Episode 146 – Do I qualify for surrogacy?

00:06
Do I qualify for surrogacy? Let’s unpack that for both surrogates and IPs, which stands for Intended Parents. For surrogates, basically you need to be at least 25 to be a surrogate. If you’re under 25 now and investigating surrogacy, that’s okay. You can be under 25 while building a friendship or doing the paperwork, but you need to be 25 before pregnancy attempts begin. There’s no legal limit for too old.

00:30
However, it will all come down to the internal rules of the IVF clinic that you and your IPs work with. I know of one surrogate who was 54 at birth and then she birthed again at 57. The average age of surrogates when they give birth, according to some data gathering that I’ve done, is about 36, but dozens of surrogates birth in their 40s. Other questions that surrogates wonder are things like, is my uterus good enough? Probably.

00:57
If you’re fit and healthy enough to have another pregnancy, for example, if you were to have another child for your own family, you’re probably fit and healthy enough for a surrogate pregnancy. If you’re considering being a surrogate for friends or family, or looking for IPs, I bet you want to make sure your offer is genuine and you have the medical all clear, so your GP is a good place to start. Have a chat to them about your previous pregnancies and births to see if they have any concerns. That might also mean a follow-up with an obstetrician if there were some complications.

01:26
Now since these visits are surrogacy related, the cost for that would be covered by IPs, but you might want to chat to your GP before offering to your IP friends. If you join SASS as a surrogate, we will reimburse you for the cost of a medical appointment, so let us pay for it for you. In terms of what to discuss, on our Surrogacy Australia website there’s a template that you can print off and take with you to that GP appointment. It’s in the SASS section for surrogates and anybody’s welcome to download that. Am I too crazy?

01:56
I think we’re all a little bit crazy to be surrogates. Perhaps you’ve had some postnatal depression or anxiety in the past or currently. Perhaps you’re on some medications like antidepressants. Will it disqualify you? Probably not. I myself had challenges after the birth of my own two kids and Surubub too. Tell your IPs, your doctors and counselors about them. Oddly enough, having examples of tough times to draw on shows that you can recognize challenges and you know how to access support.

02:26
Kids, what if I want more after surrogacy? There’s no legal requirement to have finished your family because nobody’s going to stop you from having another child, a keeper, after a surrogate baby. But if you couldn’t have another child after surrogacy, are you okay with that? Because you need to think about that. And kids, if I haven’t had them? So surrogacy goes by the laws of the state where the IPs live, not the surrogate. So if you the surrogate haven’t had kids before,

02:54
you will only be able to carry for IPs who live in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. Now I’m sure that law is going to change in the coming years since we’re in the middle of an inquiry by the Australian Law Reform Commission. So currently in early 2026, it’s only a few states who allow a surrogate to carry if she has not had children, but watch this space. I know of a case in Victoria last year where an exemption was made, so do consider asking your IVF clinic. Being single?

03:23
Yes, that’s fine, but if you’re in the middle of finalizing a divorce, complete that before entering into a surrogacy agreement and seek some legal advice on that one. What about your weight? There’s no legal requirement for health in general for surrogacy actually. It will come down to the preference of the doctors at the IVF clinic. I guess the reason behind having some of these rules is to aim for a healthy pregnancy for you and SurroBub. If you have any other health issues that might be a concern in pregnancy, they are not automatic disqualifiers.

03:53
Start with a chat with your GP. Do I use my own eggs? Usually not. The eggs are usually provided by the intended mother if your IPs are a hetero couple or an egg donor if the IPs are gay and about 85 % of teams fall into that category. Now when it is your egg that’s called traditional surrogacy and only about 15 % of teams do that. So to be a traditional surrogate you still need to have completed all of the legals and counselling prior to getting pregnant.

04:20
You can’t just fall pregnant and decide to give the baby to your friends. That’s not surrogacy. On to IPs now and their eligibility. So you may or may not know that to be able to engage with a surrogate in Australia, you have to qualify to do so. For the gay guys, you’re instantly eligible. If you’re a hetero couple or a single lady, you’ve probably faced many hurdles to get here. Multiple egg collection cycles, failed transfers, miscarriages, cancer, surgery, born without a uterus,

04:49
PCOS, long journeys emotionally and financially to bring you here. So on behalf of all of us in the community, the village, well done for being brave and being willing to explore surrogacy. So although you might have had many struggles to bring you to investigate surrogacy, unfortunately it does not necessarily mean you are eligible to engage with a surrogate. To be eligible for that, you either need to not have a uterus, so be a same-sex male couple or a single man,

05:19
or because you were born without a uterus or have had a hysterectomy, or to be advised by a specialist that carrying a pregnancy would be too great a risk to yourself or the baby. Unexplained infertility does not necessarily make you eligible for surrogacy, as perhaps it is donor eggs or sperm that need to be explored first. You will eventually need confirmation about your eligibility from a fertility specialist. If you don’t have a fertility specialist yet, head to your GP and get a referral for one

05:48
That’s your starting point. If you would like to ask me, Anna McKie, specific questions, you’re welcome to book in for a consultation with me through Surrogacy Australia. You could also attend one of our free Wednesday night webinars to hear this information in more detail and there’s also a chance to type in questions. If you are finding these discussions useful, I would love it if you could leave a review wherever you listen to this show. And you can find more information at surrogacyaustralia.org.

06:15
If you are looking for more guidance on how to navigate surrogacy in Australia, please check out SASS, Surrogacy Australia’s support service, so you can have me as your navigation tool on this journey. Until next time, welcome to the village.