Become a Surrogate
Becoming a surrogate is a chance to be part of something extraordinary — helping to bring someone’s child into the world while making a difference in your own family’s life. As a surrogate, you’ll be compensated during the whole journey in a way that can have a real financial impact, whether you're saving for your child's future, buying a house, or want to create breathing room in your day-to-day life.
At Circle Surrogacy, we have more than 30 years of experience supporting surrogates, and our team includes women who've been there themselves. As a full-service surrogacy agency, we understand what this journey asks of you, and we're with you every step of the way.
What is a Surrogate?
A surrogate — also called a gestational carrier or gestational surrogate — is a woman who carries a baby for people (the intended parents) who are unable to have a baby on their own. Most surrogates are gestational surrogates, meaning the surrogate does not use her own eggs and doesn’t share any genetics with the baby.
Circle Surrogacy only works with gestational carriers — women who do not share biology with the baby they are carrying.
Surrogates receive a base pay and benefits for carrying someone’s baby, and they bring happiness and hope to those who want to become parents! They're also protected by a legal contract, which they sign along with the intended parents.
Surrogates are women who have children of their own and have had relatively easy pregnancies and births (they like being pregnant!). Many have finished building their families and want to help others have their own families.
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Gestational surrogates have no biological connection to the baby they carry. Their DNA (eggs) is NOT used to create the embryos.
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Surrogates are paid throughout the entirety of their journey (not at the end), and compensation starts even before they become pregnant.
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Surrogates have a choice who they match with. All matches are mutual.
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Surrogates DO need to give themselves injections as part of the IVF process. Most surrogates say these needles are no big deal!
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Surrogates do not feel "attached" to the babies they carry and look forward to the moment when the intended parents get to hold their baby for the first time.
5 Things to Know About Being A Surrogate
There is so much information out there about becoming a gestational surrogate, but our highly specialized, collaborative team is the most qualified to offer authentic, accurate information for a successful and rewarding surrogacy journey.
There’s no better place to embark on this journey than at Circle, where we have successfully helped surrogates expand families for over three decades. If you think being a surrogate is the right fit for you, fill out our surrogacy application to get started.
Why Do Women Become Surrogates?
Throughout our years of experience helping families grow and providing comprehensive support to surrogates, we have seen women become surrogates for a variety of reasons, including:
Women become surrogates for a variety of reasons, including:
Surrogates are women who have had easy pregnancies and who have completed their own families.
Some women come to surrogacy because they personally know someone who has struggled with infertility.
Surrogates are compassionate people who want to make a difference, and surrogacy gives them a path to do that.
With children of their own, surrogacy is a rewarding way to provide for their family and achieve greater financial stability.
Who Do Surrogates Help?
Surrogates help intended parents who are unable to grow their families on their own. Our surrogates help intended parents from all ethnicities, locations, and sexual orientations. Some intended parents are single, others are coupled or married.
Surrogates may be matched with intended parents who live in the United States or internationally. As a surrogate, you have the opportunity to share with us your preferences for the types of intended parents you imagine helping.
The types of intended parents that surrogates help are:
Heterosexual couples who have struggled with infertility
Intended mothers who are unable to carry a child
Intended parents who have a genetic or health condition they don't want to pass onto the child
LGBTQIA+ intended parents who want to have a genetic link to the baby
Regardless of the parents’ situation, your willingness to help them bring a child into this world means everything to them.
What Are the Requirements to Become a Surrogate?
Everyone’s goal in a surrogacy journey is a healthy baby, happy intended parents, and a proud surrogate! That's why women must meet a set of health, lifestyle, and legal requirements to become a gestational surrogate. All applicants must also complete a screening with a licensed mental health professional.
Our requirements for becoming a surrogate are based on guidelines from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and fertility clinic guidelines. In general, surrogates should:
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Health Requirements
Has had at least one uncomplicated pregnancy.
Be between the ages 21-42.
Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) lower than 33. Calculate My BMI.
Has medical records that support both physical and emotional readiness for surrogacy.
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Lifestyle Requirements
Have the support of her family or partner.
Have delivered a child of her own and be parenting at least one child.
Be willing to travel to a fertility clinic for IVF.
Not smoke cigarettes, abuse alcohol, or use illegal drugs.
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Legal Requirements
Not participate in welfare, cash assistance, public housing, and Section 8.
Live in a surrogate-friendly state (we are currently unable to work with surrogates residing in Nebraska or Louisiana).
Has a valid driver’s license.
How Much Does a Surrogate Make?
This is a popular question among women who are considering being a surrogate. And rightly so! Gestational surrogacy is an emotional and physical journey, and you deserve to be compensated for it.
In general, average surrogate compensation can be up to $75,000+. This compensation includes a surrogate’s base pay — which is typically $45,000 — as well as the additional benefits she receives throughout the journey, like a life insurance plan and legal protection. A surrogate's base pay varies depending on a few factors, like the state she lives in and whether she’s an experienced gestational carrier.
Visit our surrogate pay and benefits pages to learn more.
How Do You Become a Surrogate?
Do you want to be a surrogate? Becoming a gestational surrogate is made up of many mini-milestones that all lead to the big moment: delivery day! It begins with a simple application, which upon approval leads to our screening process. At Circle, the screening process includes completing some paperwork in our surrogate portal, participating in a video interview with a licensed mental health professional, and completing a psychological assessment.
Once these steps are complete and you feel ready to move forward, you'll be ready to get matched with intended parents. We use our proprietary MatchMade™ process that takes your preferences into account so you feel confident and comfortable with the intended parents you're matched with.
How long does the surrogate process take?
The entire process, from completing the application through postpartum recovery, usually takes 14 to 20+ months, but factors like how quickly you’re matched with intended parents, how well your body responds to IVF medications, and the time needed to create and transfer the embryo can affect how long your journey will last. Regardless of the timeline of your surrogacy journey, we’ll be supporting you every step of the way.
Interested in learning more? Read this page for a full breakdown of the surrogacy process for surrogates.
Why Surrogates Choose Circle
Your journey as a surrogate is greatly shaped by the agency you choose. Surrogates trust us because 99.1% of our parents go home with a baby, and our team consists of passionate experts — many of whom have been where you are. We created our program with surrogates in mind: competitive compensation, guaranteed security, and unbeatable support.
Our Surrogate Advisors know the surrogacy process can feel overwhelming at first. Our team consists of many people who have been through this process themselves, so they understand what this experience can feel like and what questions you may have. In fact, 44% of our staff are experienced surrogates or donors, or parents who have grown their family through surrogacy, egg donation, IVF, or adoption.
Enjoy the personalized feel of a small agency with the resources of a large agency. Once we support you through application and matching, your dedicated mental health professional on the surrogate support team and journey support team keep track of all your details. With our expansive team, we are able to offer support groups, virtual events, one-on-one surrogate mentorship, and more.
Surrogacy involves legal agreements that protect both you and the intended parents, and we know that part of the process can feel intimidating. To make sure there are no surprises for anyone, we have our own legal team — people who work in surrogacy law every day and know it inside and out. Because surrogacy laws can differ from state to state, having a team who already knows those details means a smoother process for all. As part of your journey, you'll also have your own independent attorney, separate from Circle's team, to represent you specifically, with their fees covered by your intended parents.
Our Journey Protection™ Pay Promise ensures 100% guaranteed compensation to all of our qualified surrogates. We financially back our intended parents to make sure surrogates are always paid in full and on time. We will compensate you up to $5,000 even if, after being medically cleared and matched, the process does not result in a pregnancy. We also take on the liability of all medical bills related to your surrogacy journey.
Not every surrogate has the same desires when it comes to the birth. At Circle, our surrogates have choices for preferred birth options, such as doula care, a hospital birth, or using a birth center with a midwife.
We help surrogates build relationships with intended parents who truly feel like family by the end of the process, giving you the chance to get to know the wonderful people whose lives you're changing. We genuinely believe fostering this relationship is the best way to bring a baby into the world.
Being a surrogate with us means being part of a special community of women who are equally as awesome as you are. Once you're accepted into our surrogate program, you'll join a private network of past, current, and waiting-to-be-matched surrogates — women who get it. It's a place to ask questions, share what you're going through, and hear from others who've been where you are. Many of our surrogates say this community became one of the most meaningful parts of their experience and has led to long-lasting friendships.
Surrogate FAQs
Below are some common questions about becoming a surrogate. You can read our full list of FAQs about the general surrogacy process from intended parents here.
The number of times a woman can be a surrogate depends on the total number of pregnancies and deliveries she's had (including her own). We can work with women who have had 6 or fewer previous deliveries (her surrogate journey would be her 7th pregnancy), and if she's had 3 or fewer C-sections.
Women who are between the ages of 21-42 can qualify to be surrogates. If you are an experienced surrogate, you may be eligible up to age 44.
No. A requirement of all surrogates is that they have had a successful pregnancy and delivery without complications.
In the event that you miscarry as a surrogate, you will have the support of your Circle team through the entire process. A miscarriage can be emotionally and mentally difficult, and your social worker will be there to support you. You will be compensated through the month in which you carried. The decision to try again — if it is deemed medically safe — will be discussed between you, your intended parents, and their clinic.
In the event you become pregnant with twins, your contract will be amended to reflect your twin journey. You will also receive additional compensation with a twin pregnancy. Most intended parents prefer to transfer one embryo; surrogates must be medically approved for a multiples pregnancy to transfer more than one embryo.
Surrogates undergo a comprehensive medical screening to ensure a healthy pregnancy. This screening typically include:
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Review of your medical history
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Physical examination
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Various blood tests
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Ultrasound to assess uterine health
In addition to physical tests, surrogates may also undergo an additional psychological evaluation outside of what they completed with the agency.
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Most surrogates can work throughout their pregnancy, depending on the nature of their job and any pregnancy-specific medical advice. However, you may need to take time off for appointments and post-birth recovery. You'll need to avoid contact sports and abstain from drinking alcohol, smoking, or taking certain medications.
We encourage surrogates and intended parents to develop a close, healthy relationship during the surrogacy journey because we believe fostering this relationship is the best way to bring a baby into the world. The amount of contact, however, depends on what you and the intended parents agree to.
Ready to Start Your Surrogate Journey?
If surrogacy feels like the right path for you, we'd love to be part of your journey. As a surrogate with Circle, you don't just get to help someone else become a parent — you also get to build a stronger future for your own family. You'll be compensated throughout the process, supported by a team who truly understands the experience, and surrounded by a community of women who've been in your shoes.
Fill out our application to get started!
Testimonials
"After I watched my sister beat ovarian cancer, becoming a surrogate was the silver lining for me. It’s one of my greatest accomplishments. I grew (mentally, and physically while carrying twins!) in ways I didn’t expect. It was the most culturally enriching experience of my life to carry for a male international couple and I'm forever grateful they came into my life, and I will always hold them close to my heart."
Kristi Johnson
"I have witnessed many people struggle with fertility, and felt the pull to do more to help someone achieve their dreams of becoming parents. My surrogacy journeys have been the most rewarding, and fulfilling experiences of my life, and I am so happy to call my Intended Parents family!"
Sarah Harris,
Circle Program Manager
"Everything was so perfect! I’m so very blessed to have been matched with the most amazing IPs and seeing the love and adoration on their faces when they look at their beautiful daughter, makes this journey more than fulfilling! Thank you to everyone on the Circle team for all of your help and support in making this the best journey ever!"
Amber
"I couldn't have asked for a better journey being a first time surrogate. You guys also nailed the personality matching. We are so similar and we've gained life-long friends and we are already planning our trip to Norway to visit the Baby for her first birthday!"
Lauren
"I was a surrogate with Circle Surrogacy and gave birth in January 2020. Everything from start to finish I felt so much support. The people that work at Circle treat you like family and you are definitely not just a number to them. Matching was the most important step and it went perfectly. I was matched with the most amazing couple and the three of us made it possible for a beautiful baby girl to join the world. 10/10 would recommend Circle."
Rebekka
"It has been great working with Circle Surrogacy as a surrogate. They are with you every step of the way. I couldn't imagine doing this without them!"
Tiffany
"Thank you so much for your help through the matching process. You have made me feel very comfortable and at ease with this process and yet I've never even met you. I can't say enough positive things about you and your agency to this point. We are kind of stunned by how fast it has gone; however it doesn't feel rushed but organized and professional. We are really more excited than I thought we would be about this surrogacy journey at this point and I think a lot of that has to do with how much we really enjoyed meeting my IPs and their son, who was so cute and so good during our chat. We look forward to learning more about them and their lives. Again thank you so much for making this as stress free and enjoyable as possible."
Heather
"This agency has been nothing but professional, supportive, and prompt. Before, during, and after my journey I knew that help and answers were only a phone call away. There’s not much they wouldn’t try to do for you, to make sure you felt heard and supported."
Emily