California Surrogacy Requirements

CALIFORNIA SURROGACY REQUIREMENTS

Surrogacy in California

Are you wanting to become a surrogate mother in California? In order to be a surrogate, you must first learn what California surrogacy requirements there are. Being a surrogate is truly one of the most rewarding things you can do, helping intended parents with fertility issues expand their family by carrying and giving birth to their baby. Before you can become a surrogate, there are some requirements you must meet to be eligible for surrogacy in California.

Since California is the most desired state to be a surrogate in, the California surrogacy requirements can be more strict than other states.

Health Requirements to Apply as a Surrogate

The ideal candidate for a surrogacy in California must comply with certain health requirements that both surrogacy agencies and California IVF clinics set. These requirements are put in place to ensure that all parties are protected throughout the surrogacy process. These health requirements include, but are not limited to:

1. You must be a non-smoker and drug-free
2. You must have given birth to at least one child with no serious complications with documented medical records to prove this.
3. You must not have had more than one or two c-section births.
4. You should have a healthy BMI, between 19 and 30. Check this calculator.
5. You should not have any STDs or history of pregnancy complications

Eligible Age for Surrogacy in California

California surrogacy requirements state that a surrogate mother cannot be younger than 21. There is no official surrogate mother age limit. Generally, Made in the USA Surrogacy does not accept  surrogates over the age of 39. The required age range varies from one surrogacy agency to the next.

Pregnancy is not only physically demanding, it can also be emotionally demanding. That is why these age limits are set by surrogacy professionals as women between these ages are usually better suited to handle the physical and emotional demands of pregnancy. By setting these age requirements, the risks associated with pregnancy are minimized.

Medical (Screening) Requirements

Once it is determined that you meet the health and age requirements set by California IVF clinics, the potential surrogate mother will have to undergo medical screening which includes urine and blood testing as well as a physical examination. This is to ascertain whether or not you are physically capable of undergoing the fertilization treatments and other applicable medical procedures like embryo transfers.

Emotional and Psychological Requirements

Pregnancy not only takes a toll on your body – it can be quite demanding, emotionally and mentally. Surrogacy professionals will want to be sure that a potential surrogate is mentally and emotionally strong enough to handle the demands of the surrogacy process. Psychological screenings, personality tests and in-depth interviews of potential surrogates are usually carried out to determine the mental and emotional states of potential surrogates.

Stable Family Environment

As a surrogate mother, you must live a responsible life and have sufficient support from the people you are living with and surrounded by including family members and friends. Ideally, a surrogate must have a partner or spouse at home who assists as you navigate the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy and the surrogacy process as a whole.

Background Checks

To be a surrogate mother in California, you must have no felonies or any serious criminal record. A background check, both federal and state, will be conducted to ensure that you are the ideal candidate for the surrogacy. Some agencies also require that if you have a live-in partner, he/she also has to undergo a background check.

Financial Stability

A surrogate does not have to worry about paying her medical expenses and other pregnancy-related costs as these costs are covered by the intended parents. However, surrogates must be financially stable. Most surrogacy agencies will not accept potential surrogates who are financially dependent on government assistance. The ideal candidate for surrogacy must not be receiving federal or state financial aid including welfare, public housing, cash assistance and section 8.

Must be U.S. Citizen

Surrogates mothers must be a U.S. Citizen in order to qualify as a surrogate. They cannot be here on permanent residency either. The reason for this is where the baby’s citizenship will be established.

Travel Commitment

For the necessary medical check-ups, doctor’s appointments and medical procedures, surrogates must be mobile, able and willing to travel as needed.

Also, surrogate mothers generally cannot travel outside of the US once transfer of the embryo has been completed and you are pregnant.

If you meet these basic requirements for becoming a surrogate in California, you can begin the process of finding a surrogacy agency.

Surrogacy Requirements in California

For women who are interested in becoming surrogate mothers in California, below are the basic requirements you must meet:

• You must be a citizen of the United States
• You must be between the ages of 23 and 38 years old
• You must reside in a surrogacy-friendly state. Unfortunately, we do not accept surrogate applicants living in Michigan, New York, Nebraska, and Louisiana
• You and your partner must pass federal and state background checks. We do not accept surrogate applicants who have prior felonies
• You must be a non-smoker and non-drug user
• You should have a healthy BMI, between 19 and 30
• You must be financially secure and should not be on any government financial assistance including welfare, public housing and section 8
• You must have given birth to at least one child with no medical complications
• You must not have a mental illness and should not be on any medication to treat a mental illness such as anti-anxiety medications or anti-depressants
• You must not have had than two c-sections birth
• You must have a healthy and responsible lifestyle and must have the necessary physical and emotional support from your family and people you live with

Be a surrogate in California

If you meet these requirements, congratulations! You are one step closer to becoming a surrogate mother.At Made in the USA Surrogacy, we are dedicated to helping intended parents become parents. We are committed to ensuring a successful surrogacy journey from beginning to the end, for both intended parents and surrogates. That is why we perform a rigorous screening of all potential surrogate candidates before matching. We look for surrogates who are just as passionate as we are about bringing joy and fulfillment to couples or individuals who have experienced fertility issues.

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