Surrogacy

Surrogacy

Gestational Carrier and Surrogacy Cycles

When a woman is unable to carry a pregnancy on her own a gestational carrier may be used to carry the pregnancy for her. Gestational carriers are also used for same-sex male couples trying to achieve their dream of parenthood.

Gestational carrier or Gestational surrogacy?

The terms gestational carrier and gestational surrogacy (or surrogate) are often used interchangeably but are in fact slightly different. A gestational carrier is when a woman carries a pregnancy for another women using an embryo from an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. A gestational carrier does not share any genetics with the baby she is carrying.

Gestational surrogacy is when a woman carries a pregnancy for another woman but donates her own eggs for use in the IVF cycle and linking the baby genetically to the woman carrying the child.

Am I a good candidate for gestational surrogacy and IVF?

Candidates for using a gestational carrier include patients with:

  • A serious medical condition that may affect the ability to carry a child
  • Uterine complications such as a uterine abnormality or no uterus
  • Recurrent pregnancy loss
  • Repeated failed IVF cycles or implantation failure

New York State Laws & Gestational Surrogacy

As of April 2020, NYS has removed the barrier for commercial surrogacy within the state. beginning on Feb. 15, 2021, Long Islanders and all New Yorkers will now legally be able to arrange and carry out paid surrogacy contracts. Speak with our team about surrogacy options and process.

The Gestational Surrogacy Process

Choosing a Gestational Carrier
Once you discuss with your physician whether or not a gestational carrier or surrogacy cycle is necessary, your first step will be to select a carrier.

Your team at New York Reproductive Wellness will work together with third party surrogacy agencies or a known carrier of your choosing and will help organize your cycle. All carriers found with one of our third-party agencies are thoroughly screened with a full medical evaluation.

The Legal Process

There are many legal issues that will need to be addressed during the gestational carrier or surrogacy process. Typically, there is a surrogacy contract, pre-birth order, and possible other post-birth legal procedures that will to be sorted out with the help of a lawyer.

Our team at New York Reproductive Wellness are here to support you along the way, both emotionally and medically. We will work with your surrogacy agency to make sure that all proper paperwork and contracts are in order before moving forward with care.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) & Gestational Surrogacy
At the start of the cycle, the intended mother and carrier will be prescribed medication in order to synchronize their menstrual cycles, stimulate the intended mother’s eggs, and prepare the carrier's uterus for implantation.

At this point, a typical IVF cycle will be performed just as if the patient was not using a carrier.

  • Mature eggs are retrieved from the woman’s ovaries and fertilized by sperm in an embryology laboratory to create an embryo
  • The embryos then develop in our world-class embryology laboratory until they reach the blastocyst stage (5-6 days after fertilization when it has approximately 100 cells) or cleaved embryo stage (3 days after fertilization when it has approximately 6-10 cells).
  • It is at this point when the embryo/s are transferred to the uterus
Connect with New York Reproductive Wellness

Connect

American Society for Reproductive Medicine
College of American Pathologists
Fertile Hope
Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology
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