What is the Surrogate Screening Process in Oklahoma? 

Are you from Oklahoma, and do you have questions about gestational surrogacy? Do you have questions about becoming a surrogate mother? Are you wondering if surrogacy is right for you and what the process looks like? Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma is here to help you with your surrogacy journey and learn more about the surrogate screening process.

What Should You Know Before Becoming a Surrogate Mother?

Do you know what gestational surrogacy is? It is important to have all the facts of what OK surrogacy entails to know what it is when you become a surrogate mother. 

When you choose to become a gestational carrier, you are making the selfless and joyous choice to carry an intended parent or parent’s baby for them. This is done through in vitro fertilization, otherwise known as IVF, and allows the intended parent(s) to start a family if they struggle to conceive or for any myriad of reasons. This is a decision not to be taken lightly, and it’s an incredible journey you are about to embark on, but it is also a highly complex, emotional, and physically demanding process. 

Through legal documentation and agreements, you and the intended parents understand everyone’s role throughout the process. As the surrogate mother, you are not biologically related to the child you carry because the intended mother’s egg is fertilized with the intended father’s sperm. Therefore, everyone understands that you do not have any parental claim or responsibility to the child you carry prior to you giving birth and even before you are pregnant.

It is important to have a working knowledge of gestational surrogacy, but it’s also equally important to know the requirements and processes before IVF.

Have You Read Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma Surrogacy Requirements?

Before starting on your path as a surrogate mother, you first need to make sure you fill certain prerequisites in order to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy for you. This is the very first step in the surrogate screening process. Below are some examples of what these requirements can look like:

• You are between the ages of 21 to 39 to ensure emotional and physical wellbeing throughout the pregnancy.
• You are actively parenting a child who is not on Medicaid or food stamps.
• You have had a previous, successful pregnancy without any complications. Afterward, you were not diagnosed with postpartum depression.
• You are not reliant on alcohol or drugs, and you come from a stable background.
• You are from the United States, are living here in Oklahoma, and you are a U.S citizen.
• You do not have a criminal background and can pass a background check.

These are all examples of certain requirements you need to ensure a safe pregnancy for you and the child you carry. This is the first part of the application process. 

What Does the Surrogate Screening Process Do?

First, fulfilling the prerequisites Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma requires help to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy on your end as the surrogate mother, but requirements for hopeful intended parents ensure they are emotionally, physically, and financially prepared for their baby.

The application and screening process helps ensure everyone is on the same page and holds everyone’s best interest equally and at the highest level. Once you complete these requirements and follow consultations and interviews as part of the process, you will be matched to a hopeful intended parent or parents based on compatibility. 

Legal documents will also be signed, and each respective legal team will help ensure the surrogate mother and intended parents are protected. This also makes sure that every party involved knows that you are not related to the child you carry. The legal part of this process is incredibly important because it keeps every member of this journey safe. 

What Are Other Examples of the Screening Process in Oklahoma?

After fulfilling these requirements, you should also be aware that you need to pass other parts of the screening process before becoming a gestational carrier. As the surrogate mother and the intended parents you are matched with, both you are required to take part in these screening processes to make sure everyone is safe, healthy, and emotionally and physically equipped for pregnancy and after.

As mentioned before, are you prepared to pass a background check? This is to ensure you do not have a criminal record and come from a stable background. You and the intended parents you are matched with have to pass these to ensure everyone’s wellbeing and the little ones!

You and the intended parent or parents you are matched with will also be required to undergo medical screening and a psychological examination. The medical screening is to make sure you are healthy and will undergo a safe pregnancy without any complications. In addition, you must fulfill one requirement to show you are not on any medications for any mental health issues such as bipolar disorder, chronic depression, and any other related mental health issues. This is also required for the intended parents as well to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved. 

Why Is the Surrogate Screening Process Important?

To put it sweet and simple: it keeps everyone safe, happy, and healthy. At Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma, we are here to make sure families of all different shapes, experiences, and backgrounds have the chance to grow. We also are here to make sure surrogate mothers are protected and are healthy and safe throughout this process.

We know how important this journey is to you. That’s why we are here to provide the emotional, legal, and medical resources you may need throughout this process. We know how rewarding, beautiful, and complex surrogacy is, and that’s why our highly-trained professionals are here to help with any questions or concerns you may have.  

Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma is a surrogacy and adoption agency, licensed by the state of Oklahoma and a 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: Katie Doherty is a junior Writing, Literature, and Publishing major at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She loves to write, read, and edit, whether it’s technical or creative writing. Although she enjoys writing poetry, narrative nonfiction, and fiction writing, she also loves to write on current political events, cultural trends, and research. She spends her free time listening to music, watching the Great British Bake Off, and learning how to crochet.