Becoming a surrogate mother is a process that typically takes 14 to 18 months from your first application to delivery. It involves meeting specific health and lifestyle criteria, passing medical and psychological screenings, navigating legal contracts, and then carrying a pregnancy on behalf of intended parents. First-time surrogates currently earn between $50,000 and $70,000 in base compensation, with additional allowances and bonuses on top of that.
Here’s what the full process looks like, step by step.
Basic Eligibility Requirements
Most surrogacy agencies and fertility clinics share a core set of requirements. You need to be between 21 and 40 years old, have a BMI under 30, and have delivered at least one child without major complications. That last point is non-negotiable: clinics want evidence that your body has carried a healthy pregnancy to term before they’ll consider you for surrogacy.
Beyond that baseline, programs look at your full reproductive history. You shouldn’t have a history of recurrent miscarriage, and most agencies cap your total prior births at five. You also need to be a non-smoker, not using recreational drugs, and living in a stable home environment. If you’re currently breastfeeding, most programs ask you to wait until you’ve finished.
The Application and Matching Phase
The process starts when you apply through a surrogacy agency or, less commonly, connect with intended parents independently. Your application covers your medical history, pregnancy history, lifestyle, and motivations for becoming a surrogate. If you meet the initial criteria, you move into the matching phase, where the agency pairs you with intended parents whose preferences and expectations align with yours.
Matching can happen within days or take a few weeks, depending on the agency’s pool of intended parents and how specific everyone’s preferences are. Once matched, you and the intended parents typically have a call or meeting to see if the relationship feels right. This relationship matters: you’ll be in close contact for the better part of a year, discussing everything from prenatal appointments to delivery room plans.
Medical Screening
After matching, you undergo a thorough medical evaluation at the intended parents’ fertility clinic. This includes blood work, infectious disease testing, a uterine evaluation, and a review of your full medical and reproductive records. Results usually come back within 10 to 14 days.
The clinic is looking for anything that could complicate an embryo transfer or pregnancy. If you pass, you move into the legal phase. If not, the agency may try to match you with different intended parents whose clinic has different criteria, though significant medical concerns could disqualify you entirely.
Psychological Evaluation
Every surrogate undergoes a psychological screening, typically conducted by a mental health professional who specializes in reproductive issues. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommends this evaluation cover several specific areas: your ability to emotionally separate from the baby after birth, how the pregnancy might affect your relationships and family dynamics, and your expectations around lifestyle during pregnancy (diet, exercise, travel). The evaluation also explores practical topics like who will be in the delivery room and whether you’d be willing to provide breast milk.
The screening is designed to protect both you and the intended parents. Evaluators look for signs of financial or emotional coercion, meaning they want to confirm you’re doing this voluntarily and not under pressure. A history of untreated depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse, or a traumatic prior delivery can disqualify you. So can current use of psychoactive medications, relationship instability, or a lack of emotional support at home. The bar is high because the process is emotionally demanding, and clinics want confidence that you have the support system and resilience to handle it.
The Legal Contract
Before any medical procedures begin, you and the intended parents must sign a gestational carrier contract. This is a detailed legal agreement that spells out each party’s rights, obligations, and expectations for the entire arrangement. It covers compensation, medical decisions, communication expectations, what happens in the event of complications, and the intended parents’ legal parentage of the child.
Both you and the intended parents must have your own independent attorney. This is a firm requirement, not a suggestion. Your attorney is paid for by the intended parents but works solely in your interest, making sure you understand every term and that your rights are fully protected. All negotiations happen between the attorneys until both sides agree. This phase can take a few weeks, sometimes longer if terms need significant back-and-forth.
Where You Live Matters
Surrogacy laws vary dramatically by state. Most of the country is surrogacy-friendly: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New York, Texas, Oregon, and roughly 20 other states have statutes or court precedents that make gestational surrogacy contracts enforceable. If you live in one of these states, the legal process is relatively straightforward.
A handful of states are restrictive. Indiana and Louisiana prohibit surrogacy contracts outright and treat them as void. Nebraska voids compensated surrogacy contracts specifically, and North Dakota considers all surrogacy contracts void. If you live in a restrictive state, you may still be able to work with intended parents in a surrogacy-friendly state, but the legal complexity and cost increase significantly. Your attorney and agency can advise on the specifics.
The Medical Process: Medications and Transfer
Once the legal contract is signed, the medical phase begins. You’ll start a regimen of estrogen and progesterone to prepare your uterine lining for the embryo. This medication phase typically involves daily pills, patches, or injections and lasts several weeks. The clinic monitors your lining through ultrasounds and blood work to confirm your body is ready.
The embryo transfer itself is simpler than most people expect. It’s a brief procedure, similar in feel to a Pap smear, that doesn’t require anesthesia. A doctor guides the embryo into your uterus using a thin catheter, and the whole thing takes about 10 to 15 minutes. You’ll have a pregnancy test roughly 10 days later. If positive, monthly compensation payments typically begin after a heartbeat is confirmed, usually around six to seven weeks.
Not every transfer succeeds on the first attempt. If the first transfer doesn’t result in pregnancy, your contract will outline the process for additional attempts.
Compensation Breakdown
First-time surrogates earn $50,000 to $70,000 in base compensation as of 2025. Experienced surrogates, meaning those who have completed at least one prior surrogacy journey, earn $75,000 to $90,000 or more. Base pay is distributed in monthly installments throughout the pregnancy.
On top of base pay, several additional payments and benefits are standard:
- Multiples bonus: $10,000 or more if you carry twins or triplets
- C-section compensation: $5,000 for a first C-section, $3,000 for a repeat
- Monthly allowance: Covers transportation, meals, childcare, and incidentals
- IVF medication stipend: A one-time payment at the start of medications
- Lost wages: Up to $10,000 combined for you and your partner if time off work is needed
- Housekeeping support: Up to $200 per week during pregnancy, capped at $3,000
- Life insurance: A $250,000 policy for you during the surrogacy
- Maternity and recovery support: Maternity clothing, nutrition supplements, and wellness benefits
All medical expenses, legal fees, and insurance premiums are covered by the intended parents. Your compensation is separate from these costs.
What the Full Timeline Looks Like
From the day you submit your application to the day you deliver, expect the process to take roughly 15 to 18 months. The pre-pregnancy phase, including application, matching, screening, and legal work, accounts for several months of that. The pregnancy itself is the standard 9 to 10 months. Some journeys move faster if matching happens quickly and the first embryo transfer succeeds; others stretch longer if additional transfers are needed or legal negotiations take extra time.
After delivery, your recovery period is similar to any other birth. Most contracts include compensation for recovery time, and your agency will typically check in during the weeks following delivery to make sure you’re doing well both physically and emotionally.