Becoming a Mom Changed Your Whole World. Becoming a Surrogate Could Change Someone Else’s Life Forever.

By Carly Stockdale, MPH, Founder and CEO of Nascency

Nascency · For moms who are just curious about surrogacy

Becoming a mom changed your whole world: your body, your sleep, your sense of what matters most. For a lot of women, it also leaves a quiet question behind. My body did this well, and some people’s bodies cannot. What would it mean to help them?

If that thought has ever crossed your mind, even once, this guide is for you. If it never has, but you are a little curious right now, it is for you too.

I’m Carly Stockdale, founder and CEO of Nascency. I worked in reproductive health for years, and then I became a mom through surrogacy myself. Another woman carried my child, and that is a big part of why I founded Nascency.

So here is my promise for this page. There is no form between you and these answers. No email, no phone number, no sales call. Read it at your own pace, close it, come back next month, or send it to the friend who loves being pregnant.

When you want to know whether you might be a fit, and only then, there is a 2-minute quiz. Taking it commits you to nothing.

Surrogacy at a glance

The rest of this guide explains each answer properly, in the order moms usually ask. If you have been a surrogate before, there is a section near the end written just for you.

Not Your Egg, Not Your DNA: What a Gestational Carrier Actually Is

A gestational carrier is a woman who carries a pregnancy for someone else, with no genetic connection to the baby. That one fact changes how a lot of people feel about surrogacy, so it is worth slowing down on.

The embryo is created in a lab through IVF. It comes from the intended parents’ egg and sperm, or from a donor’s. Your eggs are never used, so the baby does not share your DNA. Your role is to carry and grow the pregnancy, and to give that baby a healthy start.

The people who will raise the baby are called the intended parents. They are the baby’s parents from the start. In many states, their attorneys file for a pre-birth order around week 20 of the pregnancy, which names them as the legal parents before delivery. In other states, parentage is confirmed shortly after birth. Either way, your contract makes clear that the intended parents are the parents, and you are not responsible for raising the baby.

There is an older form, called traditional surrogacy, where the surrogate’s own egg is used. That is not the type of surrogacy we practice. At Nascency, every surrogate is a gestational carrier.

How gestational surrogacy works, in four steps

Four steps, and none of them uses your eggs.

Why the process looks so careful

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine publishes national recommendations for screening and counseling gestational carriers and intended parents. They cover medical testing, a psychological consultation, and independent legal advice for each side. Those recommendations are why no one moves forward until both sides have been screened, counseled, and protected by a contract.

“Wouldn’t it feel like handing over my own child?”

It is the question almost every mom asks first, and it deserves a real answer. Because there is no genetic link, and because you know from day one whose child this is, many surrogates describe the pregnancy as different from their own. Many say it feels less like letting go and more like getting a baby home to the family who has been waiting.

Maddison, a homeschooling mom of two on her first journey with Nascency, put it this way:

“In my mind, I’m not giving anything away, I’m just providing a safe home for a baby that already belongs to their parents.”

That does not mean you will feel nothing. Pregnancy hormones are real, birth is a major event, and some surrogates feel a wave of emotion afterward. That is normal, it is planned for, and it is supported. Every Nascency surrogate has mental health support in every trimester and after birth, which I explain further down, in the section on support.

“I Loved Being Pregnant”: The Real Reasons Women Say Yes

Women become surrogates mainly to help someone else, and many have more than one reason. A 2022 systematic review, cited in a 2025 study in Human Reproduction, found that in countries like the U.S. and the U.K., surrogates name helping others as their main motivation.

The picture of who becomes a surrogate is often wrong, too. A 2024 study of 231 U.S. surrogates in Reproductive BioMedicine Online found that women who become surrogates generally earn above the average income for their state, are well educated, are employed, have health insurance, and choose surrogacy mainly for prosocial, altruistic reasons. That matches the women we work with every day. Our surrogates are teachers, nurses, doulas, midwives, and paralegals, and many are already the breadwinners in their families.

The reasons women share with us usually sound like one of these:

• “My pregnancies were easy.” You carried well, you felt good, and you know not every woman gets that.
• “I loved being pregnant, but our family is complete.” You have one more pregnancy in you, but not one more child.
• “I watched someone I love struggle.” A sister, a best friend, or a coworker went through infertility or loss, and you never forgot it.
• “I want my kids to see what generosity looks like.” You want to do something big and good, and let your children watch you do it.
• “I have a goal for my family.” Paying off debt, building savings, a down payment, or more time at home with your kids.

That last one deserves a straight answer. It is okay if compensation is part of your reason. Carrying a pregnancy takes your time, your energy, and your body, and it should be paid fairly. In my experience, the women who have the steadiest journeys go in clear about both the meaning and the money.

Yesenia, a mom of two boys now on her second journey with Nascency, said it plainly:

“If I’m being honest, being able to support my own family financially at the same time meant a lot too. But really, a huge part of it is that I just love being pregnant.”

What surrogates say 20 years later

Some of the longest-running research on surrogates comes from a team at the University of Cambridge. In their 2025 follow-up study, they checked in with surrogates about 20 years after their first surrogacy birth. None of the 17 women who completed the mental health measures showed signs of depression, and most showed positive wellbeing. Thirteen of 21, or 62%, were still in touch with the child they carried, and 14 of the 15 who stayed in touch with the child’s mother described that relationship as positive.

A companion study by Shaw and colleagues in Human Reproduction asked the same women how they felt about it all, decades on. They felt proud, they had made lasting friendships, and many saw surrogacy as a real part of who they are. The same study is honest that pregnancy took a physical toll on some women, and that keeping relationships going took effort.

Two caveats, because you deserve the full picture. These were small studies of U.K. surrogates, and the U.K. does not pay surrogates beyond expenses, so experiences in the U.S. may differ. Still, the long-term pattern is clear and encouraging.

What surrogacy gives back to you

Surrogacy is usually described by what a surrogate gives. What she gets back matters just as much, and it is a big part of why women say yes. In the long-term research above, surrogates described pride, lasting friendships, and a sense that surrogacy became part of who they are.

Our own surrogates’ stories echo that. One shared that she finished her nursing degree with money from her second surrogacy journey: a paused dream, restarted. The money mattered. What it made possible mattered more.

Niecey, now on her third journey, says what surprises her most is how people react when she explains that the baby she is carrying is not hers:

“Honestly, it almost makes me feel like a superhero, or someone famous!”

Who you would be helping

The families who need a surrogate are more varied than most people picture. Some intended parents have a health condition that makes pregnancy unsafe, like a heart condition or a history of cancer treatment. Some were born without a uterus or have had a hysterectomy. Some are gay dads. Some are single parents by choice, and you can read what surrogates who carried for a solo parent want you to know in this guide. Some have been through repeated pregnancy losses.

What they share is simple. They cannot carry a pregnancy themselves, and they are trusting a woman like you to do it with them.

Curious whether you might qualify? Whenever you are ready, the 2-minute quiz will tell you. No commitment.

Could You Qualify? The Real Checklist, and What Does Not Rule You Out

At Nascency, you can apply if you are 21 to 40 years old, have a BMI between 19 and 32, and have had at least one healthy, full-term pregnancy. Most surrogacy programs work with moms who have already had a healthy pregnancy, because that history is the best sign your body can safely carry another one.

National guidance is a little wider than ours. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommends that gestational carriers be preferably 21 to 45, as summarized in a 2026 review in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. Programs and clinics often set tighter limits than the national guidance.

The full checklist

The IVF clinic the intended parents work with makes the final medical decision. Our guide to BMI in surrogacy explains what that number can and cannot tell a clinic. Here is what the psychological evaluation actually involves, so it feels less like a test and more like a conversation.

What does not automatically rule you out

A lot of women talk themselves out of surrogacy before they ever ask. None of these is an automatic no:

• A past C-section. National guidance allows up to three. Your clinic will review your specific surgical history.
• Not being married. You do not need to be married to be a surrogate.
• A job, or school. Many surrogates work full-time or study during their journeys. You will need some flexibility for appointments, and lost wages for delivery recovery are covered.
• Health insurance that does not cover surrogacy. Surrogacy-related medical costs are covered either way. If your current plan does cover the pregnancy, you earn a bonus.
• Your weight right now, if you recently had a baby. Postpartum weight is a snapshot, not a final answer. The BMI range applies when you are ready to move forward, not today.

Still in the Newborn Fog? Why This Is a “Later” Decision Worth Learning About Now

If you had a baby recently, surrogacy is something you would do later, usually at least 6 to 12 months after your own birth. Learning about it now, while you have time to think, is one of the smartest things you can do.

If you are reading this with a little one asleep on your chest, this section is for you.

Your body comes first, and the guidelines agree

Your body needs to rebuild before another pregnancy, no matter who that pregnancy is for. Guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, summarized by the American Academy of Family Physicians, advise against starting a pregnancy less than six months after a birth. They also say doctors should talk with patients about the risks and benefits of a new pregnancy within 18 months.

For moms who have had a C-section, a short gap between pregnancies carries extra risk. That is one reason some clinics ask C-section moms to wait a little longer.

In practice, most fertility clinics and surrogacy programs ask you to wait at least 6 to 12 months after giving birth, and they want your period back and regular. We walk through the details in our guide to becoming a surrogate after giving birth.

What about breastfeeding?

If you are nursing, you will need to fully wean before the medical part begins. There are two reasons:

1. The medications are not safe for a nursing baby. Preparing for an embryo transfer uses hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which can also affect your milk supply.
2. Nursing can delay your cycle. Breastfeeding can hold off the return of your period, and clinics need a regular cycle to plan treatment.

Most clinics want to see at least three full menstrual cycles after you wean before medications begin.

I want to be very clear about one thing. Nobody should ever feel pressure to change how they feed their own baby for surrogacy. Wean when it is right for you and your child. Surrogacy will still be here.

Why learning now still makes sense

From application to embryo transfer, the process usually takes 6 to 12 months, because screening, matching, and legal steps all take time. A mom who starts learning now is not rushing anything. She is giving herself room to talk with her partner, ask questions, and decide without pressure.

Reading this page, or taking the quiz, asks nothing of your body and commits you to nothing. And if the newborn season has been hard on you, physically or emotionally, heal from that first. Your own recovery and your own baby come before anything else.

Sources: ACOG and SMFM guidelines via the American Academy of Family Physicians (2019); Nascency, Becoming a Surrogate After Giving Birth

Reading and the quiz fit anywhere on this line. The medical steps wait until your body, and your clinic, say you are ready.

From a 2-Minute Quiz to a Baby Going Home: Every Step, Honestly Timed

A typical journey takes about 14 to 22 months from application to delivery. The procedures are quick. Most of the time is spent waiting between steps, and knowing that ahead of time makes the waiting much easier. Our surrogacy timeline guide goes deeper into each phase.

1. Take the quiz (about 2 minutes). A few quick questions to check the basics. No commitment.
2. Apply (about 10 minutes). The application covers your health, pregnancies, lifestyle, and reasons for considering surrogacy. A real person on our team replies within 24 hours.
3. Screening (3 to 8 weeks). We confirm the basics, collect records from your past pregnancies and deliveries, and give you a checklist of items we’ll need down the road, such as pay stubs and insurance information. Background checks are run, and then comes the psychological evaluation: a standard assessment and an interview, for you and your partner. Intended parents are being screened at the same time, on their side.
4. Matching (a few weeks to 6 months). We introduce you to intended parents whose values fit yours: how often you want to talk, what relationship you hope for after the birth, and your views on big medical decisions, including selective reduction and termination. You meet, and both sides say yes before anything moves forward. You are choosing them as much as they are choosing you. Our team has matched more than 600 surrogates, and our Archetype Quiz helps your advocate understand how you naturally care, so we can look for a family who needs exactly what you bring.
5. Medical evaluations (2 to 3 months). Your medical exam happens at the intended parents’ IVF clinic: a physical, bloodwork, and a look inside your uterus, usually with a saline sonogram or hysteroscopy. Travel is usually required and covered, with a $100 daily meal allowance per person on overnight trips.
6. Legal contract (2 to 4 weeks). You have your own reproductive-law attorney, paid for by the intended parents to negotiate your contract, separate from theirs. The contract covers your compensation, your medical decision-making, and what happens if something unexpected comes up. Nothing medical starts until it is signed.
7. Medications and embryo transfer (4-5 weeks of medication before the transfer and about 5-8 weeks after). The clinic gives you a calendar of estrogen and progesterone to prepare your uterine lining, with ultrasounds and bloodwork to check progress. The transfer itself takes 10 to 20 minutes: a thin catheter, guided by ultrasound, places the embryo in your uterus. Many women compare it to a pap smear.
8. The two-week wait and early pregnancy. A blood pregnancy test, called a beta, comes 9 to 14 days after transfer. Because of how IVF pregnancies are dated, a positive beta means you are already about 4 to 5 weeks pregnant. The first heartbeat ultrasound usually happens between weeks 6 and 8.
9. Pregnancy (about nine months in total). Around weeks 10 to 12, you move from the IVF clinic to your own OB for regular prenatal care. Around week 20, the intended parents’ attorneys usually file the pre-birth order that names them as the legal parents.
10. Birth and recovery. Your birth plan is made ahead of time with you, the intended parents, and your medical team. After delivery, your postpartum experience gets the same attention your pregnancy did.

The honest part about transfers

Sometimes the first transfer does not work. That is a known part of IVF, not a sign that anything is wrong with you or your body. A second transfer can be scheduled, which usually adds about two months to the timeline. We prepare you for this possibility before the first transfer, so it never comes as a shock.

Want the medical side in plain language? Start with IVF 101 for Surrogates.

Source: Nascency, The Surrogacy Timeline: 7 Honest Truths About How Long Each Phase Takes

Every other step has a fairly steady range. Matching depends on finding the right family, which is why we never rush it if it’s not the right fit.

Injections, School Pickups, and Group Texts: What It Actually Feels Like

Day to day, a surrogacy pregnancy feels a lot like your own pregnancies did, with a busier start, a few extra appointments, and a second family cheering you on. People tend to picture either the perfect birth photo or the scary worst case. Real life is mostly in between.

The first few months are the busiest

Before the transfer and through early pregnancy, you take hormone medications on a set schedule. Estrogen usually comes as pills or patches. Progesterone is often given as an injection into the muscle, though some clinics use other forms.

The injections are the part women ask about most, so here is the honest version. They can sting, and the spot can get sore over several weeks. Many surrogates say warming the area before and after helps, and that the routine starts to feel normal faster than they expected. The medications usually stop once your clinic releases you to your OB, often around weeks 10 to 12.

After that, the pregnancy runs on the same prenatal schedule you already know, including the anatomy scan around week 20 and the glucose test between weeks 24 and 28.

Your relationship with the intended parents

You and the intended parents agree, before you start, on how you will stay in touch: how often, by text or by call, which appointments they join, and what you hope for after the birth. Some matches keep a shared group text going for bump photos and ultrasound updates. Some surrogates stay close to their families for years, and others connect around birthdays. Neither is wrong. It is a relationship that develops over time, and it is very personal to your journey.

What about your own kids?

This is often the deciding question for moms, and there is good research on it. A study in Human Reproduction interviewed 36 children of surrogates, all aged 12 or older. Most of them, 86%, had a positive view of their mother’s surrogacy, and 89% described family life positively. Nearly half were in touch with the child their mom carried, and all of those described a good relationship.

Nikki, an Army veteran and mom of two on her first journey with Nascency, sees it at home:

“They’re learning that we can be a blessing to others in ways that some might not understand. … It’s teaching them to be selfless and giving.”

Young kids usually need a simple, honest explanation, like: “Mommy is helping grow a baby for a family who needs help. The baby will go home to their family.” Our tips for talking to your family about surrogacy go further.

Your partner is part of it too

Your partner takes part in the psychological evaluation and usually carries a lot of the practical load: school pickups on appointment days, bedtime when you are tired, and support during recovery. Here is a guide on how partners can support a surrogate.

The hard parts, honestly

• The waiting. Waiting to match, waiting for a beta, waiting for a heartbeat. It is often harder than the injections.
• A transfer that does not work. It happens, it is not your fault, and it still hurts. You will have support and a plan for what comes next.
• Your body after birth. Recovery is real recovery, with the same hormone shifts that follow any birth. Your milk will likely come in, and you get to choose what happens next: pump and ship it, donate it, or let it dry up. Our surrogate lactation guide walks through each option.
• Big feelings at the end. Many surrogates feel proud and relieved, and some also feel a wave of emotions. It’s normal to grieve the ending of a journey this big. It’s also a new beginning, and the personal growth that comes from this journey is not talked about nearly enough.

We prepare surrogates for these moments before they happen, and we stay close when they do. Preparation does not take the feelings away. It means you never face them without a plan or a person.

Sometimes support is something very small. Ash Saverino, our Surrogate Advocate, leads our monthly Surrogate Circle and is known for remembering the little details: your timeline, your hopes, even the name of your dog. That is exactly the point. The details of your life matter to us, not only the milestones of the pregnancy.

Compensation Without the Fine Print: What You Earn and When It Arrives

At Nascency, base compensation for first-time surrogates is a range that depends on the state you live in and your pregnancy history. It is typically $55,000 to $70,000, and it is paid along the way, not in one lump sum at the end. On top of it sits a benefits package with $10,250 or more in additional payments and allowances, plus $4,000 in perinatal support and doula care. The full breakdown is on our Benefits and Compensation page.

How the money arrives

Payments follow the journey. Milestone payments come first, for medical clearance, legal clearance, starting your injection medications, and the embryo transfer. Then, once a heartbeat confirms the pregnancy, your base compensation is paid in monthly installments.

The benefits package is paid out as you need it. It includes:

• A monthly allowance for the everyday costs of being on this journey
• A maternity clothing allowance at week 13
• A housekeeping and childcare allowance from week 20 through one month after birth
• Travel for you and a support person when it is required: airfare, hotel, ground transportation, and $100 a day per person for meals on overnight trips
• A stipend for your support person on transfer, procedure, and delivery days
• Lost-wages reimbursement for delivery recovery, for up to 6 to 8 weeks

Source: Nascency Benefits and Compensation

Something is paid, or paid for, in every phase. The largest part, your monthly base, starts once a heartbeat confirms the pregnancy.

If your baby arrives early

Your base compensation is tied to how far the pregnancy goes, not to a single outcome. The further along you are, the more of it is fully yours.

The week marks are earlier for twins and triplets, and they are counted from the transfer. Your contract spells out the exact terms.

If something unexpected happens

Bodies do unexpected things, so your contract plans for them. It includes specific provisions for:

• A C-section, compensated separately for the longer recovery
• Twins or more, with a monthly supplement per baby from week 18
• Bed rest ordered by your doctor, with weekly support and reimbursed help at home
• A cancelled cycle that was no fault of yours
• A pregnancy loss, with compensation tiered by how far along you were
• Invasive procedures, compensated per procedure
• Lost wages for procedures, bed rest, and recovery

Your own attorney reviews every one of these with you, line by line, before you sign.

What you never pay for

Surrogacy-related medical expenses are fully covered. Your reproductive-law attorney is paid for by the intended parents to negotiate your contract. You also have a $750,000 life insurance policy. If your own health plan happens to cover the pregnancy, you earn a bonus for that.

For how payments are protected and how taxes work, read our guide to how surrogate compensation works.

Support That Starts Before Your Transfer and Stays Long After Your Birth

One of our biggest differentiators is the level of support we give surrogates: an in-house Birth Support Program and comprehensive perinatal and postpartum benefits, included for every surrogate. This is the part of Nascency I care about most.

Becoming a mom through surrogacy showed me how much a surrogate gives: her time, her body, her family’s routines, and a lot of emotional energy. So we built Nascency around one belief. The support a surrogate receives should match what she gives.

A team that knows you, not just your file

You have a dedicated team you can reach by text or call, not just by email. Our team includes women who have been surrogates themselves, so they understand this from the inside. And we check in when nothing is wrong, not only when a form needs signing.

Our in-house Birth Support Program

Every Nascency surrogate is automatically part of our Birth Support Program, at no cost to you. It is doula-led and run by Ash, who has been a surrogate herself and is also a doula and a birth and lactation educator. This support prepares you, your support person, and the intended parents for the day of birth and the chapter that follows, and it includes:

• A curated workbook and planner
• An on-demand video library
• Help with your birth preferences and hospital prep
• Live office hours with a doula
• Lactation and milk-shipping guidance
• A postpartum support window after you deliver

It matters because a surrogacy birth has more moving parts than most: two families, hospital policies typically built for one, and both shared and personal decisions to navigate. Everyone deserves to have the information, understand their options, and have access to the support and resources they need to make informed choices. Planning these details calmly and thoughtfully, weeks ahead of time, helps create a birth experience that both families can look back on positively.

Comprehensive perinatal and postpartum benefits

Pregnancy is physical, and so is recovery. These are included:

• Mental health support every trimester, plus three postpartum check-ins. It is independent and confidential, separate from both us and the intended parents.
• A perinatal support budget of up to $2,000 for services like pre or postnatal massage, pelvic floor therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, and nutrition support.
• A doula budget of up to $2,000, if you want a doula present with you.
• Lactation, pumping, and milk shipping, fully covered and supported if you choose to pump.
• Housekeeping and childcare help from week 20 through one month after birth.
• Lost wages for recovery, for up to 6 to 8 weeks after delivery.

A community of women who get it

Our monthly Surrogate Circle connects you with surrogates at every stage, from just matched to recently delivered. Our Compass Peer Mentor Program pairs first-time surrogates with experienced surrogates trained in postpartum support. And through Nascency Voices, surrogates share their stories in their own words, including at our Share Your Story events.

Sources: Nascency Benefits and Compensation; Nascency Birth Support Program

Your team and your community are there from the first call to the last check-in. Most of the hands-on support gathers around pregnancy, birth, and the weeks after.

I started Nascency because I know what it means to have a woman carry your child. The least we can do is take care of her the whole way through.

Been a Surrogate Before? What Changes the Second Time Around

If you have already carried for another family, you know more than this guide can teach you, and your experience counts here, including in your compensation. Here is what is different for you.

• Your base compensation reflects your experience. Base compensation is always a conversation, and we know experienced surrogates often come back with a clear understanding of what feels right for their time, experience, and the value they bring to the journey. We want that conversation to feel open, transparent, and collaborative from the start.
• Your journey may move faster. Surrogates who know what to expect, and have their records organized, tend to move through screening and preparation more smoothly.
• Your surrogacy births count toward the national limits. Guidance allows no more than five total deliveries and no more than three C-sections, and that includes births as a surrogate. Our age range of 21 to 40 and BMI range of 19 to 32 still apply.
• Our team will collect your records from every pregnancy. That includes your surrogacy pregnancies, deliveries, and any complications.

Many repeat surrogates come back for a family they already know. In the long-term Cambridge research, the most common reason for another journey was helping a family have a sibling for a child the surrogate had already carried.

Raven, a two-time Nascency surrogate from Houston, came back after a smooth first journey. Her cousin has since started her own journey with Nascency, inspired by watching her.

If you carried with another program and are thinking about what comes next, ask every program the same questions. How are payments structured, and when do they start? Who is my attorney, and who pays for them? Is my mental health support independent? What support do I get after the birth? Our guide to choosing a surrogacy partner covers the rest.

Experienced surrogates also bring something first-timers need: perspective. That is the heart of our Compass Peer Mentor Program, where first-time surrogates are paired with women who have done this before.

Five Honest Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Take the Quiz

You do not need to be sure to take a first step. You only need to be curious. Still, these five questions are a good check-in:

1. Have I had at least one healthy, full-term pregnancy?
2. Is my partner, or my closest support person, genuinely on board, not just going along with it?
3. Has my body recovered from my last birth, and am I done nursing, or will I be in the next several months?
4. Do I have room in my life for appointments and some travel over the next year or two?
5. Do I feel good about my reasons, whatever they are?

If you answered yes to most of these, or “not yet, but soon,” the quiz is a good next step.

When You Are Ready, Here Is the Smallest First Step

The 2-minute quiz asks a few simple questions and tells you whether it makes sense to keep the conversation going. It does not sign you up for anything, and you can stop at any point. If you do decide to apply later, the application takes about 10 minutes, and a real person on our team replies within 24 hours.

Take the 2-minute quiz

If the timing is not right yet, that is completely fine. Bookmark this page, keep learning at your own pace in our Learning Center, and come back when you are ready. We will be here.

Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming a Surrogate

Will the baby be genetically related to me?

No. In gestational surrogacy, the embryo is created through IVF with the intended parents’ egg and sperm, or a donor’s. Your eggs are never used, so you have no genetic connection to the baby you carry.

What are Nascency’s age and BMI requirements?

You can apply if you are 21 to 40 years old with a BMI between 19 and 32. You also need at least one healthy, full-term pregnancy, and no more than five previous deliveries or three C-sections.

How soon after having a baby can I become a surrogate?

Most fertility clinics and surrogacy programs ask you to wait at least 6 to 12 months after giving birth, with your period back and regular. National guidelines advise against starting a new pregnancy less than six months after a birth. You can learn, ask questions, and take the quiz anytime before then.

Do I have to stop breastfeeding?

Yes, before the medical part begins. The hormones used to prepare for a transfer are not safe for a nursing baby, and most clinics want at least three full menstrual cycles after you wean. Wean on your own timeline. There is no rush, and you can start the first steps before you are completely done.

Can I be a surrogate if I have had a C-section?

Usually, yes. National guidance allows up to three C-sections. Your clinic will review your surgical history, and some clinics ask C-section moms to wait longer after birth.

How much do surrogates get paid with Nascency?

Base compensation for first-time surrogates is typically $55,000 to $70,000, depending on factors like where you live and your pregnancy history. Experienced surrogates typically fall in the $70,000 to $100,000+ range. A benefits package worth $10,250 or more comes on top, plus perinatal and doula support. Milestone payments come first, then monthly base payments once a heartbeat is confirmed.

Do I pay for anything?

No. Surrogacy-related medical expenses are fully covered, your reproductive-law attorney is paid for by the intended parents to negotiate the contract, and required travel is covered for you and a support person.

Will I have to give up my job?

No. Many surrogates work full-time or study during their journeys. You will need some flexibility for appointments and travel, and lost wages for delivery recovery are reimbursed for up to 6 to 8 weeks.

How long does the whole process take?

A typical journey takes about 14 to 22 months from application to delivery. Matching and the transfer phase vary the most, because they depend on factors outside anyone’s full control.

Does taking the quiz commit me to anything?

No. The quiz takes about 2 minutes and shows whether it makes sense to keep talking. You can stop at any point.

Where does Nascency work with surrogates?

We work with surrogates across the country, in states where surrogacy is legally supported. If you are not sure about your state, the quiz is a quick way to find out.

Sources

1. American Society for Reproductive Medicine: Recommendations for practices using gestational carriers, a committee opinion (2022)
2. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology: Zaçe et al., scoping review of outcomes in gestational surrogacy (2026)
3. Human Reproduction: Jadva et al., Surrogates 20 years on: long-term psychological health and contact with surrogacy families (2025)
4. Human Reproduction: Shaw et al., surrogates’ feelings and reflections two decades on (2024)
5. Human Reproduction: Jadva and Imrie, the psychological wellbeing and family relationships of surrogates’ own children (2014)
6. Reproductive BioMedicine Online: Martínez-López and Munuera-Gómez, Surrogacy in the United States: analysis of sociodemographic profiles and motivations of surrogates (2024)
7. American Academy of Family Physicians: Interpregnancy Care, Guidelines from ACOG and SMFM (2019)
8. Nascency: Benefits and Compensation
9. Nascency: Birth Support Program
10. Nascency: Becoming a Surrogate After Giving Birth
11. Nascency: The Surrogacy Timeline, 7 Honest Truths About How Long Each Phase Takes
12. Nascency: All About BMI in Surrogacy
13. Nascency: The Surrogacy Psychological Evaluation
14. Nascency: How Surrogate Compensation Works
15. Nascency: IVF 101 for Surrogates
16. Nascency: Surrogate Lactation Guide
17. Nascency: Carrying for a Solo Parent
18. Nascency: Tips for Talking to Your Family About Surrogacy
19. Nascency: Compass Peer Mentor Program
20. Nascency: Learning Center