A surrogate (sometimes referred to as a surrogate mother, a gestational surrogate, or a gestational carrier) is a woman who carries and delivers a baby for another individual or couple. Intended parents may choose to use a gestational surrogate in cases where an individual or couple is, for whatever reason, unable to carry a pregnancy. The child is conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and is not genetically related to the surrogate mother. When intended parents conceive with a surrogate, they are involved in the pregnancy and are often present when their child is born.