Gestational Carrier

What is Gestational Carrier or Surrogacy IVF?

Sometimes it requires the help of another person in order to make your family complete. This is called third-party reproduction and it take a variety of forms depending on your infertility diagnosis and preferences.

If you’ve received an infertility diagnosis that requires third-party reproductive solutions, Surrogacy is one of the options that can significantly increase your chances of bringing a healthy newborn into the world.

IVF using a Gestational Carrier, also called Gestational Surrogate. Sometimes a woman is not able to carry a baby to term, whether it be for anatomical or medical reasons. The Intended Parent(s) can opt to undergo egg retrieval and IVF with a partner’s or donor’s sperm, after which a gestational carrier will undergo the Embryo Transfer procedure and carry the baby for her.
Traditional surrogacy. With traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is also the egg donor and intrauterine insemination (IUI) is used to inseminatethe surrogate with the father’s sperm, or donor sperm, depending on the situation.

What kind of medical screening is required?

Prior to beginning treatment, surrogates must be fully screened to ensure that there are no conditions present that could trigger complication during pregnancy. The range of tests she must undergo includes

A careful medical and family history
A thorough physical examination
A psychological evaluation
Specific blood tests to exclude HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other diseases
Cervical cultures for organisms such as chlamydia and urea plasma that might interfere with a successful outcome
An evaluation of the uterus by hysteroscopy (in which a thin, telescope-like instrument is introduced into the uterus) to determine if anything might interfere with implantation
Blood tests for prolactin and thyroid stimulating hormone
Blood testing of the surrogate’s partner for HIV, hepatitis, and other transmittable diseases

The intended parents may also be required to undergo tests if it has not already been confirmed that the woman has an adequate ovarian reserve and that there are no unidentified problems with sperm quality that could hinder success.

How to use a Gestational Carrier?

A Gestational Carrier (GC) is a form of surrogacy in which a woman becomes pregnant using an embryo created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) by a couple or individual who are unable to carry a pregnancy or carry a pregnancy safely to term.
Intended parents use their own sperm and eggs (or donated sperm and eggs) to create an embryo that is transferred to the GC’s uterus. The resulting child is genetically relatedto the intended parents (or donors) and is not genetically related to the gestational carrier.
Legal documents will be signed in advance identifying the intended parent(s) as the legal parents of the child.
A GC is an option for a woman who has a medical condition prohibiting her from carrying a pregnancy or fertility issues such as a uterine abnormality, recurrent miscarriage or previously failed IVF.
A GC, as well as an egg donor, is also used to assist single men or gay male couples wanting to build a family. 
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), an ideal gestational carrier is a healthy woman, 21-45 years old, who has already had a successful, uneventful pregnancy and has gone through extensive medical tests, including evaluation of the uterus and her general health.

Your Next Step:

Get your consultation time
by clicking the button below
or by calling 941-342-1568.