Researching how to be a surrogate mother is the number one step to figuring out if you want to be a gestational carrier! Here at Surrogacy Choices, we want to welcome you in with open arms. Whether you are just starting to think about becoming a surrogate mother or you know for a fact that that is something that you want to do, we will treat you just the same and support your decision no matter what you decide.

Becoming a surrogate mother is completely up to you. It is such a huge responsibility and it is such a selfless role. It is okay if you are hesitant to want to become a gestational carrier, and we won’t mind if you begin talking with one of our surrogacy professionals and then back out before the final papers are signed because you changed your mind. All we want to do is support you and make sure you are doing what you want!

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a surrogate, please call or text us at 1-800-682-6264 or visit us at Surrogacy Choices.

Surrogacy Requirements for a Gestational Carrier

Many surrogacy requirements depend on what state you live in to become a surrogate mother. Fortunately, they are around the same requirements throughout the United States.

• You must be a U.S. citizen, and you are required to live in the United States
• You must meet the age requirement of 21 to 39
• You must have had at least one pregnancy to term with no major complication
• You can not have any mental health issues or been on any medication for any mental health issues
• You can not drink, smoke, or do illegal drugs
• You must be free of sexually transmitted diseases
• You must be an active parent to at least one child without need any public or government assistance
• You must be able to pass a background check
• You must be able to travel for appointments and procedures

All of these surrogacy requirements must be met in order to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, some of them are changeable to be met with a different diet and lifestyle. Here at Surrogacy Choices, we can help you figure out if you meet the surrogacy qualifications. If you need any clarification, you can contact us 24/7 and ask one of our surrogacy professionals anything.

Legalities of the Surrogacy Process

Now onto the legalities of the surrogacy process. There are very important contracts that you will need to sign, and there is a lot of information that you will get from the attorney working with you, the intended parents, and us, the surrogacy agency.

The legal contract that you are required to sign before starting any part of the surrogacy process includes an outline of the following and more:

• The Surrogate Mother’s Compensation
• The possible risks that you may face during the procedures and pregnancy
• Your responsibilities as the surrogate mother
• Relinquishing agreement of the child

Once you sign the paperwork and contract, it will become legally binding and can not be undone. You can then start the surrogacy process and become a surrogate mother! At any point before the final papers are signed, you can stop the entire process, so do not worry if you are hesitant in the beginning. We understand how overwhelming it can all seem.

Surrogacy Screenings

During your surrogacy process, you must go through a few screenings that will make sure that you are physically and mentally ready to be a gestational carrier. We will be by your side during each, and the doctors who do these screenings with you will make you feel as comfortable as possible.

• The initial application.

In order to get accepted to become a surrogate mother, you must submit an initial application. You will just have to answer some general questions and why you want to become a surrogate mother. You will also have to answer social and medical history information. This can be about your health history throughout your life and even your family health history. This is important when it comes to potentially carrying a baby for intended parents.

• A physical screening.

This is a physical examination that makes sure that you are physically able to go through all of the surrogacy procedures and the pregnancy. You will meet with a fertility specialist who will check if you are healthy physically and if you are fertile to be able to go through another pregnancy. You will also be screened for sexually transmitted diseases to ensure that you are healthy and that nothing can affect your fertility.

• An in-home assessment.

This is a possible screening. We want to make sure that you live appropriately and have a stable home life. We want to learn more about you, and assessing your home will allow us to get to know you better. A surrogacy professional and social worker will meet you at your home, ask you a few questions about yourself, and see how you live your life with your own family. This is also a great time for you to ask as many questions as you want to learn even more about the surrogacy process.

• Background checks.

This is important. We will check your standard criminal records, if you have any, and do a normal background check. This is to make sure that everything you tell us is legally correct and to get a true understanding of who we are trusting to become a surrogate mother for intended parents. This is a given when you are applying for something as important as becoming a surrogate mother.

• A mental health screening.

The surrogacy process is an emotional one and can be really draining on a lot of women. We must make sure that you are completely ready for such an emotional journey. You must have stable mental health. If you have had great pregnancies in the past and you felt happy, and your mental health was okay, you will have nothing to worry about! Remember that your mental health is such an important thing to take care of, especially if you are thinking about becoming a surrogate mother.

Be Willing to go Through Medical Procedures

The surrogacy process has a lot to it. You will have to go through medical procedures that are very intimate. You must be able to travel to these appointments whenever you need to during the process.

Fertility Medication

Before any medical procedures, you will have to take fertility medications. These medications will help your body get ready for a pregnancy that will be foreign to your body. This isn’t a traditional pregnancy, so this medication will get your body ready for something it has never gone through before. Some of the medication that you may have to take is as follows, all of which need to be taken before you can become pregnant:

• Estradiol. This estrogen medication will help prepare your body for embryo transfer by helping the uterus lining grow to prepare for a baby.

• Progesterone. This is a hormone that will help maintain pregnancy and will regulate your monthly menstrual cycle.

• Birth control pills. You might not have thought so, but birth control pills are a part of the surrogacy process. Even though it usually is taken to prevent pregnancy, it will help align your and the intended mother’s menstrual cycle before the embryo transfer during the surrogacy process. This will help the embryo transfer procedure run smoothly if your menstrual cycles are lined up.

Fertility Treatments

• IVF: In Vitro Fertilization. IVF is what makes the baby. This is the retrieval of both the mother’s egg and the father’s sperm. These will then be combined to create an embryo.

• Embryo Transfer. This is when the embryo will then be placed into your uterus. This procedure is an embryo transfer and will start the pregnancy. This procedure will happen, and if you don’t become pregnant, your doctor will try again until it is successful.

Prenatal care

Just like any pregnancy, you will have to make routine visits to your doctor and fertility clinic. You will receive regular blood tests and ultrasounds to ensure that the pregnancy is successful and running smoothly. At first, you will have to go to the fertility clinic, but once you hear the baby’s heartbeat and if you are having a healthy pregnancy, you can go to your own OB/GYN for the rest of your surrogacy pregnancy.

Doctor’s visits will be more frequent as a surrogate mother because this is such a different experience than many will never go through. A surrogacy pregnancy is different from a personal pregnancy, so the increased number of appointments ensures that you and the baby are always being checked on.

Are You Ready to Become a Surrogate Mother?

We know that there is a lot to becoming a surrogate mother, but it is so worth it. You will be giving intended parents the baby they’ve been dreaming of. It is such a gratifying experience, and so many have loved being a surrogate mother.

You can contact one of our surrogacy professionals at any time if you have any questions or concerns. We can answer any of your questions about the surrogacy process and help you start your own surrogacy journey. We are here for you at Surrogacy Choices. Contact us today!

Meet the Author: Molly Allington is an aspiring author born and raised in Syracuse, New York. When she’s not watching her latest Netflix obsession, you can find her nose deep in a book or in her writing. She has been writing books since she was twelve and is in the process of trying to get her finished books published. Molly has a BA in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. With her writing, she is hoping to share supportive information and help as many people as possible. Once she starts her own family, she is wanting to adopt.