Whether you’re just starting your research or you’re feeling ready to jump into the next steps to become a surrogate at Hatch, it is helpful to know what screening you can expect to be medically cleared to become a gestational surrogate. Gestational surrogacy is when an incredible person like you carries a baby for loving intended parents through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and an embryo transfer procedure, so that the baby is not genetically related to you. The baby you carry may be related to one or both of the intended parents, or they may be using an egg and/or sperm donor to create their embryos.
Hatch has been supporting surrogates through every step of their journeys since 1991, and in the 34+ years since our program was founded, we have strived to ensure that each of the selfless women who step forward to help others through surrogacy are fully informed of the process before they begin. Medical screening is one of several important steps to ensure you are set up for a high rate of success in achieving pregnancy as a surrogate and have the best chance of having a low-risk pregnancy and delivering a healthy baby for your intended parents.
Before getting started, you’ll want to check that you meet the basic requirements to become a surrogate. At Hatch those requirements are:
At Hatch, we will help you to feel prepared for your surrogacy journey by getting to know you well, understanding your hopes for this experience, providing education on the process, and supporting you through each step of admissions, matching, and the management of your case. Our mission is to make sure you know what to expect when you’re expecting as a gestational surrogate.
Why is Surrogate Testing & Screening Important?
One of the biggest keys to success for a surrogacy journey is thorough rigorous social, psychological, and medical screening. Medical testing and screening help the Reproductive Endocrinologist (your doctor for the IVF process) know that you are a healthy, low-risk candidate for a surrogate pregnancy.
Surrogates are first and foremost moms to their own kids and keeping you healthy and safe for your family is always the priority when you’re choosing to give the ultimate gift to another family.
IVF doctors are guided by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) standards for surrogacy, which determines many of the medical criteria for surrogates in the U.S. Surrogacy agencies like Hatch also adhere to further screening guidelines as recommended by the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy (SEEDS).
Our medical screening process at Hatch is a comprehensive multi-step process which aims to leave no stone unturned so that no critical details that could impact your health, safety, or success are missed. Your medical suitability to become a surrogate can be assessed through your medical history: a combination of the information you recall and share with us and your detailed medical records, as well as your psychological history and present mental well-being through screening with a Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP), and your current physical health through an in-person medical screening and lab work.
One of the first ways we assess that a surrogate pregnancy will be low risk for you is through a meticulous review of your medical records. Our Medical Records team will contact your providers and obtain your full medical records from each pregnancy, delivery, past fertility treatment (when applicable) and well-woman gynecological care. These records are then summarized by our Medical Records Manager and reviewed by our Medical Director who is a licensed, practicing Reproductive Endocrinologist with over 30 years of experience.
Based on this review we sometimes request additional clearance letters from your current medical providers, updated PAPs, updated breast cancer screenings, or additional lab work to check that nothing important is missed for your specific circumstances.
While all surrogate-screening is thorough, it's also not one-size-fits-all and your current and past health history informs us of what screening will be needed.
At Hatch, we want to set you up for success and protect your feelings in this process to minimize the risk of disappointment after matching. The most common reason that surrogates do not pass medical screening is due to uterine lining issues such as inadequate/irregular uterine lining, fibroids, cysts, and polyps.
We cover the expenses to have you undergo a uterine lining check with or without mock cycle medications (depending on your obstetrical history) before you match with your Intended Parents and form that special connection. Because this step is completed before matching, you can feel confident when you have your in-person medical screening with the Reproductive Endocrinologist that you have a strong chance of passing this screening.
After you match with your Intended Parents, the first step is an in-person medical screening with the Intended Parent’s doctor. A few things will happen at your screening with the Reproductive Endocrinologist.At Hatch, we believe that mental health is an important part of your well-being. In compliance with SEEDS and ASRM standards, you will undergo a detailed psychological screening. This screening consists of two parts: a video consultation and interview with a Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP) specializing in surrogacy for you and your partner (if applicable) and a psychological test for you, typically a PAI (Personality Assessment Inventory), all from the comfort of your own home.
A PAI is a personality test that also screens for serious psychological concerns such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. A detailed psychologist report is then drafted by the LMHP which we provide directly to your Reproductive Endocrinologist for the surrogacy so they can confirm that surrogacy is a good fit for your mental health.
It is extremely important that we ensure a surrogate is not taking any medications or controlled substances that could be unsafe for pregnancy. The first step of screening for drugs (both prescribed and illicit) and controlled substances like cannabis or alcohol is a conversation with you in your admissions process where it is critical to be fully transparent so we can come up with an appropriate plan of action and timeline for your journey.
When it comes to responsible use of cannabis or alcohol within the confines of your state laws, we still need to ensure you are substance-free and do not have any dependencies before proceeding, as these could disqualify you from becoming a surrogate. Many over-the-counter and prescription medications have not been well-studied in pregnancy so we defer to the Reproductive Endocrinologist you will be working with to determine what can be taken or must be discontinued in a surrogate pregnancy or during your fertility treatment as a surrogate.
The second step is screening for drugs, alcohol, and certain prescription medications through blood and/or urine toxicology tests.
Preparing for medical screening is both exciting and also a bit nerve-wracking for many surrogates. Here are some tried and true tips to help you have a successful medical screening:
Hatch has over three decades of experience, high success rates, and hundreds of positive journeys for our surrogates and Intended parents alike. Successful journeys depend upon our comprehensive admissions process, including rigorous medical screening. Safe journeys make for happy and successful ones, and putting the health and safety of our surrogates first is the secret to making that possible. You can rest assured that you have the best chance of a rewarding and smooth experience when you have undergone our social, medical and psychological screening steps.
We understand that at times it can feel like quite a lot of hoops to jump through to be able to give the gift of family, but the emotional rewards on the other side are well worth the time and energy you will invest into becoming a surrogate, and our comprehensive and competitive compensation package is an added bonus. Our surrogate-powered program is run by experienced surrogates who have completed a collective 50+ surrogacy journeys themselves, and every one of us was once in your shoes just starting our research to decide if surrogacy was right for us. We are beyond excited to get to know you, prepare you, and support you through your journey if you decide Hatch is the right fit for your needs.
Being a Hatch surrogate means you will never walk alone in your journey. If you would like to get started, you can complete your application here to speak with a Surrogate Specialist and learn about giving the gift of family.
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