Is It a Complicated Process to Become a Surrogate?

Surrogacy is a profoundly rewarding experience for intended parents (IPs) and gestational surrogates that leaves a lasting impact on everyone’s lives. Though filled with the hope of love and joy, becoming a surrogate is a complicated process that requires commitment, time, and energy.

At Great Beginnings Surrogacy Services in San Diego, California, we specialize in helping people become surrogates and matching them with their perfect IPs. Dr. Samuel Wood and our extraordinary team want nothing more than to say yes to everyone who applies to become a surrogate for our agency. But surrogacy isn’t for everyone. 

Read on to learn more about the process of becoming a surrogate.

Meeting the requirements

Before starting the gestational surrogacy journey, check to make sure you meet the requirements. We base our requirements on recommendations from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and then modified by each surrogacy agency. 

Our agency requirements are as follows:

• Between 21 to 37 years of age
• History of healthy pregnancies with no more than 5 vaginal deliveries or 2 C-sections
• US citizen living in a surrogate-friendly state
• Follow a healthy lifestyle with a body mass index (BMI) of 32 or less
• Stable home life with supportive family and friends
• No medical or psychological health issues
• Current driver’s license or reliable transportation

Pregnancy is a medical condition that affects your physical, emotional, and social well-being. Our criteria aim to protect the health of our surrogates.

Background check and screening

After you complete the prescreener, phone interview, and full application, we conduct a background check to verify your identity and check for criminal history. We also perform medical prescreening for infectious diseases and review medical records.

We also require a clearance letter from your OB/GYN.

IP matching

Surrogates then move on to the matching part of the surrogacy process after successfully completing the background and screening process. We share our surrogate profiles with our IPs and schedule video calls with potential matches. 

We only make a match when both parties agree to move forward. Surrogates and IPs must feel comfortable with each other so they can enjoy the experience. 

Psychological and medical evaluation

Surrogates then do a psychological assessment, which includes an interview, psychological testing, and counseling. Then, they meet with the IP’s fertility doctor for a medical evaluation. 

Contract negotiations

Before moving ahead with in vitro fertilization (IVF), surrogates and IPs meet with their attorneys to draft and negotiate legal contracts. The contract should address legal parentage (who is the legal parent of the child), pregnancy and delivery plans, coverage for medical costs, and any financial arrangements 

IVF, pregnancy, and delivery

Surrogates then move on to IVF treatments with the IP’s fertility team. Once pregnant, the surrogate sees their personal OB/GYN for prenatal care and delivery, sharing updates with their IPs throughout the pregnancy. 

Do you meet the requirements? Are you ready to become a surrogate? Fill out our online application, and one of our care coordinators will call you to get started. 

If you’re not ready to become a surrogate but know someone who is, make a referral to our agency.