Video Library
Financial Planning
Doctor of the Month
Nurse of the Month
Medical Library
Columns
Blogs
Groups
Events
Resources

Surrogacy
Surrogacy or gestational care is a family building option for those who want a child with genetic ties and have not had success with other “first-line” assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments. Surrogacy, in which a woman carries and gives birth to another woman’s baby, has a long history, dating back as far as the Old Testament story of Sarah and Hagar.
Traditional and Gestational
Two types of surrogacy - traditional and gestational - are practiced today. In traditional surrogacy, a woman called a “surrogate mother” carries an embryo conceived with her own egg and the sperm of a male who, with his partner, wants a baby. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate, called a gestational carrier, gives birth to a baby conceived with an egg and sperm of a couple or a donor egg or sperm. The majority of surrogates today are gestational carriers.
Traditional surrogacy can be done via intrauterine insemination IUI or in vitro fertilization (IVF). With gestational surrogacy IVF is used to fertilize the eggs in a laboratory. If the fertilization is successful, a doctor transfers some or all of the resulting embryos (often 2 or 3) into to the surrogate’s uterus. If all goes well, the surrogate/gestational carrier delivers the baby and immediately relinquishes him/her to the parent(s).
IVF, which came into practice in 1978, transformed surrogacy into a popular practice today.
Who Uses Surrogacy?
Candidates for surrogacy are:
- Couples and single women who have had multiple miscarriages, or difficulty conceiving and/or carrying a fetus to term. Surrogacy enables them to have a child genetically related to one or both.
- Gay male couples who want a child with a genetic connection to one partner.
- Couples or single women in which the woman has no uterus or a congenital anomaly of her uterus but has intact ovaries.
What to Consider
Surrogacy involves many legal, ethical and financial considerations. Usually potential parents pay the surrogate a fee for carrying the child, along with her medical expenses. Costs can start at $20,000 or more, up to $120,000. Legal contracts are required before the process begins to protect the rights and responsibilities of the parents, surrogate, and intended child. Both the third party and intended parents should have separate legal counsel.
Finding a Surrogate
Most people locate gestational carriers/surrogates through fertility clinics, websites, lawyers, and private agencies. Most agencies require that potential surrogates already have had a child/children of their own, are healthy medically and emotionally, and are not motivated solely by financially considerations.
Login
Treatment
- Egg Donation
- Embryo Donation
- Gender Selection
- Getting Started
- GIFT and ZIFT
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)/Artificial Insemination
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
- In Vitro Maturation (IVM)
- Ovulation Disorders
- Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
- Sperm Donation: Finding a Donor
- Surrogacy
- Two-Week Wait (Luteal Phase)





I just want to know if ISCI is a procedure only done with IVF or can it be done alone?
If I am 45 and perimenopausal can my eggs be implanted into a gestational surrogate?
Hi Terry --
I would encourage you to talk to your doctor about your options. It may be that surrogacy with donor egg (or your own pregnancy with donor egg) would be a better bet but it depends on a lot of factors. Good luck!
------
Need help with our site? Contact me at claire@fertilityauthority.com. I'm happy to help!
Frankly, I don't know if I could get involved in a situation of this type. I would like to feel how the child is growing inside of me. But, of course, if I couldn't conceive I would have this option in my mind too..
I'm 42 years old and when I was 23 I had my tubes tide. Otherwise everything is good. I have two living childrens, I have always wanted to help those who can not have the joy of having a child for health or other reasons. But my questions is would a person like me be able to carry a child having my tubes tied?
my daughter can not have a child because of a heart condition. He mother is 55, in good health, can she carry the baby if in good health. Is there an age limit where it is not safe
Generally there is an age limit for surrogates - for many programs the cutoff is 40. If your daughter is interested in using a surrogate, she should contact an agency or attorney in her area who handles surrogacy agreements, as well as schedule an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist - or fertility specialist - to understand what her options are.
i had my tubes tied when i was 24 (2000) now i regret it and would like to have another child i am now 34, i have 2 chidren 13 and 9 . what are my options generally? reversing the tubel or artifical?
One my friend can't have children (medical error during the operation), but she want a big family with a lot of children. Can you advise her what method to choose?
Your friend should contact a fertility specialist - or reproductive endocrinologist who can help her determine what her options are for having a family. There is a Find A Doctor search on every page of www.fertilityauthority.com.
If you are interested in becoming a surrogate, you should contact an agency or attorney in your area who manages surrogacy arrangements. They can advise you on all aspects of becoming a surrogate, including eligibility requirements you would need to meet and testing (medical and psychological) that you'd need to undergo.
Good luck!
Post new comment