Fertility Treatments
Surrogacy
A trusted path for same-sex couples, solo parents and women unable to carry a pregnancy.
4.5
What is surrogacy?
Surrogacy is when someone, known as a surrogate, carries a baby for intended parents who are unable to carry a pregnancy themselves. Intended parents may be heterosexual or same-sex couples or single people.
Some surrogates are family members or friends, while others are introduced through surrogacy support organisations.
At London Women’s Clinic, we are proud to support surrogacy as a way of building families. We’ve developed a comprehensive surrogacy pathway to guide patients through every step - from medical care to counselling and legal support.
Host surrogacy, also known as gestational surrogacy, is the most common form of surrogacy. In this process, embryos are created in the laboratory using eggs and sperm from the intended parents or donors.
The treatment involves two key medical steps:
- IVF (in vitro fertilisation): eggs are fertilised with sperm in the lab to create embryos.
- Embryo transfer: one of these embryos is then placed into the surrogate’s uterus to begin the pregnancy.
This means that the surrogate has no genetic link to the baby — she is carrying the pregnancy, but the biological connection comes from the intended parents and/or donors.
Who is surrogacy suitable for?
Surrogacy may be the right choice if:
- Pregnancy is medically unsafe or not possible
- You are a same-sex male couple or a single man seeking fatherhood
- Previous fertility treatments have not been successful
How does surrogacy work?
Many intended parents may ask a family member or friend to become a surrogate, as there is already trust and an established relationship. If this isn’t an option, intended parents will need to find a surrogate independently. We have a long history of working with leading surrogacy agencies, lawyers and researchers, giving intended parents confidence and expert guidance throughout the journey.
Once you have found your surrogate and are ready to proceed, the process typically includes:
Step 1
Including blood tests and medical assessment
Step 2
For all parties to provide emotional support and guidance
Step 3
Around UK surrogacy laws and regulations, both before and after the birth
No matter which route you choose, it is crucial to understand the process, as surrogacy is complex and involves many legal and emotional considerations.
Anthony & Duncan's Story
Surrogacy, Donor Eggs and the Family They Always Dreamed Of
When Anthony and Duncan decided to start a family, they knew the path would be extraordinary. With their close friend stepping forward as their surrogate, and donor eggs from London Egg Bank, our Harley Street team helped them navigate every step of the surrogacy process with expertise, care and compassion.
Today, they are proud parents to their daughter Polly - proof that with the right support, the family you've always hoped for is possible.
Watch their story.
Legal guidance and surrogacy agreements
Surrogacy involves important legal considerations, from understanding parental rights to creating formal surrogacy agreements. We want to ensure potential patients are fully aware of the legal aspects before embarking on this journey.
We strongly recommend obtaining a legal agreement with the assistance of a qualified surrogacy lawyer, outlining expectations and responsibilities to meet UK law requirements.
While surrogacy is sometimes portrayed negatively in the media, particularly around delays in the granting of parental orders, our experience has been entirely positive.
To date, every case we have supported has successfully obtained a parental order.
This reflects the strength of our legal partnerships and careful adherence to UK surrogacy law.
Our Surrogacy Success in Numbers
Over 200 families supported through surrogacy journeys
We have guided over 200 families through their surrogacy journeys, helping them take important steps toward growing their families.
Key insights
- Some surrogates have supported more than one intended parent or couple
- One surrogate has welcomed a baby for three different families
- Around 50% of surrogacy cycles involve same-sex male parents
- Many patients use donor eggs sourced through our licensed egg bank, enabling a seamless single-centre pathway
Thanks to the generosity and dedication of our surrogates, this past year:
Surrogacy at London Women’s Clinic is supported by a highly coordinated clinical and legal framework, designed to provide continuity of care throughout the entire journey.
This approach has been highlighted in the largest UK study on surrogacy outcomes conducted by Professor Kirsty Horsey.*
Want to learn more? You can explore our success rates page to see the latest outcomes.
Our trusted partners
We’ve designed one of the few dedicated surrogacy pathways in the UK. While we don’t directly match parents with surrogates, we work closely with experienced agencies - such as Beautiful Beginnings and others - to make the process smoother and more supportive. These agencies handle matching and legal arrangements, while we focus on delivering the highest standards of medical care in a caring and reassuring environment.
Alongside these trusted agencies, our partner clinics - London Egg Bank and London Sperm Bank - ensure personalised care can be seamlessly incorporated into your plan.
How Much Does Surrogacy Cost?
The cost of surrogacy depends on whether you’re using your own eggs and sperm or working with a known egg donor. Treatment plans also vary depending on the surrogate’s needs and any additional procedures recommended by your consultant.
Semen Analysis £350.00
Sperm Freezing (for commissioning father) £475.00
Pre-Treatment Investigations for Surrogate From £500.00
Included in the fee:
- Monitoring scans, clinical advice, single egg collection
- Preparation and culture of eggs and sperm
- One Fresh Embryo transfer
- One βhCG pregnancy blood test, one viability pregnancy scan or review consultation in the event of a negative outcome
- Embryo Glue
In addition to your main procedure fee, there are some additional costs you will need to be aware of when planning your treatment. Additonal costs may include:
- Medication
- Sedation
- Monitoring blood tests
- HFEA licence fees
- ICSI
- Extended embryo culture to blastocyst stage and time lapse monitoring
- Embryo freezing
- Embryo storage
Exact costs will be discussed after your consultation and once a treatment plan has been confirmed for you. For Single Cycle IVF the average total treatment cost is £9,140 - £10,640
Included in the fee:
- Monitoring scans, clinical advice
- Preparation and culture of eggs and sperm
- ICSI
- Extended embryo culture to blastocyst stage and time lapse monitoring
- EmbryoGlue
- One embryo transfer
- Embryo cryopreservation (if applicable)
- One βhCG pregnancy blood test, one viability pregnancy scan or review consultation in the event of a negative outcome
In addition to your main procedure fee, there are some additional costs you will need to be aware of when planning your treatment. Additonal costs may include:
- Medication
- Monitoring blood tests
- HFEA licence fees
- Embryo storage
The average total treatment cost when using 6 donor eggs is £13,835.
Included in the fee:
- Clinical advice, monitoring scans
- Embryo thaw, EmbryoGlue
- Embryo transfer
- One βhCG pregnancy blood test, one viability pregnancy scan or review consultation in the event of a negative outcome
In addition to your main procedure fee, there are some additional costs you will need to be aware of when planning your treatment. Additonal costs may include:
- Medication
- Monitoring blood tests
- HFEA licence fees
Exact costs will be discussed after your consultation and once a treatment plan has been confirmed for you. For Frozen Embryo Transfer the average total treatment cost is £3,210 - £3,610
Optional additional services (e.g. ICSI, PICSI, PGT-A, embryo thawing, genetic counselling, medication for donor and surrogate) will be discussed with your consultant as part of your personalised treatment plan.
‘Wonderful punch of people, caring, competent, and efficient in all they do. It feels we are all in a mission together and they are invested in the success of our pregnancy. Thank k you 🙏’
Yasmine Mora
30 October 2026, LWC London Bridge
‘I couldn’t speak more highly of the London Women’s Clinic Oxford! From the moment you walk in you are greeted with such a warm welcome. The reception area is bright and welcoming and the receptionist is lovely. All of the staff are so friendly, helpful and polite.<br><br>Going through this journey can be emotional, so having such a wonderful supportive, caring clinic to visit makes all the difference. Everyone goes above and beyond to make you feel comfortable and looked after.<br><br>I feel so lucky to have such a lovely team supporting me along the way. Thank you all! 🍀💗’
Louise
30 October 2026, LWC Oxford
‘Incredible service and professionals. They made me feel comfortable and safe the entire journey. Thank you!’
Luciana Lombardi
30 October 2026, LWC Cambridge
‘I had an absolutely amazing experience at LWC from start to finish! There are literally no wait times so we were able to get started pretty much straight away after consultation. The process was seamless, with a lot of flexibility if you need to change appt time. Nurses are amazing and so supportive. Special shout out to Kate and Chris who were so kind and made the whole experience so much better. Also the nurses on the ward were absolutely amazing but I can’t remember their names. I’m now discharged as I’m pregnant from my first try! However I will look forward to returning in the future for my second embryo which is currently frozen 😊’
Kathryn Jessica
27 October 2026, LWC Bromley
‘We we under the care of Canterbury LWC for all scans and blood tests and Bromley for egg collection and transfers. The team and Canterbury were particularly amazing, so supportive and reassuring throughout. No question was ever too much, they treated you as individuals and were caring and compassionate throughout the process. The receptionist were lovely, knew you from the offset by name, remembered you which makes a difficult process so much easier when you are treated as an individual.<br>We were NHS funded and I never felt we were treated any different to private patients.<br>The nursing staff at Bromley were also brilliant, I always felt so looked after through some really tough and emotional procedures. We were under the care of Dr Uppal who was excellent, explained everything clearly, gave us options and listened to our concerns.<br>Would highly recommend. Currently 26 weeks pregnant ☺️’
Rose S
25 October 2026, LWC Canterbury
‘We are incredibly grateful to London Women’s Clinic, Harrow, for helping make our dream of becoming parents come true. We are now blessed with a beautiful baby!<br><br>A special thank you to Dr Gill for the care, guidance and support throughout our IVF journey, and to Carla and Maria for making the entire process smooth and reassuring.<br><br>We had a wonderful experience and will always be thankful to the whole team. Highly recommend! ❤️’
P S
23 October 2026, LWC Harrow
‘LWC are fantastically supportive at every stage of your journey. They try to be as flexible as possible with appointments, giving good advice about supporting yourself (and partners) as you prepare for different procedures. It is a tough journey but Louise, Rute, Dr Arthi, Trianni, Dr Bishista and Ashley are incredibly supportive. Highly recommend them to anyone considering or needing fertility support.’
S W
23 October 2026, LWC Cambridge
‘I honestly cannot fault Kind IVF. From start to finish, I have been so incredibly impressed with the care, compassion and professionalism shown by the entire team. Going through IVF can be such an emotional and overwhelming journey, but they have made the whole experience feel so much more reassuring and positive.<br><br>Every step of the way, I have felt cared for, listened to and supported. The team have been amazing at answering questions, putting my mind at ease and making sure I felt comfortable throughout the process. You can really tell how much they care about their patients, and that makes such a huge difference during a journey that can be so personal and emotional.<br><br>I am so grateful to everyone at Kind IVF for everything they have done for us. Choosing them has been one of the best decisions we have made, and I genuinely couldn’t recommend them enough to anyone considering IVF. The standard of care has been outstanding, and I cannot thank them enough for helping us on this journey. ❤️<br><br>Thank you, Kind IVF, for being so amazing!’
Georgia Burt
22 October 2026, LWC Tunbridge Wells
‘I highly recommend the London Women's Clinic Brentwood. The staff were very supportive, patient, and always available to answer questions. They guided me through an emotional process with clear explanations and genuine care. The staff were always available and happy to help.’
S Begum
21 October 2026, LWC Brentwood
‘Choosing an IVF clinic is such a big decision and I'm so incredibly glad that we chose this one. IVF can be such an emotional and overwhelming journey but having a clinic that offers so much support and genuinely cares for you makes such a difference. The care and kindness that we have received has been exceptional.<br>We can't thank LWC Brentwood enough ❤️’
Laura Keary
21 October 2026, LWC Brentwood
‘I honestly can’t thank London Women’s Clinic enough for helping me achieve my lifelong dream of becoming a mum.<br>It wasn’t an easy journey, but the team were absolutely fantastic and supported me every step of the way. Their kindness, care and reassurance made such a difference during what was a really emotional and challenging time. I always felt supported and in safe hands.<br>A special thank you to Carla, Ana-Maria and Dr Goswami. You have all been absolutely fantastic and I am so grateful for everything you have done for me. I’ll never forget the support and care you have shown me during such an important and emotional journey.<br>Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for helping me achieve something I have wanted for as long as I can remember. It means more to me than words can say. I would recommend London Women’s Clinic to anyone going through their own fertility journey.’
Sarah
21 October 2026, LWC Harrow
‘We started our treatment in July, and I have had a very positive experience with this clinic. Lorraine on reception especially made me feel like nothing was too much trouble and always knew me by name which is such a nice personal touch, especially at such a sensitive time. Along with Dr Safwat Ashour he always recommended the best treatment for us and just had such a kind caring attitude towards us while explaining our options and being very honest with us too. One of the nurses (so sorry I can’t remember your name) she only recently started in July and I felt so at home with her and cared for. To finish off we are currently pregnant with our IVF miracle all thanks you this clinic. Thank you all so much, no thanks would ever be enough for the gift you have given us!’
Sophie Jay
21 October 2026, LWC Darlington
‘Very professional and very welcoming, and very clean I was given time to feel relaxed and I didn't feel like I had to rush this made me feel very comfortable.’
Ryan Harmer
21 October 2026, LWC Brighton
‘My wife and I have had a brilliant experience with LWC throughout our fertility journey. We always felt listened to, supported, and in control of the decisions we were making. Our PCC Suzanna, Dr Verstraete, and the nursing team were consistently friendly, responsive, and knowledgeable, which made navigating the shared motherhood process feel so much easier. We’re incredibly grateful for the care and support we received.’
Megan Nelkon
20 October 2026, LWC Harley Street
‘I’ve had a great experience with the clinic so far. From the very beginning, I’ve felt incredibly well cared for and supported throughout my egg freezing journey.<br>Daenira on reception is always so lovely, welcoming and helpful, and Liv, my nurse, has been fantastic! She’s made me feel comfortable, reassured and well looked after at every step. Dr Wade has also been absolutely brilliant and I have complete confidence in the care and guidance I’ve received.<br>I would highly recommend this clinic to anybody considering egg freezing.’
Saffy
20 October 2026, LWC Oxford
‘The most amazing experience with the clinic from start to end<br><br>Nothing is to much for them<br>They will answer every<br>Question<br>Worry or concern no matter how big or small,<br>My experience and care they have shown in one of the hardest times and most worrying experiences they were there every single step of the way, I honestly couldn’t thank every member I’ve dealt with anymore and would recommend this clinic to anyone thinking about it , hardest decision but best decision every made and all the staff here made this possible for me you are all amazing caring people<br><br>And I thank you from the bottom of my heart 🙏🏼🩷’
Stephanie
18 October 2026, LWC Brentwood
‘I truly feel blessed and thankful to God that we are in such a wonderful place and in such caring hands during one of the most precious journeys of our lives.<br><br>The clinic has been outstanding throughout my treatment, making the entire journey feel as smooth as possible. The whole team at the Brentwood clinic is absolutely amazing, everyone is so warm, welcoming and supportive.<br><br>The treatment has been incredible so far, and we are extremely satisfied with the care, support, and overall service we have received throughout our journey.<br><br>Fingers crossed, I truly believe that the best news is just around the corner! ❤️🤞<br><br>I would wholeheartedly recommend Brentwood clinic for the care and support they provide in parenthood journey.’
Harika
14 October 2026, LWC Brentwood
‘London Women’s Clinic, Reading were fantastic and Nurse Nicky was such a supportive and reassuring professional. Thank you for journeying with me Nicky!’
Sope Adekola
14 October 2026, LWC Reading
‘Where to start… Fertility treatment is the last thing any of us expect to need. But if you find yourself on this journey, Brentwood London Women’s Clinic is where you want to be.<br><br>Carina’s warm welcome sets the tone the moment you arrive, and every single nurse is wonderful, kind, calm, and reassuring. It’s a complicated and sometimes difficult road, but they walk it beside you. We’ve experienced both joy and heartache here, and through every moment we’ve felt cared for and supported. They truly get to know you, and the care feels personal and bespoke.<br><br>Today we have our precious 3-year-old, and we will forever be thankful to this amazing team. They are everything you could hope for kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely there for you. We couldn’t recommend them more.’
Sarah Tidey
13 October 2026, LWC Brentwood
‘We honestly can’t thank London Women’s Clinic in Brentwood enough for everything they have done and continue to do for us. They helped us create our now 3 year old, and we are incredibly grateful to be back with them on our journey to hopefully have another little one.<br><br>Angela and Katie are truly incredible nurses. They go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable, listened to and supported every step of the way. They take the time to explain the process, answer any questions and put your mind at ease, making what can sometimes be an overwhelming and emotional journey feel that little bit easier.<br><br>It means so much to be cared for by people who genuinely seem to care about you and your family, rather than just seeing you as another patient. Their kindness, compassion and reassurance make such a difference, and we feel very lucky to have them supporting us again.<br><br>We will always be grateful to London Women’s Clinic for helping us bring our little girl into the world, and we have every hope that they will help us grow our family once more.<br><br>We couldn’t recommend the team highly enough. Thank you, Angela, Katie and everyone at the Brentwood clinic, for being such a special part of our journey. ❤️<br><br>Also a special mention for the smiley face in the reception. Carina, you are great!!’
bethan philp
13 October 2026, LWC Brentwood
4.5
FAQs about Surrogacy
Success in surrogacy depends on several factors, including the surrogate’s ability to carry a pregnancy and the quality of the eggs and sperm being used. The journey begins with an initial consultation at your chosen London Women’s Clinic for both the intended parents and the surrogate, where medical histories are reviewed and any further tests arranged. From there, a fertility specialist will guide you through the treatment options and discuss the success rates most relevant to your individual situation.
Yes, age can play an important role, especially if the surrogate is using her own eggs. In this case, extra tests may be needed to check her egg reserve and a fertility specialist will guide you on what success rates to expect. As with all fertility treatments, egg quality tends to decline with age, particularly after 35. For context, the average age of our surrogates is 34.8, closely aligning with the HFEA’s 2022 report, which found the average age of surrogates in the UK to be 34. Whatever your circumstances, we’ll help you understand your options and support you in making the best decisions for your journey.
We cannot directly find a surrogate for you; we can connect you with trusted UK surrogacy agencies who specialise in guiding intended parents through the process. Some people choose a family member or friend as their surrogate, as this can bring an added level of trust and comfort. If that’s not possible, agencies can help you find the right match and support you with the legal steps involved. However you choose to move forward, we’ll be here to support you, as surrogacy can be a complex journey with important legal considerations.
There are two types of surrogacy available. In host (gestational) surrogacy, the intended parents provide an embryo created through IVF, using either the female partner’s eggs, donor eggs, or (less commonly) the surrogate’s own eggs, which is then transferred to the surrogate for pregnancy and delivery. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate provides her own egg, which is fertilised via intrauterine insemination, making her the genetic mother.
WHY choose LONDON WOMEN'S CLINIC?
The journey to parenthood is deeply personal, and for many individuals and couples, surrogacy provides a remarkable and meaningful way to build a family. Since the first baby born through surrogacy in 1985, the process has evolved significantly thanks to medical progress and the efforts of those advocating for clarity, safety and support for everyone involved.
At London Women's Clinic, we are proud to be one of the UK’s leading centres for surrogacy, with decades of experience helping families of all kinds begin their journey. Choosing LWC means partnering with a team that offers:
Ready to begin your surrogacy journey?
The first step is a fertility health assessment. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and take the first step toward building your family.
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Surrogacy Stories, Advice and Research
Explore expert insights, personal stories and the latest research to guide you through every step of your surrogacy journey.
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Reciprocal IVF and shared motherhood in the UK
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