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.
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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.
