Gestational Surrogacy

There are many unique circumstances that lead people to work with a gestational surrogate.

Some people know from the start of their fertility treatment that they will be working with a carrier. These people include same-sex male couples and single males, or females with medical conditions that make pregnancy risky, who take medications that are dangerous for pregnancy, have had serious complications in previous pregnancies, or those who were born without a uterus or had to have it removed. Other people work with a carrier after previous fertility treatments have been unsuccessful if uterine factors are highly suspected.

Having a baby with a carrier provides people with the opportunity to become biologic parents with the help of a person who will carry the baby from implantation until birth. In circumstances where both parents cannot use their gametes (eggs and/or sperm), they can use donor egg and/or sperm as well as a carrier. When the carrier becomes pregnant, you will be involved in decisions about the pregnancy, hopefully be present when your baby is born, and care for your new baby from birth. 

The Surrogacy Process

The surrogacy process generally proceeds along the following steps: 

1. Meet with your UCSF CRH doctor to discuss the need for surrogacy, the medical implications, and risks.
2. Meet with one of our psychologists to discuss the psychological and emotional aspects of surrogacy and to review the process.
3. If you do not have embryos already frozen, you will proceed with the IVF process in order to create embryos.
4. Choose a carrier: There are two types of carriers: recruited carriers and known carriers.
5. Meet with the carrier.
6. Medical screening of the carrier performed by your UCSF CRH doctor.
7. Completing legal contract and medical insurance
8. Embryo transfer. Occurs at UCSF CRH.
9. Pregnancy test and early ultrasound monitoring through the first month of pregnancy. Occurs at UCSF CRH.