Choosing the Right Fertility Clinic

Struggling to build a family can be an emotional and challenging experience. If you’ve been told you’ll need help to have a child, it can feel overwhelming. Choosing the right fertility clinic is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your family‑building journey—and it can be hard to know where to start.

Fertility clinics guide you through evaluations and treatments and frequently partner with surrogacy and egg donor agencies to support your journey. For over 30 years, ConceiveAbilities has been a trusted collaborator with top fertility programs across the country.

Agencies that clinics trust, and refer to, can help you find programs that match your diagnosis, timeline, and family‑building path—whether you’re a single parent, part of the LGBTQ+ community, or struggling with infertility and planning to build your family with a surrogate or donor.

In this piece, we’ll cover how to choose your fertility clinic, how to research and compare programs, and what to look for in reviews and recommendations so you can find the right partners to help build your family, and how your surrogacy agency can help you make sense of it all.

How Do You Choose a Fertility Clinic?

People choose fertility clinics for different reasons—through referrals from their primary care provider or OB/GYN, based on insurance coverage, or in states with mandated IVF benefits. Many clinics also partner with trusted egg donation and surrogacy agencies, like ConceiveAbilities, to help match patients with the right clinic for their medical needs, insurance, and family-building goals. Clinics support diverse paths, including LGBTQ+ couples, single parents, and those using egg donors or gestational surrogates.

When choosing a clinic, ask the following questions to ensure it’s the right fit for your journey, whether you’re planning to work with an egg donor, gestational surrogate, or both.

Success Rates and Experience

• What are the clinic’s success rates (pregnancy and live birth) for patients like me (age, diagnosis, treatment type)?

• How do their success rates compare to national or regional averages, and do they report to SART or another registry? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a federal database of fertility clinics, which can also be a useful resource.

• How long has the clinic been established, and how many cycles do they perform per year?

Treatments, Testing, and Lab

• What fertility treatments do they offer (IUI, IVF, ICSI, donor eggs/sperm, gestational surrogacy, egg freezing, PGT, etc.)?

• What fertility tests and screening are recommended before starting treatment, for both partners?

• Are procedures, monitoring, and lab work done on‑site, and do they have their own andrology/embryology labs with cryopreservation?

Doctors, Team, and Care Style

• Are the physicians board‑certified in reproductive endocrinology, and how long have they been in practice?

• Will I see the same doctor or rotate among several, and how large is the clinical team? How do they communicate, including response times, and who handles day-to-day questions (nurse, coordinator, or doctor)?

• What proportion of their patients have a similar profile to mine (age, diagnosis, single vs. partnered, LGBTQ+, cancer preservation, etc.)?

Logistics, Access, and Policies

• Where are the clinic and satellite offices located, and what are monitoring hours and wait times like?

• How soon can I get an initial appointment, and how long is the wait to begin treatment after consultation?

• Are there age limits, BMI limits, or other criteria that might affect whether the clinic will treat me?

Cost, Insurance, and Financial Support

• Does your insurance plan include fertility treatment coverage? Many employers offer partial or full benefits and some states mandate IVF coverage as a required insurance benefit.

• Do they accept my insurance, help me understand coverage, and offer payment plans, multi-cycle packages, or financing options?

• Can they provide a clear outline of costs for tests, medications, procedures, and add‑ons (PGT, ICSI, storage fees)?

Reviews and Recommendations

• Research fertility clinics carefully, looking beyond success rates to transparency, fit, and communication.

• Are reviews about patient experience positive and recent?

• When possible, talk directly with an intended parent about their experience with the clinic.

Emotional Support and Overall Fit

• Choose a patient-centered clinic where you feel supported, respected, and valued.

• Look for advanced technology, research involvement, and expertise that match your fertility history and treatment needs.

• Prioritize strong communication and coordination, especially important if you’re working with a surrogate or egg donor.

The reason you’re seeing a fertility specialist also influences which clinic is right for you. Depending on your fertility history, or what tests and procedures you’ll require, you may find that one program or doctor is better suited to meet your medical needs than another.

Once you’ve gathered information about clinic success rates, logistics, and costs, the next step is finding the support system that helps connect every piece. That’s where an experienced surrogacy and egg donor agency like ConceiveAbilities makes a difference, bridging the medical, emotional, and logistical aspects of your journey with care and clarity.