All surrogates MUST be at least 21 years old, since the legal age will be required upon signing the Surrogacy Contract with Intended Parents, which generally takes place in 8 to 10 weeks after the initial application. The upper limit for age is 38 years old because most IVF facilities will need clearance letters from the OB/GYN doctors of surrogates over 36 years old to prove their ability to deliver and remain healthy.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index, which is a standard method to measure the ratio between height and weight. Calculate your BMI here (https://www.google.com/search?q=bmi+calculator). The normal range should be between 18 to 32 for the medical screening purpose, and a 30 BMI will be mandatory upon the physical screening, which usually takes place in 6 to 8 weeks after the initial application.

Per ASRM (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) Guidelines, all surrogates must have given birth at least once before and preferably are currently raising at least one of her own child(ren). ASRM believes all surrogates must be experienced in pregnancy and delivery. Surrogates who have recently given birth maybe eligible to receive the FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer) Procedure 6 months after a vaginal delivery or 12 months after a C-Section delivery. This means surrogates can start the application process as early as around 4 months after a vaginal delivery or 10 months after a C-Section delivery.

The maximum number of previous Vaginal Deliveries to qualify is Three (3), while the max number of prior C-section Deliveries to qualify is One (1). Based on our experience and the demand from our Intended Parents (IPs), surrogates with no prior C-Section deliveries who have 3 or fewer vaginal deliveries will have a significant advantage for matching with IPs and usually get matched more quickly.

Surrogacy laws and regulations vary significantly from state by state; some states are more surrogacy-friendly while others have limitations or legal hurdles even surrogacy is allowed. One key factor for surrogacy-friendly states is that Intended Parents can establish their parental rights through PBO (Pre-Birth Order). Surrogacy laws on the state level are constantly evolving, but as for now, only four states strictly prohibit surrogacy, which are New York, Louisiana, Michigan and Nebraska. Pacific Surrogacy USA would love with surrogates from ALL Surrogacy-Friendly States (Link to our Surrogacy Legal Map).

Surrogates MUST quit smoking and it is strictly prohibited during the pregnancy journey. Also, surrogates should not be user of illicit or legal drugs. The physical clearance screening includes a blood test that meausres the nicotine and marijuana levels in the blood. The detection of smoking or use of drugs may result in failing to obtain the medical clearance letter.

Pacific Surrogacy USA prefers not to work with surrogates with mental illness history. However, we do partner with several IVF facilities that are willing to accept surrogates with mental illness history, provided that they are off the medication for mental illness for at least one year and are able to obtain a clearance letter from their OB/GYN doctors.