What Are The Medical Aspects of Surrogacy?

The OK surrogacy process is a long and emotional process. Part of being sure you’re ready to be a surrogate is preparing for the veritable and inevitable emotional roller coaster. While it’s true, surrogacy can take a toll on your mental health, especially with pregnancy hormones–it’s equally important that you prepare for the medical aspects of surrogacy. One of the best types of prep work you can do is to educate yourself. There’s a lot that goes into surrogacy, even before the pregnancy. If you’re new to surrogacy and wanting to learn more about the medical side of surrogacy, we’ve got you covered. 

Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma is at the ready with compassionate experts, prepared to answer all of your questions and concerns. If you’re considering surrogacy in Oklahoma, we can help you determine if you qualify to be a surrogate. Surrogacy is an amazing and beautiful thing, and we want to be sure those who choose to become a surrogate mother are well advocated for and taken care of. We’ll make sure you understand every part of the surrogacy process, including all of the prep work, pre-screenings, and more. We want you to have an enjoyable surrogacy experience, and part of ensuring that is making sure we can avoid any massive road bumps. There are several medical screenings and background checks necessary for surrogacy, and you should be well aware of all of them before diving in. 

Important Medical Aspects to Consider Before Surrogacy

Before you even begin the application process to become a surrogate, you have to qualify. There are a lot of boxes you have to check to qualify, and your surrogacy agency will have a specific list of what they require. Becoming a surrogate isn’t as easy as you may think, and you should consider a few things before you apply. Be sure to speak to your surrogacy case work or your primary medical provider for more information. 

How was your previous pregnancy, labor, and delivery?

A very critical part of qualifying to be a surrogate is a previous healthy pregnancy. Think about how your last pregnancy went. Did you have any complications? Were there any excessive sickness or symptoms? Were there any labor or delivery issues? Did you have any medical problems post-delivery? These are crucial questions to ask yourself before promising to deliver a healthy baby for an intended family. Surrogacy isn’t something you want to roll the dice on. It is hard to say a pregnancy will go perfectly every time, but when you’ve been through it once with little to no issues, it’s usually a good indicator. 

Do You Have Any Medical Conditions That Could Affect The Pregnancy?

It may seem obvious, but previous medical conditions affect your qualifying status. Pre-existing conditions can cause several issues with fertility and pregnancy. If you have conditions like anemia, diabetes, obesity, or high blood pressure, to name a few, pregnancy could be dangerous for you and the baby. This is why we conduct such strict medical background checks and screenings. We don’t want to risk your life or the life of the baby. Better safe than sorry. 

Other Things to Consider About Surrogacy

Additionally, talk with your doctor about previous miscarriages. While having a miscarriage may not disqualify you from becoming a surrogate, if you’ve had more than a couple, talk with your doctor about risk factors. 

If you are currently on any medications, make sure they are safe to continue or stop taking during the IVF and pregnancy process. Open communication with your doctor is critical in assuring a smooth surrogacy process. 

• Medical Screenings

Aside from knowing your medical history, we also need to know your current health. During medical screenings, you’ll go through a comprehensive physical to check how you’re doing all around medically and review previous medical, gynecological, and pregnancy health. Some tests may include checking to ensure your uterus is shaped normally, blood work, urine tests, ultrasound, pap smears, or cervical culture samples. The screenings may vary, so don’t be surprised at what they may want to do. Being poked and prodded is no fun, but most screenings can be done in one visit and usually don’t take more than a few hours to half a day to complete. If there are any screenings you may not be comfortable with, let your doctor and surrogacy agency know so we can work with you. 

• IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) 

Becoming a surrogate, at its core, is a medical procedure. IVF helps you get pregnant via fertilization, embryo development, and embryo implantation. IVF is a type of assisted reproductive technology (ART) that works by combining different medicines and surgical procedures to help fertilize an egg and implant the fertilized egg in your uterus. It can take several months to complete the IVF process successfully, and it doesn’t take right away sometimes.

• Are There Medical Risks to Surrogacy?

As with any pregnancy, you may experience sickness, weight gain, back and muscle pain, and other side effects of growing and carrying a human inside of you for nine months. Take note of your pregnancy side effects from previous pregnancies and compare during your surrogacy pregnancy to ensure there aren’t any additional concerns. 

There can also be side effects from IVF, although they are usually mild. Since you’ll be doing injections at home, you may have bruising or soreness at the injection site. Medications you may be taking to regulate your cycle can also cause typical PMS like headaches, irritability, or ferocious cravings for chocolate. 

Is Surrogacy Worth The Medical Hassle? 

Surrogacy is a commitment. It takes a lot of time between the application, screenings, IVF treatments, and the pregnancy itself. It can take even longer if the IVF doesn’t work the first time around or if you encounter complications. If you’re considering surrogacy, be ready to make room for it in your life for at least a year. Most of the medical procedures and screenings don’t take long and usually only require one or two visits. If you’re worried about spending months in the hospital or going to doctors frequently, you can rest easy. While the medical part of surrogacy is important, it’s not something to deter you from pursuing surrogacy if you qualify. Also consider, surrogate compensation will cover all medical aspects of the plan. You can visit our surrogate website for more information regarding compensation.

Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma is a surrogacy and adoption agency, licensed by the state of Oklahoma and leader in the community. We assist both intended parents and gestational carriers (surrogates). Our staff members are committed to providing an ethical, empowering, and personalized experience to all involved in the surrogacy process.
Toll-free: 800-898-6028 | OKC Local: 405-755-1999 | Tulsa Local: 918-447-7777 | Text: 405-310-8790 | Email

Meet the Author: Michelle Brugioni is a practiced, well-versed college-educated writer and avid coffee drinker. She has ten years of experience as a freelance writer and has written for an alarmingly wide range of clients and publications. She has written on topics like: life science, biopharmaceutical company acquisitions, dealing with anxiety, and creative drinking games. 

As a fearless writer and masterful researcher, each time Michelle is approached with the question, “Can you write this?” she responds confidently with, “When do you need it?”