Why Is It A Requirement That Surrogates Already Be Parents?

For years now, surrogacy has played a key role in helping Intended Parents achieve their dreams of parenthood through in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Many choose surrogacy over other conventional IVF treatments because third party reproduction helps a variety of patients, especially women born without a uterus, same-sex couples, and those with a medical condition that creates a barrier to achieving a healthy pregnancy on their own.

If you are a prospective parent or someone who is interested in becoming a Gestational Surrogate, it’s important to understand who is qualified to become a surrogate.

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Just like any other sensitive undertakings in the medical field, surrogacy has stringent rules and regulations that must be fully met before a journey begins.

The American Society of Reproductive Medicine, which oversees all key issues arising from reproductive medicines and related areas, has formulated guidelines on surrogacy requirements for surrogacy agencies to follow. The rules are strict and ensure quality candidates are eligible, healthy, and committed to providing prospective parents the help they need.

As the only physician-managed surrogacy agency in the US, we pride ourselves on setting the most stringent standards to keep surrogacy safe. One of the most important requirements among these strict guidelines is that our surrogates must have given birth.

Women who are not mothers themselves cannot become a surrogate because without having gone through a full-term pregnancy, our in-house physicians have no way to determine if they are capable of successfully carrying a pregnancy to term.

As experienced OBs, we understand the pregnancy and delivery variables that are important to minimize risks for the surrogate and child they are to carry.

All applications are reviewed by our clinical team and all pregnancy and delivery records are thoroughly examined by our in-house physicians prior to a huge investment of time and energy on your part.

If a Surrogate has never carried a baby to term before, she won’t be familiar with changes in her body such as hormonal changes, mood swings and possible fatigue throughout the journey and subsequent delivery.

Some women may experience symptoms such as cravings or morning sickness, while others will not. Additionally, being pregnant is a commitment to refrain from certain habits such as smoking, drinking excessively, or eating specific foods.

Carrying someone else’s baby is a big responsibility that cannot be taken lightly, which is why these rules are in place.

Mothers with previous pregnancy experiences are great candidates for gestational surrogacy because they understand their body and potential changes to look for.

They are likely to understand all phases of the pregnancy as a mother themselves. Mothers also know the processes of delivery, while women who have never given birth may be unaware of the breadth of the commitment.

Additionally, Surrogate Mothers know how important their children are to them, therefore they understand how important it is to keep the baby safe along the journey. Moms have experienced the joys of motherhood and recognize how meaningful being a carrier is; such a sense of understanding acts as their pillar throughout the process and at the time of delivery.

In our surrogacy program, our potential Surrogates have all successfully carried a pregnancy to term, understand the meaningful commitment, and are willing to go above and beyond to maintain their wellness, as well as the baby’s health.

Intended Parents and Surrogates can rest assured that our strict selection and thorough medical and psychological screening of the Surrogate ensure only qualified and committed Surrogate Mothers are accepted.

Click here to learn more about gestational surrogacy options and growing your family tree with Physician’s Surrogacy. If you are interested in becoming a surrogate? Complete the application to see if you qualify!

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