Surrogacy is an agreement where a woman agrees to carry another couple's baby to full term. Surrogates are the women who become pregnant with the baby(s) for another couple or person. The intended parents (the people that want to adopt/raise the child) must be qualified, screened, and prepared for this major life change before moving forward. This article will focus on surrogate qualifications.
Candidates should have at least one healthy biological child of their own after age thirty-five
Both members of the couple must be over 21 years old
Both members of the couple must pass background checks and possess no criminal history
Couples using donor eggs will need an ovum donor who has given birth to at least one healthy child
The surrogate mother should have a BMI under 35
Surrogates must complete psychological evaluations before, during, and after the pregnancy to ensure they are well cared for in every aspect. Surrogacy is not usually recommended for women who are considering having more biological children in the future or women who have high-risk pregnancies because surrogacy can be very risky. If needed, the surrogate will need to take additional medications that may complicate following pregnancies if she becomes pregnant again.
During pregnancy, surrogates must adhere to all prenatal care appointments including regular checkups with doctors and ultrasounds. Surrogates should also avoid alcohol consumption, smoking tobacco products, drinking caffeinated beverages, food items made with caffeine, recreational drug use, unpasteurized cheese or deli meat, and raw fish or shellfish.
Every surrogate should also complete a course of two kinds of antibiotics and an anti-malarial medication (to prevent malaria) before beginning the insemination procedure. Surrogates who will carry through IVF procedures must be free from common viruses such as cold sores, genital herpes, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and chickenpox. If the surrogate tests positive for any one of these viruses after agreeing to participate in surrogacy she should notify her doctor immediately.
A surrogate may not use recreational drugs or be involved in high-risk behaviors during pregnancy because this can affect the children she is carrying. Smoking while pregnant has been associated with serious health problems in children, including asthma, decreased lung function, and increased risk of SIDS and birth defects.
Surrogates should maintain a healthy lifestyle before and during pregnancy to ensure the future child's health as well as their own. Surrogates who already have children may require special consideration but this is not always the case. If you are considering becoming a surrogate mother, you will need to carefully consider your reasons for wanting to do so as well as what you can afford financially and emotionally during such an intense journey ahead.
Surrogacy Benefits
Surrogacy benefits the surrogate mother because it requires her to allow another woman's egg to be implanted inside of her uterus so that she can carry the child to term. Surrogates are allowed compensation for their time and inconvenience but not at the expense of leaving them unsatisfied with what they've done. The surrogate must feel fulfilled mentally and physically before walking away from this major commitment. Mothers who have already completed pregnancies should not consider being a surrogate unless they want more biological children or they have considered donating embryos after their pregnancies which will allow them to be pregnant at the same time as their friends. The process is much simpler for women who have already carried a pregnancy before but some parts of the procedure do remain the same.
Surrogates cannot participate if they:
- Have a chronic or acute illness that may affect the fetus such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, anemia, heart disease, lung disease, or kidney problems
- Take prescription medication unless authorized by their doctor
- Use recreational drugs more than once per month
- Smoke tobacco products regularly
- Drink caffeinated beverages daily
Surrogates should also complete a course of two kinds of antibiotics and an anti-malarial medication (to prevent malaria) before beginning the insemination procedure. Surrogates who will carry through IVF procedures must be free from common viruses such as cold sores, genital herpes, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and chickenpox. If the surrogate tests positive for any one of these viruses after agreeing to participate in surrogacy she should notify her doctor immediately
Surrogates must have had at least one healthy full-term pregnancy before considering being a surrogate mother.
A surrogate may not use recreational drugs or be involved in high-risk behaviors during pregnancy because this can affect the children she is carrying. Smoking while pregnant has been associated with serious health problems in children, including asthma, decreased lung function, and increased risk of SIDS and birth defects. Surrogates should maintain a healthy lifestyle before and during pregnancy to ensure the future child's health as well as their own.
