What Are the Requirements To Be a Surrogate Mother?

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By definition, becoming a surrogate mother means carrying a child on behalf of another woman.

Moreover, your ability to provide them with extra help will make their dreams of a family come true. Besides being loving and caring, the most important part of being a surrogate is the health requirement.

These standards are set to ensure you are not risking your body. Moreover, you are able to carry a healthy child to birth with no complications.

Professionals are going to evaluate you from both physical and mental aspects to determine whether you can meet the surrogate mother requirements:

You must be between 20 and 38 years old. Just like with any pregnancy, older women are more likely to have health complications and risks. These risks include greater difficulty in becoming pregnant, a higher likelihood of developing gestational diabetes or high blood pressure, a greater chance of having a low-birth-weight baby or premature birth. That’s why many agencies and clinics set an age limit.
You should have had previous pregnancies with no complications. This is the top requirement to become a surrogate because this shows you have been fertile. OB records are required to ensure there were no complications during the previous pregnancy. Furthermore, the fact that you have a stable life and are raising your own child increases the potential success rate.
You should agree to a psychological, drug, criminal, and financial screenings. These are important preparations before becoming a surrogate mother. Checking your criminal background as well as your financial background ensures that you can provide for yourself without being dependent on the surrogacy compensation.
The agency may interview you and your partner. A social worker will evaluate whether you are mentally prepared to become a surrogate and whether you are doing it for the right reasons. It is important to have a good, healthy, and responsible lifestyle, knowing that the aspiring parents are counting on you to take good care of their child.
In addition, a healthy and responsible lifestyle means NO smoking! It is important because smoking during pregnancy can cause stillbirth, premature delivery, oxygen deprivation to the baby, and much more! Another strict requirement is NO drugs, whether those are street drugs or any prescriptions without your OB’s consent. A baby’s wellbeing is the most important part of this surrogacy journey. A health screening is required to make sure you are physically fit to be pregnant. Based on the requirement from FDA, your BMI (Body Mass Index) must be under 30 and you must have had no more than two C-sections or five deliveries to ensure you are less liable to develop complications during pregnancy and have a smaller chance of having a difficult delivery. Fertility professionals will do an overall health examination to make sure you are able to get pregnant and are ready for any possible fertility treatment.

Detailed requirements vary from agency to agency. Some are strict about citizenship (surrogates must be U.S. citizens or legal residents to avoid any legal issues). Some might have location preferences. Consult with your trusted agency first!