Boostanfar Fertility Services
Boostanfar Fertility, with offices in Encino and Westlake Village, CA, provides expert gestational surrogacy services to help individuals and couples achieve their dream of parenthood when traditional pregnancy is not an option. The Boostanfar Fertility team offers comprehensive support throughout the surrogacy process, from selecting and screening qualified surrogates to managing the legal, medical, and emotional aspects of the journey. Our experienced team ensures that both intended parents and surrogates receive personalized care and guidance, making sure they handle every step—from embryo transfer to delivery—with the highest level of expertise and compassion. Their goal is to create a smooth, successful surrogacy experience that helps families grow with professionalism, trust, and support.
Surrogacy
An Overview
Surrogacy is a form of assisted reproduction in which a woman, known as the surrogate, carries and delivers a child for another individual or couple, typically when the intended parents cannot carry a pregnancy themselves. Individuals with medical conditions that affect their ability to carry a pregnancy, such as uterine abnormalities, repeated miscarriages, or certain health risks, often pursue this option. Same-sex male couples or individuals who want a child with genetic links through a donor may also choose surrogacy. Two main types of surrogacy exist: traditional surrogacy, where the surrogate is also the genetic mother, and gestational surrogacy, where the surrogate carries an embryo created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) but is not genetically related to the child.
Selection and Screening of Surrogates
The surrogacy process begins with selecting and screening a suitable surrogate. The team conducts a thorough medical evaluation of potential surrogates, including a review of their medical history, psychological evaluation, and complete physical examination to ensure they are healthy enough to carry a pregnancy. The team may also screen for infectious diseases, genetic conditions, and fertility assessments. Legal contracts are established early in the process to clarify the rights, responsibilities, and expectations of all parties involved, ensuring that the surrogate understands and agrees to proceed. Psychological support for both the surrogate and intended parents is often encouraged throughout the process to help navigate the emotional aspects of surrogacy.
Embryo Creation and Transfer
Once the team selects a surrogate, the next step is to create embryos through in vitro fertilization (IVF). The team retrieves the intended mother’s or an egg donor’s eggs and fertilizes them with sperm from the intended father or a sperm donor. The lab cultures the embryos for several days, and the team selects the healthiest ones for transfer into the surrogate’s uterus. Before the embryo transfer, the surrogate undergoes hormone therapy to prepare her uterus for pregnancy, including medications to synchronize her cycle with the intended mother’s or donor’s egg retrieval. The fertility specialist performs the embryo transfer as a minimally invasive procedure, typically using a catheter to place the embryo(s) into the surrogate’s uterus under ultrasound guidance. Afterward, the surrogate undergoes blood tests to confirm pregnancy.
Pregnancy, Delivery, and Legal Considerations
If the embryo successfully implants and pregnancy occurs, the surrogate carries the pregnancy to term under the care of an obstetrician. Throughout the pregnancy, the intended parents often participate in prenatal care and may attend doctor’s appointments, though the surrogate remains the primary patient. The delivery process typically follows normal labor procedures but may include a planned cesarean section, depending on the circumstances. Legal considerations remain critical throughout the process to ensure that the intended parents are recognized as the legal parents of the child at birth, especially in cases involving a gestational surrogate. After delivery, the surrogate’s role ends, and the intended parents assume full custody of the child, starting their new family.
