How to Become a Surrogate? A Complete Guide on Surrogacy

Surrogacy is the process of having a baby for another persona or family. In this procedure, a fertilized egg or embryo is transferred to the surrogate mother, who will carry the child until delivery. Surrogacy is chosen for a variety of reasons. This article will help any woman who is interested in learning how to become a surrogate and all of the important aspects of this process.

Due to the high success rate of the surrogacy process, many families are preferring surrogacy. Having a child and growing a family is the dream of every person. But due to some reasons, many couples and persons cannot start their families. The surrogacy process is a great endowment of medical science that enables people to build and grow their families. Before going deep into this process let us understand the important terms of surrogacy:

Intended Parents

Intended parents are couples or individuals who want to have a child through surrogacy. They contribute to this process as well by donating egg and sperm. In some cases, intended parents do not participate in surrogacy, which can be accomplished through egg and sperm donors.

Surrogate Mother

A surrogate mother is a woman who agrees to carry an embryo for the duration of the pregnancy until the child is delivered. A surrogate mother can and cannot donate eggs. If she donates her egg for surrogacy, the newborn child will inherit genetic characteristics from the surrogate mother. There is no genetic relationship between the surrogate mother and the child if she does not donate her eggs.

Types of Surrogacies

There are mainly two types of surrogacies:

1. Traditional surrogacy
2. Gestational surrogacy

Traditional Surrogacy

In traditional surrogacy. The surrogate mother is an egg donor with genetic ties to the child. Traditional surrogacy is accomplished through artificial insemination, in which the intended father’s or egg donor’s sperm cells are inseminated with the surrogate’s eggs. This is also referred to as straight surrogacy.

Traditional surrogacy is performed by collecting the intended male parent’s sperm and egg from the surrogate. In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is a method of fertilization that takes place in a laboratory. The sperm donor can also be used by the intended parents. When a sperm donor is used, the child is not biologically related to the intended male parent.

Gestational Surrogacy

Gestational surrogacy is a type of surrogacy in which one of the intended parents is biologically related to the child. This is a simpler procedure. In this type of surrogacy, the intended parents’ or egg or sperm donors’ sperm cells and oocytes (egg cells) are fertilized in a laboratory. The fertilized embryo is then transferred to the surrogate mother’s uterus. The surrogate is not biologically related to the child in gestational surrogacy.

Reason For Choosing Surrogacy

Surrogacy is the most accessible and useful option to start a family. Intended parents choose surrogacy for various reasons such as:

• Poor physical health of a mother carrying a child is a primary reason to choose surrogacy.
• Infertility in the parents.
• Aged couples who cannot become parents through natural reproduction.
• Single parent.
• Homosexual parents are more likely to use sperm donors or egg donors in the surrogacy process.

Conditions for Becoming A Surrogate Mother

Every interested woman cannot become a surrogate. There are certain terms and criteria that a woman must qualify to become a surrogate.

• Physical Criteria for Surrogate Mother

Physical qualifications are essential criteria to becoming a surrogate. These criteria ensure the physical well-being of a woman to carry a child.  

Ø Age of the surrogate must be between 21 to 40 years.

Ø She must have a good BMI determined by the physical test.

Ø She must have at least one child without complicated pregnancy.

Ø She must not be on antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication.

Ø She must not be a smoker.

Ø She must be physically healthy

• Psychological Criteria for Being a Surrogate

Psychological health is as important as the physical health of the surrogate. She must not be under any pressure to become a surrogate. She should have calm mental health and stable emotions to bear the stress and storms of pregnancy. In pregnancy, a woman has to undergo hormonal changes that can have an impact on her physique and behavior. She must be mentally strong to handle those changes.

Before becoming a surrogate, a woman must undergo several medical and psychological screening tests. These are essential for ensuring physical and psychological readiness to become a surrogate. Because the surrogate is not biologically related to the child, there is no possibility of legal complications in gestational surrogacy.

If you are the intended parents or a woman interested in becoming a surrogate, please contact Rite Options, a reputable and well-established surrogacy agency.