Gestational
Carrier Program
for Intended Parents

When you and your provider have decided that utilizing a gestational carrier (GC) is the best route to achieving your family goals, you will begin to work with our Third-Party Reproduction Gestational Carrier team. This process includes many steps of screening, testing, and preparation for both the intended parent(s) and potential gestational carrier. Our GC team will guide you along the way and assure you have all of the guidance and support needed to make this process as smooth as possible.

INITIAL CONSIDERATIONS

When a true medical condition precludes you from carrying a pregnancy, or if a pregnancy would pose significant risk of death or harm to you or your baby, we may recommend the use of a gestational carrier.

INITIAL REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE:

•  21 to 40 years of age
•  Have had at least one full-term, uncomplicated pregnancy
•  No history of pre-term labor or delivery, gestational diabetes, or pre-eclampsia
• No more than five total pregnancies and no more than three cesarean sections
• Have a stable family environment with adequate support
•  No significant medical conditions (e.g. high blood pressure, diabetes, lupus, etc.)  Body mass index (BMI) less than 35
•  No significant mental health issues
•  Non-smoker, no excessive alcohol intake, and no other harmful habits (recreational drug use, etc.)
•  No criminal record
•  Citizen of the United States
•  Please note: A gestational carrier must have at least 12-months in between her most recent delivery and the intended embryo transfer.

If you are in need of resources and recommendations on how to find a GC or what agencies to work with, please reach out to our team.

NOTE: Financial details will be reviewed with you by our Third-Party Reproduction financial coordinator. We will provide you with this contact information at the beginning of your journey.

Intended Parents Preparation

Our team will provide you with information regarding IVF and guide you through this process. There are a few extra steps when doing IVF to create embryos that will be transferred into a GC.

• Consents for both IVF and intended use of a GC will be provided for your review and signature FDA clearance is required for both egg and sperm source.
• FDA-specific physical examination and questionnaire completed at CFI, along with FDA labs (STD/ West-Nile Virus testing).
• If applicable, males will need to provide a semen sample for a sperm freeze. This sample will be used for fertilization of the egg(s) at the time of retrieval or donor egg fertilization.

IF EMBRYOS WERE CREATED PRIOR TO THE DETERMINATION OF USING A GESTATIONAL CARRIER

• We will schedule FDA screening for the intended parents (if sperm and egg from the intended parents were used). This will include the FDA physical exam, questionnaire, and FDA labs.
• Your GC will need to sign a “Deviation from FDA Screening Protocol” form stating that they are aware these embryos were made without FDA-specific screening prior to fertilization. In most scenarios this is not done because the intended parent(s) did not initially intend to use a GC.
• Complete consents for the intended use of a GC.

For more information, please contact the Gestational Carrier Team using our Artisan Patient Portal.