Welcome to the Northeast Assisted Fertility Group’s surrogacy program!
Surrogates (“gestational” carriers) give the priceless gift of life to hopeful parents unable to have children on their own. These special women are the heart and soul of NAFG, and they receive support from us every step of the way.
The choice to become a carrier requires a serious commitment of time, energy, and emotion, and the experience is often tremendously rewarding. Being a carrier involves initial screenings and interviews, physical and psychological tests, fertility treatments, then pregnancy (including regular doctor appointments) and delivery. Throughout, NAFG coordinators are in frequent contact with carriers. Some limited travel may be required as well.
NAFG manages gestational surrogacies, which involve the transfer of an embryo or embryos to the uterus of the carrier. These embryos are created from sperm and eggs furnished by either the intended parent(s) and/or donor(s). The baby, therefore, has no genetic relationship to the gestational carrier.
NAFG gestational carriers are compensated with a base fee starting at $50,000 ($60,000 for experienced carriers) and are matched with intended parents immediately after they qualify.
An NAFG gestational carrier should:
- be between 23 and 38 years of age
- have at least one child of her own, who she is raising in her own home
- not plan to have any additional children of her own in the near future
- be married, in a long-standing committed relationship, or have strong support from family/friends nearby
- be financially stable
- have the support from her family and others close to her for her decision to be a carrier
- enjoy being pregnant
- have a sincere desire to help create for others the kind of loving home she has herself
If you have any questions about becoming an NAFG gestational carrier, please phone us at 800-710-1677 or e-mail us at [email protected]. We look forward to discussing the surrogacy process with you. If you would like to apply, click here for NAFG’s Surrogacy Application.
Meet Our Surrogacy Coordinator, Lindsay Alexander
Lindsay is a registered nurse specializing in fertility and reproductive endocrinology. She graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University and received a Master’s in Nursing from Columbia University. She trained and gained initial experience at a large IVF clinic in New York City. With her clinical expertise, comprehensive knowledge of assisted reproductive therapies and administrative/organizational background, Lindsay is well-positioned to guide and support our intended parents and gestational carriers every step of the way.
Curious about being a surrogate?
Sign up now to receive additional information about our surrogacy program.
FAQs About Becoming a Surrogate
An NAFG gestational carrier should: be between 23 and 38 years of age, have at least one child of her own who she is raising in her own home, not plan to have any additional children of her own, be married or in a long-standing committed relationship, be financially stable, have the support from her family and others close to her for her decision to be a carrier, enjoy being pregnant and have experienced easy, uneventful pregnancies, and have a sincere desire to help create for others the kind of loving home she has herself.
NAFG receives many applications, but can only respond to a small percentage of them. If we can take action on your application, you should receive an email/phone call from us within a day or two.
If your surrogacy questionnaire indicates a possibility of a potential match with intended parents, you will be contacted by one of our staff. We will gather supplemental materials, most importantly the medical records from your previous pregnancies and deliveries. The records will be reviewed by a clinician for approval. You will then speak to our surrogacy coordinator [who is an experienced fertility nurse]. We will consider possible matches and once we have a potential fit, we will all have a phone or video conference and then an in-person meeting, most typically close to your home town. Then the medical screening would take place at an IVF clinic (typically over a period of two days; all your travel costs would be covered in advance), and you would begin the treatment to prepare your uterus for pregnancy. You would need to make one more two-day trip to the clinic for the embryo transfer. The prenatal care and birth take place in or close to your home town with your own doctors.
Once you apply it typically takes about two-three months to be matched with intended parents, and another two-four months for the screening and embryo transfer to take place.
Carriers have blood drawn (to test for hormone levels as well as infectious diseases), drug screens, uterine sonograms and psychological evaluations. Carriers’ husbands/partners participate in the psychological evaluations. Hormone treatment is required to prepare the uterus for the embryo transfer; the embryo transfer takes place in the IVF clinic and is not painful. Prenatal care is the same as for your previous pregnancies after you are discharged from the IVF clinic.
The screening and embryo transfer take place at an IVF clinic, the location of which will be determined by the intended parents. We work most often with clinics in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Your travel expenses will be covered in advance.
Yes. You will be instructed to go off hormone-type birth control (such as the pill, Mirena IUD) when you are matched. But until then, it is fine to be on birth control.
No. We welcome qualified candidates from all over the country. You must reside in a state where compensated surrogacy is not prohibited, however. We work most often with carriers who reside in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire, Maine, Georgia, Texas, Maryland, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Connecticut and California.
While it is a good idea to have general health insurance coverage for yourself and your family, most insurance policies have restrictions related to surrogacy. We will cover the cost of your prenatal care and delivery expenses in-full regardless of whether your insurance allows for surrogacy.
No. All your medical, legal, insurance, and travel costs are paid for in advance.
Please submit the Surrogacy Application, along with some current photos.
Surrogates have their own lawyers (typically recommended by us) to review the surrogacy contract with them. The contract outlines and reinforces the payment of your compensation and travel expenses, outlines the carrier’s duties and protects her rights. Legal fees are paid for in advance by the intended parents.
After receiving a written profile and some photos of your prospective intended parents, you will talk to them by phone and then meet them in person or via video conference, along with a member of the NAFG staff. You will meet again at the clinical screening. The nature and frequency of your contact throughout the pregnancy is discussed at the initial meeting to determine the type of relationship that suits all parties. Most intended parents do not live within driving distance of their carriers, but keep in touch throughout the pregnancy in many ways (phone, text, e-mail and FaceTime/Zoom).
Yes, if you have had fewer than six births in total you can qualify. We welcome candidates who have served as surrogates previously as well as new candidates.