What Are The Requirements To Become A Gestational Carrier
The dream of beginning a family is one many women and couples have. For the mother-to-be feeling her baby grow and kick in her belly while she prepares the nursery is something she looks forward to every day while waiting for that positive pregnancy test. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always go as planned. For women who cannot get pregnant or carry to full term finding a gestational carrier is life-changing. Are you curious about what are the requirements to become a gestational carrier? Contact us at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma to speak to a professional. We’d love to chat with you about becoming a gestational carrier!
Gestational Carriers Vs Traditional Surrogates
Gestational carriers are commonly placed under the surrogate mother umbrella but there is a major difference between the two. In traditional surrogacy, you would be donating your egg or eggs to be fertilized via IVF. You would have a genetic link to the child and the awaiting parents would adopt the baby after birth.
Gestational carriers have fertilized embryos implanted in their uterus via medical procedure. The egg and sperm are provided by donators or the awaiting parents depending on the situation. You would be carrying and giving birth to someone else’s child without any genetic relation to the baby, and the parents do not need to go through the process of adoption as they would in traditional surrogacy.
Why Gestational Carriers Matter
There are many medical reasons women cannot carry a child or carry to full term that has nothing to do with egg viability. Women who have had hysterectomies still have eggs that can become healthy embryos. As well, there are women who can get pregnant but their bodies are unable to carry a child to full term. Health complications and risks associated with pregnancy affect both the mother and the child. For some women, it is simply a life or death situation to give birth or remain pregnant to term. This is where you, a gestational carrier, would swoop in and give parents the family they’ve been longing for. Gestational carriers also provide same-sex couples the ability to have a family.
How To Become A Gestational Carrier
There is a multi-step process to becoming a gestational carrier. First, you need to find the agency you want to go through and begin the application process with them. Your medical history will be needed and you’ll be given a background check. You’ll be given a mental health assessment as well. If all of these prerequisites meet what the agency is looking for you’ll be given the green light as a carrier! That means your OK surrogacy professional will begin to match you up with couples looking to use a gestational carrier.
Gestational Carrier Requirements
Off the bat in order to become a gestational carrier or surrogate mother you have to have given birth to a child of your own and have custody of that child. You will not even be given an application if you have not given birth before. That being said there are other important conditions that can be the deciding factor on if you even make it past the application process.
Age requirements fall between twenty-one and thirty-five. Anything before or after is not accepted. This is because these years are considered prime birth-giving years that typically do not pose health risks to you or the unborn child.
Health is another incredibly important factor. Your agency does not want to put you or the baby at risk. Being overweight or obese will disqualify you from gestational carrying. Prior substance abuse, alcoholism, and smoking are red flags to agencies. Any other underlying health conditions that are life-threatening will remove your eligibility as well.
Prior pregnancy or birth complications. Even if you and your child are completely healthy now if there were any major complications during pregnancy or during birth you will not be considered. Again, this comes down to agencies not wanting to risk harm coming to you or the unborn child. As well, many awaiting parents do not want to risk the health of their child especially if they are only able to try this one time.
Becoming A Gestational Carrier
Do you want to learn more about the entire process? Feel free to call us or email us at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma. We’re here to answer all your questions and serve you to the best of our abilities. Becoming a gestational carrier is an incredibly selfless act. You’re giving couples the chance to have the baby they’ve always dreamed of. Pregnancy isn’t easy. It’s nearly a year of your life you’re giving to other people in order to bring them a little bundle of joy. Gestational carriers create families when there is no other way. Please contact us if you’re interested in becoming a surrogate mother or gestational carrier.
Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma is a surrogacy and adoption agency, licensed by the state of Oklahoma and a leader in the community. We assist both intended parents and gestational carriers (surrogates). Our staff members are committed to providing an ethical, empowering, and personalized experience to all involved in the surrogacy process.
Toll-free: 800-898-6028 | OKC Local: 405-755-1999 | Tulsa Local: 918-447-7777 | Text: 405-310-8790 | Email
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