Surrogacy Services

For many individuals and couples who can’t carry a pregnancy, surrogacy is an ideal option for starting or expanding their family.
Request an Appointment
For Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) related requests:
1-319-356-2294
For all other requests:
1-800-777-8442

If you want to have a child but are unable to carry a pregnancy, you still have options—including surrogacy.  

With surrogacy, another woman (known as a gestational carrier or surrogate mother) carries and gives birth to your child.  

University of Iowa Health Care’s surrogacy program has helped many individuals and couples become parents (or expand their family). You may be able to use a surrogate if: 

  • You haven’t been able to get pregnant on your own or with the help of infertility treatments  
  • You have a medical condition that makes it dangerous for you to carry a pregnancy 
  • You’ve had a hysterectomy, or you were born without a uterus 
  • You’re in a same-sex relationship and neither you nor your partner can carry a pregnancy 

No matter what your circumstances, you can count on our team to guide you through the surrogacy process. We’re here to counsel you, care for you, and support you at each step along this journey. 

How surrogacy works

If you’re eligible to pursue surrogacy through UI Health Care, you’ll work with one of our reproductive endocrinologists. They’ll manage all the medical services you and your gestational carrier may need to achieve a successful pregnancy. 

You’ll also work with one of our partner agencies to help identify and screen potential gestational carriers and coordinate the business and legal aspects of the process. 

The fertilization process

Before a surrogate can carry your child, we need to create a human embryo. That embryo will eventually be placed in your gestational carrier’s uterus.  

The steps involved in this process include:  

  • You (or an egg donor) will take fertility medications that produce multiple eggs. 
  • When the eggs mature, one of our specialists will remove them from the ovary (egg retrieval). 
  • We’ll fertilize the eggs in our laboratory, using your partner’s sperm or donor sperm. This technique is called in vitro fertilization (IVF). 
  • Next, we’ll freeze the fertilized eggs (embryos). 
  • Once you and your gestational carrier are ready to try for pregnancy, we’ll thaw one of the embryos. It will be placed inside your gestational carrier’s uterus during a procedure called an embryo transfer. 

Pregnancy occurs when the embryo implants itself into the lining of the uterus. If your gestational carrier doesn’t become pregnant after the first embryo transfer, we’ll try again with another embryo. 

Iowa’s leader in reproductive endocrinology

When you turn to UI Health Care for help growing your family, you can have complete confidence in our team. 

The UI Center for Advanced Reproductive Care opened in 1987 as the first program of its kind in Iowa. Since then, we’ve become a trusted leader in IVF and other infertility treatments, with success rates above the national average. 

And as Iowa’s oldest reproductive endocrinology program, we’re also the most experienced. We’ve successfully helped tens of thousands of individuals and families—and counting—achieve their dreams of having a child.  

What should I know before pursuing surrogacy?

If you’re considering surrogacy, you should meet with a reproductive endocrinologist who has experience with the process. They’ll help you understand the potential challenges and complications that may come with using a gestational carrier. 

These challenges may include: 

  • Medical risks for you or your surrogate during the egg retrieval and embryo transfer procedures 
  • Medical risks for your surrogate during pregnancy and birth 
  • The costs associated with surrogacy  

Having a child through a gestational carrier can be expensive. The fees you pay cover the costs of many services. These may include: 

  • Legal fees 
  • Partner agency fees 
  • Gestational carrier compensation 
  • Fertility medications 
  • Expenses related to egg retrieval, in vitro fertilization, embryo freezing, and embryo transfer 
  • Health insurance for your gestational carrier 
  • Life insurance for your gestational carrier 

Many of our patients ask why we work with outside agencies. 

While UI Health Care manages the medical aspects of the surrogacy process, our partner agencies handle many of the administrative services. These services include: 

  • Ensuring appropriate payments are made 
  • Identifying and screening potential gestational carriers (even if your surrogate is someone you know) 
  • Matching intended parents with a suitable gestational carrier 
  • Facilitating psychological and legal support services 
  • Organizing remote monitoring and travel, if necessary 

Together, we make sure your surrogate is mentally and physically qualified to be a gestational carrier. We also aim to make this process as smooth and seamless as possible for you and your gestational carrier. 

Our Care Team

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E. Hakan
Duran
MD

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN)
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Abey
Eapen
MBBS, PhD, FCRI

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Jessica
Kresowik
MD

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Abigail C.
Mancuso
MD

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Rachel
Mejia
DO

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MD

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Elizabeth
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  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN)
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Nikki
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DNP, ARNP, RN, WHNP-BC

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN)
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Amy E.T.
Sparks
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  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN)

Wondering if surrogacy is right for you?

If you’re thinking about having a child with the help of a gestational carrier, call UI Health Care. One of our reproductive endocrinologists will help you understand the surrogacy process and determine if you’re eligible.
Call 1-319-356-2294

Locations and Offices

UI Center for Advanced Reproductive Care
Suite 2000
1-319-356-8483
Clinic
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In Iowa City, North Dodge
1360 North Dodge Street, Iowa City, IA 52245
Davenport–Dexter Court
1-563-355-2244
Clinic
Interior photo of the women's health clinic in Davenport
In Davenport, Dexter Court
3385 Dexter Court, Pavilion 3, Suite 110, Davenport, IA 52807
West Des Moines - Jordan Creek Parkway Clinic
Suite 120
1-515-336-6562
Clinic
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In West Des Moines, Jordan Creek Parkway
1225 Jordan Creek Parkway, Suite 120, West Des Moines, IA 50266