For those considering surrogacy as their path to parenthood, many factors must be evaluated. From selecting an agency and calculating finances to navigating logistics and legalities, the process can feel overwhelming. A key consideration is understanding Gestational Carrier success rates before committing to such an important journey.
What is Gestational Surrogacy, and how should success rates be understood? Unlike Traditional Surrogacy, the surrogate in Gestational Surrogacy does not share genetics with the child. Through advancements in In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), surrogates carry embryos unrelated to them.
Gestational Carrier success rates are influenced by various factors, making them complex to assess. Before exploring these factors, it's essential to grasp the general concept of success rates in Gestational Surrogacy.
Before delving into Gestational Surrogacy Success Rates, it's important to distinguish between agency success rates and clinical (IVF) success rates, as they define "success" differently.
Agency success rates typically refer to the likelihood of having a child through the agency's surrogacy process. Some agencies, like Hatch, report success rates as high as 99% by ensuring intended parents eventually go home with a baby. However, this does not reflect the number of IVF cycles or embryo transfers required, which falls under clinical success.
Clinical (IVF) success rates focus on live birth rates, considering factors like the number of IVF cycles and embryo transfers. Both rates are crucial when choosing an agency or clinic for a surrogacy arrangement. Agency success rates are not easily verified, while clinical success rates are more transparent and can be verified using the CDC and SART databases.
According to the CDC, the success rate for a qualified surrogate undergoing IVF (one cycle) is up to 75% and rises to about 95% once pregnancy is established. These statistics highlight the robustness of Gestational Surrogacy with IVF for those seeking to grow their families.
Understanding the factors influencing these rates is essential before committing to a surrogacy journey to avoid common reasons for failed attempts. These key factors are outlined below and discussed further in this piece.
One of the most critical factors influencing Gestational Carrier Success Rates is the quality of the embryo, which depends on the quality of the egg and sperm used.
Factors like health, lifestyle, diet, and age significantly impact egg and sperm quality. Smoking, alcohol, and drug use can reduce quality, while healthy habits like proper diet and exercise can improve it. However, age remains a key factor, as it can lower embryo quality and increase risks of genetic abnormalities, affecting gestational carrier success rates.
Pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT-A) can help mitigate these risks by identifying healthy embryos. A patient’s specific medical history will also need to be assessed. Every patient and situation are unique and can thus have an impact on the success.
Using a medically screened, younger egg donor can also improve success rates, as donors typically produce higher-quality eggs, leading to healthier embryos and increased success overall.
Someone that has already tried IVF without success does not need to be discouraged by that fact. By improving egg and sperm quality, performing PGT testing and pursuing surrogacy (if that is the right choice) there are still ways forward to achieve parenthood, as IVF with Surrogacy differs from IVF alone.
Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is crucial in Gestational Surrogacy, as it evaluates embryos for genetic abnormalities before implantation. This process identifies chromosomal or genetic issues, ensuring only the healthiest embryos are used, which significantly boosts gestational surrogacy success rates.
PGT reduces the risk of genetic disorders, enhances the likelihood of a successful pregnancy, and offers intended parents and surrogates peace of mind by making the process more predictable.
While some surrogacy agencies mandate PGT-tested embryos for transfer, others do not. It is important to consult with an IVF physician to learn more about the pros and cons of PGT testing.
A key criterion for agencies or clinics recruiting surrogates is a proven history of successful pregnancies and deliveries. This not only indicates the candidate's suitability but also helps predict gestational carrier success rates.
A record of healthy pregnancies and deliveries, with minimal complications, ensures both the safety of the surrogate and higher success rates.
Such experience also means the surrogate is familiar with the process of carrying and delivering a child, fostering confidence and comfort, which further supports a successful outcome.
Many factors can influence Gestational Carrier Success Rates, especially those related to a surrogate's qualifications, making a thorough screening process vital. While all agencies have their own requirements and screening standards, common steps typically include:
Some agencies go further with additional steps, like a medical doctor’s review, home visits, or uterine lining checks, to boost success rates. Fertility clinics and physicians may also impose specific requirements, such as BMI limits, age limits, STI testing or the surrogate’s pregnancy history, ensuring the best match for a successful outcome.
A common question is whether prior surrogacy experience guarantees higher success. While familiarity with the process can build confidence, it isn’t the sole factor. Success depends on a combination of many elements working together, as outlined in this piece.
Unless you’re handling an independent arrangement and managing key steps like screening yourself, choosing the right surrogacy agency is crucial. Agencies do more than recruit, screen, and match egg donors, surrogates, and intended parents—they also guide everyone through the process, offering not just legal support but emotional and psychological care essential for a successful journey.
A surrogacy journey is a significant endeavour, not only in terms of time but also emotions. Being well in tune with the potential emotional stress and impact of surrogacy, as well as having skills to cope with those stress factors, might make it less likely that one faces conflicts or other disputes during the journey. There are many people involved in surrogacy and for a successful outcome one should not neglect emotional support and counselling.
With hundreds of agencies in the U.S. and little regulation, thorough research is necessary to find the right fit. Agencies differ in approach, services, and structure, so when considering Gestational Surrogacy, focus on factors like:
While not exhaustive, these points help determine if an agency can support high gestational surrogacy success rates. Equally important is selecting the right fertility clinic.
From assessing and improving egg and sperm quality, performing PGT testing, medically screening surrogates, to completing embryo transfer, choosing the right fertility clinic is just as important as selecting the agency.
Key factors to evaluate include:
It’s also vital to understand the clinic’s technology and how it impacts overall success. Even among experienced clinics with in-house labs, technology and specialist teams can vary.
Thorough research on the clinic’s physicians, their experience with surrogacy, egg donation (if relevant), and your specific circumstances (like your age group) can help boost your chances of a successful gestational surrogacy outcome.
While the six factors discussed so far clearly impact gestational carrier success rates, there are other less obvious ones—costs being a major one.
Surrogacy requires detailed financial planning to cover expenses from embryo creation and legal fees to agency selection and insurance. Costs typically range from $100,000 to $200,000, excluding variable or unexpected expenses like extra embryo transfers, travel, or c-section compensation, which are common. It is hard to know exactly how much one should budget for, or for how many repeat attempts per step, but different financial structures might offer more or less of a predictability.
Failing to anticipate and manage these costs can halt your journey before you welcome a child. Most agencies offer “pay-as-you-go” plans that may not cover worst-case scenarios, but some, like Hatch, provide “Fixed Fee” plans that include variable and unexpected costs, helping to keep the journey on track, even in the worst case scenario.
Location also matters. The U.S. is seen as the “gold standard” due to advanced medical and IVF care, ethically committed agencies, and its deep, long-lived legal framework, but it’s also the most expensive. Other countries may offer lower upfront costs, but repeated procedures, travel, and surrogacy matches can drive the total cost higher, not to mention the emotional toll of facing continuous challenges along the way. Ethical considerations are key when choosing where to pursue gestational surrogacy.
Hatch Egg Donation & Surrogacy has been operating during more than 30+ years, offering fertility services to those who wish to make their dream of a family become reality. Hatch is the first egg donation agency and one of the first surrogacy agencies in the United States.
With direct access to a top IVF clinic, Pacific Fertility Center Los Angeles, Hatch can draw from the knowledge, experience and expertise of top reproductive partners to ensure high gestational surrogacy success rates.
With the largest fresh egg donor database in the United States, the most thorough surrogacy screening process, and Fixed Fee offerings via the Peace of Mind program, Hatch is the leading U.S. agency, deeply focused on safety, transparency and success.
Understanding the complexities of gestational surrogacy success rates is crucial for anyone embarking on this life-changing journey. With gestational carrier success rates reaching as high as 75% for a qualified surrogate undergoing IVF, and increasing to 95% once the surrogate is pregnant, this pathway offers a robust and highly reliable option for building a family. Factors such as embryo quality, surrogate screening, and the expertise of the agency and fertility clinic all contribute significantly to these impressive outcomes.
By partnering with experienced and reputable organizations like Hatch, intended parents can confidently navigate the surrogacy process, supported by unmatched expertise, ethical standards, and a commitment to creating families. With such high likelihoods of success, gestational surrogacy continues to be a hopeful and promising avenue for achieving the dream of parenthood.
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