Surrogacy 101: Requirements For Being A Surrogate Mother

Looking for some basic requirements for being a surrogate? Before we start with that, let us try to understand what a surrogate mother is first. Being a gestational surrogate is easily one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences you can ever have as a woman. This is mainly due to the fact that you are making a hugely positive change in the lives of people who otherwise had no real hope of having a child. It’s blessing to be able to have the opportunity to enhance the quality of life for somebody in such a big way.

What are Intended Parents Looking For in a Surrogate

Previous Birth: One of the most important requirements for being a surrogate is that the individual needs to have given birth previously. This provides proof that the surrogate has the capacity to go through with a pregnancy.

Health Requirements For Being A Surrogate: Surrogates are required to be healthy. You cannot have a history of pregnancy-related medical issues. This includes gestational diabetes, premature births, ectopic pregnancies, or miscarriages. Apart from that, the potential surrogate will obviously have to undergo a detailed medical checkup to get a clean bill of health before moving forward. The family history of the potential candidate is also reviewed to rule out any cancer history, history of birth complications or learning disorders.

Age Requirements For Being A Surrogate: Surprisingly, there are no hard and fast rules for this. The rules for this would change depending on the individual and other circumstances. The ideal age bracket for being a surrogate would be 21 – 40. A candidate who is above 37 years of age would need to have given birth within the past two years and would require permission from her primary care provider.

Legal Aspects

There are certain legal requirements for being a surrogate. The potential surrogate will need to have a background check to rule out any criminal records. The candidate will also have her driving records reviewed. You will need to have an attorney to draw out a surrogacy contract that covers all the financial and medical responsibilities of the intended parents and any legal issues arising out of the pregnancy and delivery of the child of the intended parents.

It would not be right to expect a life-long relationship to build between the intended parents and surrogates. In a lot of cases, the intended parents really don’t need to know much about the surrogate.

Other requirements for being a surrogate would include:

• Candidate should not be on any kind of government welfare and needs to be stable financially
• Must be married or have a stable relationship
• Must have a stable living situation
• Will need to consent to psychological assessments and disclose all medical history
• Willing to have blood work done from time to time
• Consent to administration of IVF medications
• Candidate cannot have tattoos or piercings done on her body in the last 6 months
• Candidate needs to have an effective support system that includes friend and family who are supportive of your decision to be a surrogate.
• No abuse of alcohol, recreational drugs, or mood altering substances for the next one to three years

Why Choosing an Agency is a Good Idea

When you opt to be a surrogate and meet the requirements for being a surrogate, it’s basically like deciding to take a long and complex journey. It’s always a better idea to go through an agency if you wish to be a surrogate. Of course, you need to choose a well established agency to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience with your surrogacy. A good surrogacy agency will give you all the support and guidance you will need at any point of your journey. Surrogacy is not a simple process. It involves a great deal of legal and medical formalities and you may end up feeling lost and frustrated if you try to do it on your own. When you go with an agency, you have a dedicated team looking over every single detail of your surrogacy. This includes everything from matching and screening, legal and social work support, and to provide you with guidance whenever you need it.

In essence, the surrogate agency acts as a support system for both the intended parents and surrogate and will ensure a clear line of communication between the involved parties. You will have someone to step in to resolve any kind of conflicts that may arise, and ensure that your experience as a surrogate mother will be hassle free and enjoyable. We hope that this post has clearly defined some of the basic requirements for being a surrogate for you.