Surrogate and Egg Donor Body Mass Index: Why is BMI Important for Surrogate Mothers and Egg Donors?
When women are first considering becoming an egg donor or thinking about how to become a surrogate mother, they often do not think about all the requirements and possible disqualifications for surrogacy; they simply are interested in helping another woman, couple, or family in need and do not worry about the complexities of! As great as it is to want to help someone else, there are many important factors to think about when it comes to Colorado surrogacy. One of those important things to consider is Body Mass Index or BMI. It is something that matters for surrogates and egg donors alike and can make or break someone’s candidacy. If you are interested in becoming a surrogate or donating eggs and would like to learn more about the process and why surrogate and egg donor BMI matters, Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado can help answer all your questions.
If you need adoption help now, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption Choices of Colorado.
What is Colorado Surrogacy? How Does Surrogacy Work?
Surrogacy is the process of becoming pregnant, carrying a fetus, and giving birth to a child for a woman or family who is otherwise unable to on their own. Colorado surrogacy works by in vitro fertilization or IVF. This is the process of placing an egg that has been fertilized in a lab in the volunteering surrogate mother. The mother then goes through the normal pregnancy process, and then when she gives birth, she hands the baby off to the permanent family. It is a wonderful process that gives a family a chance to raise a child if they are unable to conceive one on their own. It is one of the most selfless and caring acts someone can do for someone else. Anyone who is willing and able to become a surrogate mother should consider doing so! That being said, there are certainly some things that could prevent someone from being able to become a surrogate. One of those things is BMI.
Surrogate and Egg Donor BMI Why it Matters in the Surrogacy Process?
Weight plays a massive role in the pregnancy and surrogacy processes and can make or break someone’s eligibility for becoming a candidate. If you are interested in becoming a surrogate mother, you must have a BMI of 31 or under. In rare cases, a woman with a BMI of up to 35 may be accepted, but it is very unlikely. This maximum limit is because obesity – in other words, a BMI of over 35 – can complicate the pregnancy process and increase its time for conception by almost twice as long. The restrictions do not stop there, however. There is also a lower limit for BMI. Women with BMIs of lower than 18 are also ineligible. Underweight women can take up to four times longer to conceive than women of a healthy weight. While it may not seem like a big deal, a longer time to conception can mean more time and money spent for both intended parents and families, as well as surrogate mothers. This is extremely emotionally and financially taxing for everyone involved, and complications of all kinds are meant to be avoided in the Colorado surrogacy process.
Why Does BMI Matter in Egg Donation?
Egg donation is another aspect of the surrogacy process where BMI comes into play, although egg donors’ requirements are slightly different from those for surrogate mothers. Egg donation is the process of giving eggs to a recipient mother in order for them to be fertilized and raised into children. For egg donors, the required BMI is under 28. While women with high or low BMIs may be able to have children on their own through traditional means, eggs for surrogacy go through careful and complicated scientific fertilization processes that are also more intense. A higher BMI may lead to affect egg quality which would require higher doses of certain medications and stimulation drugs to complete the IVF process. Because of this, it is required that women who are interested in becoming egg donors are within a healthy BMI scale range.
BMI Really Matters to Colorado Surrogacy
Clearly, BMI plays a large role in the Colorado surrogacy process. If you are interested in becoming a surrogate mother or egg donor but do not fall within the required BMI ranges, that’s okay; there are treatments and programs that exist that will help you get into a better zone in order to accomplish your candidacy! If you are still interested in the process and have any more questions, be sure to stop by Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado to learn more!
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and want to learn more about your adoption options, contact Adoption Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Text us: 720-371-1099, Call us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: Alex is originally from Clarksville, Maryland but currently goes to Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. He is an English major and Environmental Studies minor, focusing on Environmental Law and PR/Communications. He has a deep love for writing, grammar, and all things English. He finds the history and etymology of the language extremely fascinating and loves discovering those small, unnecessary grammatical rules that make English such a weird and special tongue. He is also passionate about the environment and wants to focus on doing what he can to help make the world a better place for future generations.