be an option for partnered or single individuals who don’t have a uterus and want to build a family. Gestational carriers may also be an option for people who have uterine abnormalities or a medical condition that makes pregnancy unsafe. They can also be considered for individuals or couples who have experienced multiple unsuccessful fertility treatments or difficulty carrying a pregnancy to term due to uterine factors.
Who can become a gestational carrier?
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), an ideal gestational carrier is healthy and between the ages of 21 and 45, with a healthy weight for their body type. They should have had at least one full-term pregnancy and delivery without complications, but no more than five pregnancies in total. Ideally, they should also have had no more than three Cesarean deliveries.
Potential gestational carriers must complete infectious disease screenings, an extensive medical evaluation, psychological evaluation, and a background check, all of which are done in-house or by a partnering agency.
Understanding the gestational carrier process
Our team will guide you through the medical journey of using a gestational carrier while helping coordinate care with your agency, legal team, and gestational carrier.
2
Matching with a gestational carrier
Whether you're working with a trusted friend or family member or partnering with a gestational carrier agency, your care team will help guide you through the next steps once you've found the right match.
3
Creating your embryos
Embryos are created through IVF using your own eggs or donor eggs, along with sperm from the intended parent or a donor. Your physician will recommend an approach that's targeted to your treatment plan.
4
Preparing for embryo transfer
Once your embryos are ready, your gestational carrier begins a carefully monitored treatment cycle to prepare the uterus for pregnancy.
5
Transferring the embryo
An embryo is transferred into the gestational carrier's uterus during a frozen embryo transfer (FET). The procedure is typically brief, and your care team will continue to monitor next steps closely.
Your care team, from clinic to lab
The doctors at the heart of your care
Get to know the fertility specialists who bring deep expertise to your care while taking time to understand your unique history, journey, and goals
Inside our embryology labs
Much of IVF happens beyond the exam room. In our labs, experienced embryologists closely manage fertilization and embryo development
Headline goes here
Helping other people build their families is the most meaningful thing I could ever do for them.
Dr. Firstname Lastname, MD
Clinic location
Gestational carrier: What to expect
Navigate the gestational carrier process confidently
What is the difference between a surrogate and gestational carrier?
Can I use a family member as a gestational carrier?
How does the gestational carrier process work?
Learn more about fertility treatment
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How successful is IVF with a gestational carrier?
IVF with a gestational carrier can be an effective fertility treatment option. Success depends on several factors, including the age of the person providing the eggs (whether the intended parent or an egg donor), sperm quality, and the health of the embryos. Your fertility specialist will discuss the factors that may influence your individual chance of success.
How do I find a gestational carrier?
What happens after I've chosen a gestational carrier?
Once you've selected a gestational carrier, the next step is creating a legal agreement between the intended parent(s), the gestational carrier, and their spouse (if applicable).
Each party should have separate legal representation, typically outlining important details such as parental rights, medical expenses, compensation, decision-making during pregnancy, and expectations before and after the baby's birth. Fertility treatment begins only after all parties have agreed to the contract.
Whose eggs or sperm can be used with a gestational carrier?
Embryos for a gestational carrier can be created using your own eggs or donor eggs, along with sperm from an intended parent or a donor.
If you're using your own eggs, you'll complete an IVF cycle to retrieve your eggs. They are then fertilized with sperm from the intended parent or a donor to create embryos, which are transferred to the gestational carrier during a frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle.
If you're using donor eggs, you'll first choose a donor—either someone you know or an unidentified donor through an egg donor agency or frozen donor egg bank. The donor eggs are fertilized with sperm from the intended parent or a donor to create embryos, which are then transferred to the gestational carrier.
If you're using donor sperm, it can be used to fertilize either your own eggs or donor eggs, depending on your treatment plan.
Your fertility specialist will help determine which option aligns with your family-building goals.
What should a gestational carrier expect during the process?
A gestational carrier experiences the same physical changes and medical care as any pregnancy. Before treatment begins, both the gestational carrier and intended parent(s) complete medical and psychological evaluations to help prepare for the journey.
Open communication is an important part of the process. Together, the intended parent(s) and gestational carrier discuss expectations throughout the pregnancy and after delivery, with those agreements reflected in their legal contract.
How much does working with a gestational carrier cost?
Working with a gestational carrier is one of the most significant investments in family building, and costs vary based on each family's circumstances.
Expenses may include:
- IVF treatment
- Gestational carrier compensation
- Agency fees
- Legal services
- Medical expenses and insurance for the gestational carrier
Your care team can help you understand the costs involved and what to expect as you plan your treatment.
List item
Tellus leo condimentum hac mi facilisis vehicula mattis ipsum hendrerit aliquam mattis quam. Praesent at ultricies maecenas mattis vivamus justo suspendisse tempus hac mattis platea diam. Vitae molestie dictum rhoncus; natoque justo platea blandit convallis gravida habitant ultricies. Platea lacinia risus laoreet nibh dolor hac mattis fusce convallis sollicitudin.