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How Soon Can I Be a Surrogate After Giving Birth?
The joy of pregnancy can leave many hopeful and experienced surrogates wanting to carry another baby again—often shortly after childbirth. However, even though you may be able to get pregnant again right away, experts agree that you’ll have to exercise a little patience to become a gestational carrier.
Delivering a baby is extremely taxing on a woman’s body, so it’s crucial to allow yourself time to fully recover, both physically and emotionally, before becoming pregnant again.
Pregnancy Gap Requirements
Many clinics have different requirements for how long to wait after giving birth to become a gestational surrogate. Most surrogacy professionals will request that you wait 6 months (for vaginal deliveries) to a year (for C-Sections) between the previous delivery and your next transfer.
In order to have a healthy, successful surrogacy, a woman should be 100% prepared physically and mentally for the exciting, yet challenging journey ahead. Unfortunately, postpartum recovery may slow down the process significantly.
Pregnancy and childbirth are very tough on your body. Many women experience tears, inflammation, infections, and even stitches after delivery that need ample time to heal. In addition to physical healing, your body also needs to replenish nutrients that are lost during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Can I be a Surrogate if I’m Breastfeeding?
It’s not easy to get pregnant soon after giving birth. A woman's body naturally delays the return to fertility, which is understandable—she will typically be spending a lot of her time and energy on caring for an infant. Producing breast milk during your baby’s first six months often prevents you from becoming pregnant again too quickly, since your newborn requires so much attention at that stage in life.
Breastfeeding is a beautiful bonding experience between mother and child, but it can cause serious issues for people who want to be surrogates. For example, if you are trying to get pregnant with the intention of becoming a surrogate, breastfeeding will often delay ovulation and periods which can cause implantation issues during IVF.
To avoid this problem it’s best to stop breastfeeding once possible so that your body will resume its regular menstrual cycle—a necessary step for successful fertilization through the IVF process. This is why many medical professionals advise women to wait at least 12 months after delivery to get pregnant again.
Intended Parents’ Clinic Requirements
Each clinician has different requirements for how long they allow a surrogate to wait between delivery and a transfer. Some require an OB clearance letter from your personal physician to determine if it is safe for you to transfer again—while others do not have these restrictions and can accommodate the intended parents’ needs more easily.
For example, the intended parents’ clinic might request less time if it is their policy. If your personal OBGYN requests that you take some extra care before transferring again then your intended parents may choose to work with another surrogate depending on their specific timeline.
Ultimately, the timing of surrogacy is up to you and your desires - if six months post-delivery sounds like a good time then we’re happy to help! GSHC Surrogacy will always have your back, no matter how long it takes.
Are you ready to begin your surrogacy journey? Complete our Surrogate Intake Form to get started.