Gestational Surrogates Can Make Your Dreams of a Child a Reality
The first baby of the new year usually makes headlines, but Sutten Faye Newsom’s story is a bit different. Sutten was born early in the morning of Jan. 1, 2017 to her aunt who served as her gestational surrogate. Sutten’s mother couldn’t carry a baby due to a medical condition she experienced as a teen. Her sister stepped in to serve as a surrogate. The baby was conceived via in-vitro fertilization. Her mother’s egg was fertilized with her father’s sperm in a clinical setting. The fertilized egg was then implanted into her aunt’s uterus who carried her to term. While this situation exemplifies the strength of familial relationships, not everyone has a close family member who is willing or able to serve as a surrogate. In those cases, a third-party surrogate can help make your dream of having a child a reality.
Who Might Consider Gestational Surrogate IVF?
Gestational surrogacy is a realistic option for many people who want a child but can’t carry one themselves.
- Gay male couples
- Single men who want a child
- Women with uterine abnormalities, untreatable uterine scar tissue or other medical problems like heart disease, cystic fibrosis, kidney disease, lupus or a poor obstetric history.
How Do I Find a Gestational Surrogate?
NRM in Vermont works with people who want to have child via surrogate. We work with the Vermont Surrogacy Network to match surrogates with parents. Surrogates must be at least 21 years old and have delivered at least one baby to term.
Are Surrogates Screened at a Fertility Clinic?
Yes. Surrogates undergo medical and psychological screenings to ensure the best outcome. For example, surrogates must provide:
- A detailed obstetric and lifestyle history,
- A physical exam,
- An ultrasound of the uterus,
- infectious disease testing,
- Blood type and antibody screening, and
- A mental health evaluation that includes a discussion of the relationship with the parents, coping with attachment to the fetus and the impact of a surrogate pregnancy on her partner, family and friends.
Potential parents should also meet with a mental health counselor to discuss many of the same issues as well as other scenarios that might arise during the pregnancy.
Considering IVF with a Gestational Surrogate? 
If you’d like to learn more about the process and how to get started locating a surrogate, please contact our fertility clinic, Northeastern Reproductive Medicine, serving Vermont, New York, New Hampshire and Canada, for a consultation. We’re also pleased to offer couples other fertility treatment options like IUI, IVF, donor egg IVF and preimplantation genetic screening (PGS).
