Your path to parenthood deserves to feel deeply personal.
There is no single path that leads someone to surrogacy.
You may have spent years navigating infertility or pregnancy loss. A medical diagnosis may have changed the way you imagined building your family. You may be a same-sex couple, a single parent, from overseas, or simply beginning to explore whether gestational surrogacy is right for you.
Whatever brought you here, by the time you begin considering surrogacy, you have likely already made more decisions than you ever imagined would be part of becoming a parent.
At Arden, you don't navigate what comes next alone.
We provide highly personalized guidance throughout your surrogacy journey, bringing together the medical, legal, logistical, and human elements of an extraordinarily complex process. We anticipate what comes next, coordinate the details, connect you with trusted professionals, and remain closely involved from our first conversation through the birth of your child.
Our role is to make an inherently complex journey feel considered, supported, and manageable, so you can spend less time managing the process and more time experiencing the journey.
Proudly supporting LGBTQ+ families.
At Arden, we’re proud to be an LGBTQ+ welcoming surrogacy agency. We recognize that every path to parenthood is different and that LGBTQ+ intended parents may face unique medical, legal, and logistical considerations. Our role is to provide thoughtful guidance, connect you with experienced professionals, and ensure your journey is approached with dignity, understanding, and exceptional care.
More than case management. A trusted partner.
Surrogacy involves many professionals: fertility specialists, attorneys, mental health professionals, insurance specialists, escrow providers, and, ultimately, an obstetrical team.
You shouldn't have to become the person responsible for keeping all of them connected.
Arden serves as the consistent thread throughout your journey. We stay ahead of milestones, facilitate communication, help coordinate appointments and logistics, and make sure you understand what is happening and what comes next.
When a question arises, you know whom to call. When something changes, we help determine the next step. And when the unexpected happens, as it sometimes does in surrogacy, you have someone beside you who already knows your journey.
This is what concierge care means to us. Not simply doing more, but paying closer attention.
The Arden journey.
From the first conversation to the moment you welcome your child, we’re here to thoughtfully guide, coordinate, and support you through every step of your surrogacy journey.
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We begin with a conversation, not an application. We learn your story, understand where you are in the family-building process, and answer your initial questions.
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Together, we make sure the essential pieces are in place and help assemble the professional team your particular journey requires.
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We thoughtfully introduce you to a comprehensively screened gestational carrier whose expectations, preferences and vision for the journey meaningfully align with yours.
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From medical clearance and contracts through embryo transfer, pregnancy, and birth, Arden remains closely involved in coordinating, communicating, and supporting both sides of the relationship.
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As delivery approaches, we help coordinate the details surrounding birth so that you can focus on something far more important: welcoming your child.
We understand what it feels like to be on this side of the journey.
Arden was created in part from lived experience. Co-founder Sara Shikman experienced infertility and ultimately turned to gestational surrogacy to build her own family. While navigating the process as an intended parent, she experienced firsthand just how many decisions, professionals and emotions can converge in a single journey. She also saw an opportunity.
What if the experience could feel more personal? What if intended parents had someone anticipating their needs rather than simply responding to them? What if exceptional service and genuine human connection weren't extras, but the foundation of the agency itself? Those questions helped inspire Arden.
Today, Sara brings both perspectives to every journey: the expertise of an accomplished healthcare attorney and entrepreneur, and the understanding of someone who has sat exactly where many of our intended parents are sitting now.
A match built around more than a profile.
Finding a gestational carrier is one of the most important parts of your journey, but we don't believe matching should be reduced to selecting someone from a database.
We begin by getting to know you. We want to understand your story, your priorities, your communication style, the kind of relationship you hope to have with your carrier, and the issues that matter most to you throughout pregnancy and birth. We take that same care in getting to know the women who choose to become Arden gestational carriers.
Only when we believe there is meaningful alignment do we make an introduction. Because the right match isn't simply about meeting medical and legal criteria. It is about bringing together people who can enter an extraordinary relationship with shared expectations, mutual respect and trust.
Your journey. Personally guided.
No two intended parents arrive at Arden with the same needs.
Some already have embryos and a fertility team in place. Others are at the very beginning and need help understanding where to start. Some live in New York. Others may come to Arden from across the country or around the world.
Your journey should be designed accordingly.
Depending on your needs, Arden can help coordinate the professionals and services surrounding your journey, including fertility care, reproductive counsel, insurance review, escrow, psychological support, travel and birth planning.
And throughout it all, Arden remains your point of connection. Not a call center. Not a handoff from department to department. Not a relationship that disappears once you've matched.
Thoughtfully screened. Carefully considered.
The generosity involved in gestational surrogacy deserves to be matched by an equally serious commitment to safety and preparation. Every potential Arden gestational carrier undergoes a comprehensive screening process designed to evaluate medical history, psychological readiness, background, support systems and the many practical considerations involved in a surrogacy journey.
We also take time to explore expectations before a match, from communication and involvement during pregnancy to important medical and ethical considerations.
Our goal isn't to create the fastest possible match. It's to create the right one.
How matching works at Arden.
The relationship between intended parents and their gestational carrier is one of the most important parts of the surrogacy journey. We believe the right match begins with shared expectations, mutual respect, and genuine connection. At Arden, matching is never simply about availability. It’s about finding the right fit for everyone involved.
Getting to Know You
We begin with a personal conversation to understand your hopes, priorities, preferences, and expectations. We also take time to learn what matters most to each potential gestational carrier.
Thoughtful Introductions
When we identify a potential match, we carefully consider compatibility across important areas, including:
Communication preferences and desired level of involvement
Expectations surrounding pregnancy and delivery
Views on sensitive medical decisions
Geographic and logistical considerations
Shared values and personal connection
The Opportunity to Connect
When both parties express interest, we facilitate an introductory conversation. This is an opportunity to ask questions, get to know one another, and explore whether the relationship feels right. There is no obligation to move forward unless everyone feels comfortable and confident.
Moving Forward Together
Once a mutual match is established, Arden helps coordinate the next steps, including fertility clinic evaluation, independent legal representation, and financial arrangements.
The Right Match Matters
We believe a successful journey begins with a relationship built on trust. Our role is to help create that foundation and remain a consistent source of guidance throughout the experience.
How gestational carriers are screened.
Choosing someone to carry your baby is one of the most meaningful decisions you’ll make. At Arden Surrogacy, we understand the importance of trust, confidence, and knowing that every potential gestational carrier has been thoughtfully evaluated.
Our screening approach is guided by recommendations from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the medical requirements of the fertility clinic overseeing your journey.
What does screening include?
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We begin by learning about each prospective carrier, including her pregnancy history, overall health, lifestyle, support system, and motivation for becoming a gestational carrier.
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We review relevant health information and prior pregnancy experiences to identify potential eligibility concerns. This preliminary review helps determine whether a candidate should proceed to additional evaluation.
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A qualified mental health professional conducts an independent evaluation to assess emotional readiness, understanding of the surrogacy process, and the support available throughout the journey.
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We conduct appropriate background checks and review lifestyle considerations to help establish a foundation of trust and transparency.
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Following a match, the fertility clinic conducts its own comprehensive medical evaluation, which may include laboratory testing, infectious disease screening, uterine evaluation, and review of pregnancy records. The fertility clinic makes the final determination of medical eligibility.
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Screening is not simply a checklist. It’s an opportunity to ensure that each gestational carrier is prepared, supported, and appropriately evaluated for the journey ahead.
At Arden, we coordinate the process with care, keeping intended parents informed while respecting every carrier’s privacy and dignity.
Understanding the costs of surrogacy.
Surrogacy is an extraordinary investment, both emotionally and financially. At Arden, we believe intended parents deserve a clear understanding of the financial commitments involved before beginning their journey.
While every journey is unique, surrogacy expenses generally fall into several categories.
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Agency fees cover the services provided by Arden, including carrier recruitment, preliminary screening, matching, coordination, communication, and ongoing journey support.
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These expenses include the carrier’s agreed-upon base compensation, applicable allowances, reimbursements, and additional benefits outlined in the gestational carrier agreement.
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Medical costs may include IVF treatment, fertility clinic screening, medications, embryo transfer, monitoring, and pregnancy-related care not otherwise covered by insurance.
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Intended parents and gestational carriers are represented by separate, independent attorneys. Legal expenses generally include contract preparation and review, legal counseling, and establishment of parental rights.
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Insurance expenses may include review of existing coverage, supplemental policies when needed, and other protections specific to the journey. An independent escrow provider manages designated funds and distributes payments according to the legal agreement.
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Some journeys involve additional medical procedures, unsuccessful embryo transfers, insurance changes, or other unforeseen expenses. Thoughtful financial planning should account for these possibilities.
Transparency from the beginning
At Arden, we believe financial clarity is an essential part of exceptional care. We help intended parents understand anticipated expenses, payment milestones, and potential variables so they can make informed decisions with confidence.
Our commitment is simple: clear expectations, thoughtful planning, and no unnecessary surprises.
Your first conversation doesn't commit you to a journey.
It simply gives you a place to begin. Whether you're ready to move forward or are still trying to understand whether surrogacy is right for you, we'd be honored to learn your story, answer your questions and help you understand what comes next.