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Step 3: Minimum Requirements To Qualify As A Surrogate Mother

While we’d love to take every interested woman on this journey, the truth is that not every woman is qualified to become a surrogate. A surrogacy journey needs to be a safe, healthy, and happy one, and that’s why we have a few requirements for our surrogates to ensure everyone’s goals are met.

As we learned from Step 1: The Basics to Becoming a Surrogate Mother, when a woman agrees to become a surrogate, she commits to much more than carrying a baby. She commits to an in-depth screening and a selfless pregnancy as well as putting her life on hold for sometimes a year to a year and a half. This includes medical and psychological evaluations, background checks, and the matching processes.

Looking to learn more about the basics of surrogacy? We recommend listening to the Fertility Cafe podcast: Surrogacy 101 – When It Takes a Village to Start a Family where host Eloise Drane reviews the requirements of becoming a gestational surrogate.

Although, requirements vary from agency to agency and clinic to clinic, the list below includes most standard requirements from most reputable agencies like Family Inceptions:

Average Clinic/Agency Gestational Surrogate requirements

  • All surrogates should have had an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery for a child of her own. In addition, many agencies and clinics will require that you have raised or currently raising a child of your own
  • Average age of a potential surrogate is normally between 21 to 40 years’ old
  • Yes, you can be a surrogate if you had a cesarean section however many agencies and clinics will limit how many C-sections you can have
  • Your (BMI) Body Mass Index should be within normal range – 30 or under
  • Highly recommended to live in a surrogate friendly state as normally the child you would carry will be born in your home state
  • You should not be on any form of government assistance
  • You cannot be an alcoholic, drug user or use any form of tobacco. Most clinics will require you to be tested
  • You should not have a criminal history. Most agencies will complete a background check on you and your partner
  • You must be in a stable relationship and living in a stable home. You do not need to be married and you can be single
  • You should not have a history of mental illness or taking anti-depression medication
  • You can be a surrogate if your tubes are tied
  • You should wait at least 6 months after you have had a baby in order to become a surrogate
  • You can apply to become a surrogate while you’re breastfeeding however most clinics will not allow you to begin the process until you have completely stopped breastfeeding
  • Some STD can get you disqualified as a surrogate ie. Hepatitis, HIV. You can still be a surrogate if you have herpes, genital warts or have had an STD in the past that has been treated
  • You can’t become a surrogate if you are currently pregnant
  • You should be able to select which intended parents you want to work with

Based on the list above, do you think you will qualify to become a surrogate? See if you meet Family Inceptions’ specific qualifications.

Wondering what the surrogacy process looks like from start to finish? Click here to see the surrogacy journey laid out step-by-step.

Ready to take on this role of a lifetime? Click here to apply to be a surrogate with Family Inceptions, and find out INSTANTLY if you are approved.

Still have questions? Please contact us today to learn more about becoming a surrogate. At Family Inceptions, we have caring and compassionate staff that can help you to understand more about the surrogacy journey and answer the questions that you have about getting started.

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Eloise Drane
Eloise Drane, Founder

"I believe that we are all placed on this earth for a purpose. Each one of us has a specific calling in this world and although it is different for everyone, we are here to serve one another. My purpose is to help women who wish to become surrogates and egg donors and the hopeful parents who wish to partner with them. I feel very lucky to be living my purpose."