Logo.
Logo.
Close button Menu button
650-325-6682 Book Now
A joyful family moment.

Gestational Carrier Services

A surrogate can help bring your family to life—and with our expert team guiding the way, you can collaborate with confidence.

Book Now
Fathers playing with child

What is a gestational carrier (Surrogate)?

In surrogacy an embryo is placed into the uterus of a gestational carrier (also known as a surrogate) to carry the pregnancy. The gestational carrier usually isn’t genetically related to the child. Surrogacy can be a path to parenthood for male couples, transgender people, and patients who are unable to carry a pregnancy.


Nova IVF works closely with a number of trusted surrogacy agencies and we’re here to help you through the surrogacy process from start to finish.

Book Now

How surrogacy works

Partnering with a gestational carrier is a deeply personal process. Once you have chosen a surrogate, either independently or through a trusted agency, there will be a thorough medical and psychological screening process and legal contracts before your cycle is scheduled.

If you and your partner will be using your own egg and sperm we will go through the process of egg retrieval, sperm collection and medical screening to prepare an embryo for transfer into the gestational carrier’s uterus. In other instances where a donor egg, sperm, or both are being used, the same steps will occur to develop the embryos.

The embryos will grow in our lab for several days under careful observation, then the embryos with the greatest chances of a successful pregnancy will be selected for freezing. During this time you may also elect to do additional genetic testing to determine if any of the embryos have genetic abnormalities.

The next step will involve the gestational surrogate undergoing a transfer cycle, which involves hormone-based medication, bloodwork and ultrasound monitoring, and eventually an embryo transfer.

The gestational carrier will continue hormonal medications through their first trimester until the placenta has matured and supplements are no longer required. For the remainder of the pregnancy, you, your gestational carrier, and your doctor will work together closely as a team to ensure the highest possible success for the pregnancy and health of both the baby and the carrier.

A delicate glass dome showcasing a small vase brimming with vibrant flowers inside.

Is using a gestational carrier right for me?

Your doctor will work closely with you to determine whether a gestational carrier is right for you. This can be an option for anyone who is unable to carry their own pregnancy. Reasons for this can include:


  • Difficult past pregnancies or health issues that would make your pregnancy high risk if you carried it yourself
  • Recurrent miscarriage or multiple unsuccessful IVF cycles
  • You do not have a uterus or you cannot carry a pregnancy yourself
  • You are a man seeking single parenthood or a gay male couple
woman writing
Baby and mother

Paying for gestational carrier services

Though the cost of fertility care can vary, the good news is that you have options. We are committed to guiding you through your costs and financing options every step of the way. With Nova IVF you will never be in the dark about the cost of fertility care.

LEARN MORE ABOUT COSTS

Your next chapter starts here. We’re here to help you write it.

Book Now

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers.

We work with known gestational carriers, sometimes referred to as compassionate or altruistic carriers, as well as surrogacy agencies. We recommend talking to your team about what option is right for you.

Many intended parents use their own eggs and sperm to develop the embryo that their surrogate will carry. In this case, your child will be genetically related to you. In other cases, patients use donor eggs and/or donor sperm in addition to working with a surrogate. Whatever option you choose, we are here to support you every step of the way.

Your gestational carrier will continue to take hormonal supplements and we will help monitor the pregnancy for the first 9 weeks of the pregnancy. After that time, Nova IVF will transfer your gestational carrier’s care and pregnancy monitoring to her chosen OB/GYN.