There are a lot of physical requirements to even begin applying to become a surrogate. Many times when you’re given a list of requirements you may wonder how serious or lenient different agencies may be on different standards. One that comes up often is the BMI requirements for surrogacy.
To get more information about BMI surrogacy requirements with our agency, fill out our online form or call 1-800-875-BABY.
Why BMI is Important
While many people in the health industry have been discussing the relevance of BMI in other areas of the medical field, BMI is still important to surrogate eligibility. We want to make sure that intended parents and surrogates have the best chance possible to have a child. When intended parents are choosing to use their own eggs, we have little room for error to help them achieve their dreams. We have BMI surrogacy requirements due to the risks listed below.
- Higher BMI has been associated with preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, pregnancy hypertension and other complications.
- Complications with the baby after birth have been linked to birth mothers with a higher BMI.
- Too high and too low BMI can make it more difficult to get pregnant.
- Too high and too low BMI can increase the risk of pre-term delivery.
Required BMI Levels
We currently work with women whose have a BMI range of 19-32. This is based on the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s recommendations and what health professionals have determined is a healthy BMI range for adults. This range is set to exclude women who may be medically underweight or obese, which could cause dangerous situations when carrying a child.
Working with the BMI Requirement
If you are slightly over the required weight or BMI, you should speak with a surrogacy specialist. A reproductive endocrinologist can complete blood and urine test to determine whether you can successfully carry a child to term. If you want to become a surrogate, you can also work with your doctor or a registered dietician to help meet the surrogacy BMI requirements.
It’s important to keep in mind that our BMI requirement for surrogacy is just one of many. Our other surrogacy requirements include:
- No smoking or illicit drug use
- No tattoos or piercings in last six months
- No major complications from previous pregnancies
- At least six months since last vaginal or cesarean birth
- And more.
When it comes to your health, the best thing you can do is to seek out health and nutrition advice from you physician. If you lay out your goals, including that you want to meet BMI surrogacy requirements, your doctor should be able to help you create a plan and recommend other health specialists who can assist you as well.
The best way to know if you are eligible to become a surrogate is by contacting a surrogacy specialist. If you have questions about the process, the BMI requirements, or anything else, contact us at 1-800-875-2229 (BABY). And if you think you meet the requirements and want to proceed, contact us by filling out our quick prospective surrogate form.