Surrogacy is a life-giving process for families who cannot otherwise welcome a child. Reproductive medicine makes it possible for families to have a child when it would not be possible otherwise.
A crucial development in reproductive medicine that has made gestational surrogacy possible is IVF or in vitro fertilization, making it possible for intended parents to create an embryo using their genetic material to share genetics with their child.
Understanding how IVF surrogacy works is an important step in growing a family using reproductive technology. Explore the various medical, emotional, and logistical decisions involved.
What Is IVF Surrogacy?
IVF surrogacy refers to gestational surrogacy made possible by IVF. Gestational surrogacy involves a woman carrying a baby she has no genetic connection to, meaning she does not use her own eggs in conceiving the baby. Instead, the embryo is created through IVF and transferred to the gestational carrier’s uterus.
Fertility specialists create the embryo using the intended mother’s egg and intended father’s sperm, or donor egg or donor sperm, depending on the parents’ circumstances.
Because the gestational carrier shares no genetics with the baby, it can make parentage easier to establish right away after birth based on the state law in which you complete your surrogacy agreement.
California law is quite favorable toward gestational surrogacy, making it possible to establish parentage before the baby is born. That way, intended parents can move right into life as parents without worrying about paperwork or risks of lack of clarity in who the baby belongs to.
How IVF Makes Gestational Surrogacy Possible
Let’s take a look at the IVF process that makes gestational surrogacy possible.
It starts with ovarian stimulation for the intended mother or egg donor to prepare for egg retrieval. Medication encourages the development of multiple eggs. Those eggs are then retrieved and fertilized with sperm in a lab.
Resulting embryos are monitored for health and wellbeing as they begin to develop. Then they undergo genetic testing to aid in selecting the best one for transfer.
Once the intended parents have selected the embryo, fertility technology aids in preparing the gestational carrier’s uterus for embryo transfer. Using a thin catheter, the embryo is then placed into the gestational carrier’s uterus.
If the embryo transfer results in implantation, the gestational carrier then begins prenatal care for pregnancy.
Using Genetic Material from the Intended Parents
IVF surrogacy is especially meaningful because it enables intended parents to share a genetic connection with their child, despite not being able to carry the pregnancy themselves.
For example, some women are unable to safely carry a pregnancy due to a medical condition that makes pregnancy unsafe or due to repeated miscarriages without a medical explanation. Her eggs can be retrieved safely and paired with her partner’s sperm to still share a genetic connection to the child despite hurdles to pregnancy.
A reproductive endocrinologist can guide intended parents in determining if this path is viable for them.
When Egg Donation is Part of IVF Surrogacy
IVF surrogacy does not always involve using the intended parents’ egg and sperm. In some circumstances, genetic material may not be available from the parents. This might be because the mother does not have viable eggs, resulting in the need for donor eggs to create an embryo.
Accel Conceptions offers the option to use donor eggs as a pathway to surrogacy for intended parents who cannot produce their own eggs.
Egg donation offers an additional option for family building when genetic material is not available, either because of a single father pursuing surrogacy or because the eggs retrieved from the mother are not viable.
The decision to use donor eggs is personal. Intended parents should seek legal guidance and counseling to ensure they are emotionally ready to take on not sharing genetics with the child and have the proper legal agreements in place to protect their parental rights.
The Role of Embryo Selection and Genetic Testing
Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) aids in evaluating an embryo for chromosomal and genetic characteristics before transferring to the gestational carrier. The intended parents or egg donor’s medical history, age, genetic circumstances and fertility history can all be factors in deciding whether the embryo should undergo PGT before transfer.
While PGT is not a guarantee of a pregnancy or healthy baby, it can be helpful for families that know they have certain medical conditions or history of genetic conditions in their family. A healthy embryo can also reduce the likelihood of requiring multiple transfers to achieve a pregnancy.
PGT does not eliminate all uncertainty but it can provide some peace of mind and reduced chances of certain medical conditions or genetic abnormalities.
Ensuring Proper Screening
Every person involved in gestational surrogacy should undergo screening to ensure the best chances of success in a healthy pregnancy. This includes intended parents, genetic contributors (such as egg or sperm donors) and the gestational carrier. Proper screening helps identify any medical or psychological concerns before IVF takes place.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommends careful screening for all parties involved as part of a responsible surrogacy program.
While gestational carriers share no genetics with the child, their medical and emotional state have a bearing on the success of the pregnancy. This ensures that when all parties enter into a surrogacy agreement, they do so aware of all considerations to protect the rights of everyone involved.
Why Choosing the Right Fertility Clinic is so Important
IVF is such a crucial element in gestational surrogacy that having the right fertility professionals is so important to ensuring a successful and healthy pregnancy and delivery.
The fertility clinic is responsible for medical aspects of the IVF cycle, including ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilization, embryo culture, embryo freezing, genetic testing and embryo transfer.
Accel Conceptions works with fertility clinics and medical professionals that it has carefully screened for best practices and safety for best results.
Intended parents will work with many professionals while pursuing gestational surrogacy. As such, working with a surrogacy agency that coordinates all parties and uses screened professionals knowledgeable about gestational surrogacy can be helpful.
Accel Conceptions has more than 20 years of experience in guiding intended parents in their surrogacy journeys. Contact the team now for answers to your questions and to get the process started on your way to welcoming a child through gestational surrogacy.