Imagine being able to give the gift of a lifetime. If you're one of the amazing women interested in becoming a gestational surrogate, then you may be able to do just that.

Becoming a gestational surrogate is an incredibly generous, selfless act, but there are specific qualifications to meet and steps to follow before you can pursue a surrogacy journey.

Here's how to become a gestational surrogate with Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists.

1. Meet the Basic Requirements to Become a Gestational Surrogate

Before you can become a gestational surrogate, you need to show that you're both physically and psychologically fit to do so—especially if you plan on working with an agency

For example, here at Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists, there are our initial requirements for women interested in becoming a surrogate:

• You must between 21-43 years of age.
• You must be a United States citizen or hold a permanent Green Card.
• You must live in a surrogate-friendly state.
• You must not reside in any one of the following states: Louisiana, Michigan, or Nebraska.
• You must have delivered at least one child.
• You must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 33 or less.
• You must not have had more than three (3) Cesarean Sections.
• You must be a non-smoker.
• You must be a non-drug user.
• You must not currently on any anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication.

2. Take the Surrogate Prescreen Application

If you meet all of the basic criteria, then congratulations! You may be qualified to become a gestational surrogate. The next step in the process is submitting the prescreen application.

The prescreen contains a set of basic questions, most of which correspond with the basic criteria established in the previous step, to ensure you meet all of the initial requirements.

In addition to ensuring the basic criteria are met, the prescreen allows you to register a new username and password so you can continue the application process if you qualify.

If you don't currently meet the basic requirements, you may be able to re-apply later on if you change the disqualifying features.

3. Complete the Full Surrogate Application

Once you've submitted the prescreen and qualified, you'll be prompted to continue on to the full application to provide more in-depth detail.

The application is much more comprehensive than the prescreen. You'll be asked to provide in-depth detail about a few different areas of your life, including (but not limited to):

• Your Personal Lifestyle
• Your Education
• Your Employment
• Your Spouse/Partner (if applicable)
• Your Medical History
• Your Criminal History

The full application helps us determine whether or not you're a right-fit candidate to pursue surrogacy. You may have qualified based on the preliminary prescreen, but you aren't officially qualified until you've completed the full application.

If we do accept your application, this information will also help us find the perfect match for you once you've completed the application process.

4. Submit Official Documentation

Once you've submitted the full application and have officially qualified to become a gestational surrogate, the process isn't quite complete, but you are one step closer to giving the gift of a lifetime!

Next, you'll need to submit a number of important documents, including (but not limited to):

• Recent Photos of Yourself & Your Family
• Recent Photos of Your Home
• Your Insurance Cards
• A Valid Driver's License

5. Complete a Psychological Evaluation & Background Check

After your documentation has been submitted, you'll be asked to take a psychological evaluation and complete a background check to ensure you're ready to handle the journey ahead.

The psychological evaluation consists of a Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) text and clinical interview with an agency psychologist.

To start, you'll complete the PAI, an hour-long, 344-item personality test designed to assess your personality and psychopathology.

After the test is submitted, you'll sit down with a psychologist in person or via FaceTime/Skype to talk about how you plan on pursuing certain aspects of the surrogacy journey. The psychologist will ensure they get a greater understanding of you and your unique goals, challenges, and situations.

6. Obtain Medical Clearance

It's important to show that you're medically fit before you can become a gestational surrogate.

You'll need to share your medical history to show that your healthy enough to carry a child for another family. In addition, you'll need to share your pregnancy records to show you have a history of healthy, happy pregnancies.

A medical endocrinologist will review your records to ensure you're fit to take the next step toward becoming a gestational surrogate.

7. Find the Perfect Match

Once your medical history has been cleared by your gynecologist and the medical endocrinologist, you're ready to find your perfect IP match.

Surrogacy matching agencies specialize in finding the perfect match based on your personality, your physicality, and most importantly, your values to set you up for the most seamless, successful journey possible.

There a few steps you can take to ensure you and your IPs share the same mindset when it comes to the surrogacy journey, but you can trust a surrogacy agency to find the right-fit candidates to start with.

When you've finally found and connected with the perfect match, you're ready to move into the final stage of the process so you can begin your journey.

8. Establish a Formal Surrogacy Agreement

The final step in the process is usually referred to as "the contract phase," when you and your IPs design a roadmap for the surrogacy journey ahead.

The contract clearly outlines the specifics of the agreement: your surrogate compensation, the number of IVF cycles you agree to, and all of the other important details you need to account for to ensure a happy, healthy journey.

Once you've completed all seven critical steps before becoming a gestational surrogate, you've proven to be the perfect candidate to pursue the journey of a lifetime.