Surrogates

Pregnancy Requirements for Surrogates


Wanting to be a surrogate is a generous and selfless desire. Some women may not want children of their own — but are 100 percent willing to put their healthy uterus to good use and help someone else become the parent they’ve always dreamed of being.

But, gestational surrogacy doesn’t exactly work that way. Being a surrogate mother with no previous children is a risky business that can put all parties involved in danger. While becoming a surrogate without a previous pregnancy might seem like no big deal, the situation is a lot more complicated than you may think.

So, why can’t a woman and intended parents who are both willing to partner on a surrogacy without a previous pregnancy move forward with this journey?

Find out the answer to this question and more below.

Can You Be a Surrogate Without Having Given Birth?

If you want to be a gestational surrogate, it means that you are a selfless woman willing to do anything to help another person bring their child into the world. If you want to become a surrogate without a prior pregnancy, you likely haven’t experienced the joys of parenting yourself — but you’re aware of how much parenthood means to someone who desperately wants it.

Wanting to make a difference in the world, many prospective surrogates ask their professionals, “Can I be a surrogate if I’ve never been pregnant?”

Unfortunately, the answer is clear: No.

While surrogacy professionals will admire your dedication to helping an intended parent, any good surrogacy professional will disqualify you from becoming a surrogate if you have not carried a child before. In your research, you’ll see that this is one of the first requirements a woman must meet to become a gestational carrier — and it’s non-negotiable. Regardless of whatever stories you may have heard, you cannot be a surrogate who has never been pregnant. Doing so will be dangerous for you, your intended parents and the surrogacy professional that you choose to work with.

Any good surrogacy professional will always be willing to answer your questions about their specific surrogacy requirements, including pregnancy requirements. Contact one today to learn more.

Why Can’t You Be a Surrogate Mother With No Previous Children?

If you’ve had your heart set on a being a gestational carrier, it can be frustrating to learn that you cannot be a surrogate mother who has never been pregnant before. You may ask, “If I accept the risks of being a surrogate without pregnancy experience, and I’ve found intended parents who are willing to work with, why can we move forward with our surrogacy partnership?”

Surrogacy professionals don’t just set pregnancy requirements for gestational carriers “because.” They have many good reasons for doing so. The primary ones? Protecting you and the intended parents from the dangers of completing a surrogacy without a previous pregnancy.

Here’s how:

Gestational Carriers:

The main reason why someone who has never had kids cannot be a surrogate is to protect their physical and emotional safety. If you’ve never been pregnant before, you have no idea what pregnancy is like. You have no clue what kind of physical complications you may experience, or whether you can even get pregnant at all. Surrogates must have pregnancy experience so they are ready for the physical challenges of carrying a child for someone else.

Similarly, if you are a surrogate who has never been pregnant, you are unaware of the emotional complications that come with pregnancy. You will be dealing with all the hormonal changes of pregnancy, and you won’t be ready for the emotional difficulties you may feel when giving birth and going home without a baby — and without a child at home to care for instead.

Intended Parents:

Intended parents often go through a lot before they choose surrogacy. So, when they get to this family-building process, they want to be matched with a gestational carrier who gives them the best chance of success.

However, those women who have become a surrogate without a prior pregnancy cannot offer that guarantee. There will always be a degree of uncertainty — can she actually get pregnant? Will she be able to carry the intended parents’ child without major complications or issues? There are too many unknowns for intended parents who are committing a great deal of hope and money into this family-building process.

Even those intended parents who are willing to accept the risks of working with a carrier who has never been pregnant will likely hit a roadblock when it comes to fertility clinic screening. To protect themselves and their clients, clinics will often not approve a woman who has never given birth to be a gestational carrier. The risks are just too high for all involved.

Even with professional guidance, gestational surrogacy can be complicated and risky. So, professionals do all they can to mitigate those risks and create as positive a surrogacy experience for all involved. That starts with ensuring a surrogate meets certain health requirements — including pregnancy requirements.

For more information on why being a surrogate mother without a previous pregnancy is impossible, please contact a local surrogacy professional.

Male and Female couple smiling with surrogate mother
Is Surrogacy Right For Me?

Take our 2 minute quiz to find out

Get Started