How to Qualify as a Surrogate

Becoming a surrogate is an incredible decision that warrants both respect and gratitude. While it may seem like a long and daunting task to apply and be approved as a surrogate, this is truly not the case. That is to say, that while you may not be able to snap your fingers and be approved the process is relatively simple if you meet the criteria.
Out side of the laws of the State in which you reside, as many states have different laws and regulatory statues that govern surrogacy, there is a set of criteria that the majority of agencies require of their surrogates.

In order to qualify as a surrogate, you have to reside within a surrogacy friendly state. While the majority of states now allow for compensated surrogacy agreements, there are a few states that still do not permit such agreements.

The age range is set based on statistics that show that women between 21-42 years of age tend to respond better to IVF treatment and deliver healthy babies. While this should not be seen as a guarantee of success when considering being a surrogate, there is a higher percentage of success within this age range.

This is a requirement based on success and response of IVF treatment. IVF treatments tend to work better with women that have a BMI below 35 and these women tend to have less complications during pregnancy.

There are a few reasons for this requirement, the main being that no surrogate misses out on having the chance at having her own family because she chooses to do a selfless act and carry a child for another family. As with any pregnancy complications can arise, though not often with IVF treatment in some cases it can happen and ensuring the surrogate has one child in her history prevents the surrogate from being unable to carry her own children. The other reason for this requirement is that it helps the chances of successfully carry a pregnancy to term as past birth history can often be a good indicator.

Within the U.S. to legally become a surrogate you must either be a U.S. Citizen or have been a permanent resident for a minimum of 3 years. While the U.S. is open to working with international intended parents, this is not the case when it comes to surrogates.

Any woman wishing to become a surrogate cannot have had more than 3 c-sections in their previous birth history.

A woman who is looking to become a surrogate must be a non-smoker for a minimum of one year prior to beginning the surrogacy process. Research indicates that smoking can have negative effects on both the pregnancy and the fetus.

Drug use is an absolute no when it comes to surrogacy, as it can both harm the surrogate and compromise the surrogate’s response to IVF treatments and hormone injections as well as harm the fetus that the surrogate is carrying.

If those requirements are met, then you are well on your way to getting started. You will be asked to complete an application that tells the agency about you, your history and your plans and needs throughout the surrogacy process. This allows for the development of a list of potential intended parents that meet your desires and needs.
Once you have completed that step its on to the background check, medical and psychological screening (check our blog for information on both of these screenings) and choosing the couple you want help. While this may seem like a lot most of it can be done from the comfort of your home in your free time, and you are not required to plan or make appointments the agency will do that for you that work around your schedule.