How Surrogate Criteria Protects Everyone Involved

Carrying a baby for intended parents who are physically or biologically unable to themselves is a life-changing journey to help build a family. As a prospective surrogate, it’s essential that you meet specific gestational surrogate qualifications. 

• Meeting the many qualifications to become a surrogate protects you and the baby you’ll be carrying
• The criteria for becoming a surrogate helps protect intended parents 
• Making sure you qualify as a surrogate mother protects the professionals you work with 

“What are the qualifications to be a surrogate mother?” is likely one of your burning questions. You get the answer to that question and more by filling out this form to speak to a surrogacy specialist. 

For now, this guide to how to qualify to be a surrogate will help you better understand why the extensive and detailed criteria for becoming a surrogate exists and why it’s important. 

Surrogate Qualifications 

For a complete guide to the requirements to becoming a surrogate, you can take this link. 

For this article, we want to address why meeting the criteria for becoming a surrogate is vital for you, the intended parents and the professionals you choose. 

The screening process as a whole addresses your emotional, physical, psychological and medical readiness. Determining whether or not you’re ready for surrogacy on all fronts must take place before you can move on to the medical process. 

Here are just some of the requirements you must meet: 

• You’re between the ages of 21-40 
• A healthy BMI 
• At least one previous successful pregnancy 
• Currently raising a child in your home 
• No significant complications from an earlier pregnancy 
• No new tattoos or piercings within the last 12 months 
• No use of anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication for 12 months 
• A stable lifestyle and support system 
• No history of postpartum depression 
• And more 

You’ll also take part in an in-home visit with a social worker, provide individual and family medical history, undergo a psychological evaluation and go through a physical exam to make sure you are healthy enough for pregnancy and gestational surrogacy. 

Remember, a surrogacy specialist is always available to answer questions about surrogacy qualifications and what is required of you to become a surrogate. 

Meeting Gestational Surrogate Qualifications to Protect You 

Think of qualifications to become a surrogate as an insurance policy for not only you but everyone involved in the process. It’s crucial that you are determined to be a qualified surrogate so that you can move forward with peace of mind knowing everyone involved is serious and committed. 

First and foremost, the criteria for becoming a surrogate exist to protect you because surrogacy comes with emotional, medical and psychological challenges. 

The embryo transfer, pregnancy, prenatal care and hormonal changes associated with pregnancy can be difficult. Many qualifications to become a surrogate are in place to help minimize the physical and emotional risks of this process for you and ensure your health and well-being. Additionally, ensuring you are prepared to carry a child for another family is why there are many surrogate qualifications. 

Most reputable agencies will only work with prospective surrogates ready for a lengthy journey and prepared to take on any potential risks involved with surrogacy. 

You can get more information on the specific requirements to become a surrogate by taking this link. You can also reach out to a surrogacy specialist to get more information on the screening process. 

Despite the qualifications to become a surrogate being time-consuming and highly detailed, you can feel safe knowing you are protected from start to finish. 

Surrogate Criteria to Help Protect Intended Parents 

Because you’ve had at least one previous successful pregnancy and are currently raising a child in your home, you can understand why parents want the best for their children. 

When it comes to gestational surrogate qualifications from the perspective of intended parents, it’s no different. 

Even though their child hasn’t been born yet, working with a qualified surrogate is the first important step to knowing their child is safe. 

Intended parents, in many cases, have gone through fertility treatments, and surrogacy may be their last chance to have a genetically related child. Understandably, they want the best chance of becoming a parent by working with someone that meets the criteria for becoming a surrogate. 

In particular, the medical screening process determines that you are healthy and can safely carry a child in gestational surrogacy. You are asked to meet certain gestational surrogate requirements, in part, to minimize the risk of complications and added heartache for the intended parents.

Remember, a surrogacy specialist can answer questions you have about qualifications to be a gestational surrogate. 

Meeting Surrogate Qualifications to Help Protect Professionals 

Surrogacy agencies and professionals work with both you and the intended parents. That means they are tasked with looking out for the best interests of everyone involved. 

Ensuring that you meet specific criteria for becoming a surrogate helps professionals feel confident in your abilities and readiness for the surrogacy process before moving forward. 

Meeting gestational surrogate qualifications also helps professionals:

• Avoid legal and emotional challenges with both you and the intended parents 
• Follow state surrogacy laws 
• Create a surrogacy plan that meets your specific needs and expectations 
• Provide you with the appropriate support and personal attention 
• And more 

Surrogate qualifications and the screening process are as much for you as it is for intended parents and professionals.  

You can get services, support and guidance through the entire process by working with experienced professionals. While considering becoming a surrogate, keep in mind the importance of choosing an agency that can provide you with the tools and resources you need to have the safest and healthiest journey possible. 

The professionals you work with support you from start to finish, but not every agency is the same. Fortunately, we’ve done the hard work of vetting qualified surrogacy agencies for you. You can get connected to a great professional today by filling out this form.  

While the number of surrogate qualifications you must meet is extensive and the process can be lengthy, it ensures that you are ready for your journey and that the professionals you work with can support you every step of the way.