What is the maximum age to become a surrogate?

Surrogacy is a complicated fertility treatment process and certain considerable factors influence the eligibility of a woman to become a surrogate. The age of the woman who wants to be a surrogate is one of the primary decision-making factors. In the surrogacy process, restriction of age is due to protect the health of the surrogate and considered the interest of the intended parents. Restriction of surrogate age is a safety measure to take care of the well-being of the surrogate mother. Therefore, women who are interested to join in a surrogacy program must come under the restricted age requirement to obtain a successful treatment outcome without any clinical complication.

It is quite common nowadays many teen girls who have the interest to work as a surrogate are waiting for their 18 years to join in the surrogacy journey. But 18 years is not legally accepted as the minimum age to become a surrogate, because one of the primary criteria to become a gestational carrier is that surrogate must have a history of successfully giving birth to her child. For this reason, 21 years is decided the minimum age to become a surrogate for pursuing a healthy surrogate pregnancy and childbirth.

Similarly, many women have a misconception that even after 60 years they can be a surrogate mother. But most of the cases women up to 45 years age can join the surrogacy journey as a gestational carrier. However, more than anything, every woman has a unique physiology to support the successful pregnancy and childbirth.

It is necessary to mention, some surrogacy agencies considered 37 years is the upper age limit to become a surrogate to avoid any health complications. For such an organization the minimum and maximum average age range are lies between 21 years to 37 years.

Maximum age limit

Women even after 60 years had joined in the surrogacy journey in the rare instance and give childbirth successfully. But this is not a general practice as even intended parents do not want to take the risk. The most common complications in pregnancy at higher age are as follows:

• Difficulty in physical acceptance of the pregnancy
• Pre-existing diabetes
• Increases the risk of gestational diabetes
• Hypertension as well as frequent unstable blood pressure
• Preeclampsia
• Low birth weight of the born child
• Premature birth
• Miscarriage or stillbirth
• Increase chances of Caesarean-section

Even after women under the upper age limit, the most important thing is staying fit and active to avoid potential problems. 

Assessing Your Circumstances

When a surrogate is under the age of the upper age limit and decides to become a surrogate needs to undergo every prenatal appointment to verify the health conditions require to support a successful surrogacy. The surrogacy screening process is conducted under the observation of OB/GYN to confirm the eligibility of a woman as a surrogate. In many cases, though woman under the upper age limit unable to become a surrogate due to potential health condition does not support to join in the surrogacy program. 

The selected woman who has a positive screening test report also needs to go for psychological counseling to disclose the intensions to become a surrogate. During the counseling, surrogates get the chance to ask their concerns and can medical advice. Specialized OB/GYN clinicians do the physical examination of the women and confirm the physical ability to become a surrogate. Therefore, the maximum age limit is a considerable factor for a surrogate, but physical fitness and mental well-being is the utmost requirement to join in a surrogacy program.