We have several intended parents waiting to be matched. I have included the qualifications to be a gestational surrogate through our program.

Gestational Surrogate Criteria

✓ Surrogates must be between the ages of 21 and 39 and in good health.

✓ Surrogates must have given birth to at least one child, who she is currently raising.

✓ It is preferable that the Surrogate is not interested in having any more children of her own.

✓ The Surrogate must not have experienced any serious medical complications during any prior pregnancies or deliveries.

✓ Surrogates and their partners must be non-smokers, drug-free, and not abuse alcohol. Surrogates must have abstained from smoking for at least one year prior to submitting a Surrogate application and may not have any history of illegal drug use. Urine toxicology tests may be performed during the surrogacy screening process to confirm abstinence.

✓ Surrogates must not be exposed to second-hand smoke at home or work.

✓ Surrogates must have the full emotional support of a partner/spouse and family/friends prior to submitting a surrogacy application and over the course of the surrogacy process. Surrogates must also reside in a stable and supportive home.

✓ Surrogates’ Body Mass Index must be under 30 for health reasons, as well as due to potential impact of obesity on Surrogate’s response to the medications taken during the surrogacy process. (Please see the Center for Disease Control’s website to determine your

✓ BMI: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/calc-bmi.htm)

✓ Surrogates and their partners may not have any history of criminal activity or arrests.

✓ Background checks will be performed to verify this.

✓ Surrogates should be financially stable and not be receiving any government (federal or state) financial assistance (e.g., subsidized housing, food stamps, welfare, Medicaid, subsidized health insurance).

✓ Surrogates must have reliable transportation to attend medical appointments reliably.

✓ Surrogates may not be taking (nor have taken in the past year) any psychotropic (psychiatric) medication that has the potential to negatively impact pregnancy.

✓ Surrogates cannot have obtained any tattoos, body piercings or blood transfusions during the 12 months prior to initiating a surrogacy cycle. Surrogates may not obtain any new tattoos or body piercings while undergoing a surrogacy cycle.

✓ Surrogates should have schedule flexible enough to attend all the medical appointments required for the surrogacy process, as well as to be able to take time off for bed rest if medically necessary during the pregnancy.

✓ Surrogates must reside in a surrogacy-friendly state.