Step 3: Medical and Psychological Clearance
The individual fertility clinic medically clears a woman to be a surrogate so it is important to ask the IP’s clinic about the requirements because some clinics are pickier than others.
However, in general, a surrogate candidate should:
Be between 21 to 42 years old
Have carried at least 1 child without complications
Have no more than 3 deliveries via c-section
Have a body mass index less than 33
Not smoke, abuse drugs, alcohol, or prescription medicine
Not be receiving welfare, public housing or cash assistance from government
Have a stable home life with emotional and childcare support
Not have mental health conditions requiring the use of meds within the last six (6) months (including depression)
Not have a criminal record
Fertility clinics generally review the surrogate’s prior medical records before scheduling an in-person medical evaluation.
Fertility clinics generally review medical records to ensure that the basic requirements are met.
In addition to medical clearance, many fertility clinics require both surrogates and IPs to go through a psychological evaluation. For surrogates, the evaluation helps ensure that they are a good fit for both the surrogacy journey and the IPs.
