Surrogacy 101: Counseling and Cycle Suggestions

This article continues our series on informational articles about surrogacy.
After the initial medical screening, the Surrogate and Intended parents will also have counseling and psychological screenings and evaluations.

Counseling and Psychological Evaluations
The role of counseling is to prepare all parties involved in the treatment and to consider all factors which may influence the outcome. Counseling ensures that everyone is confident and comfortable with their participation and trusts each other. Counseling also minimizes foreseeable risks, thereby avoiding the placement of unacceptable burdens on any of the parties, including the future child. Some clinics require that a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) be completed by the Gestational Surrogate and Egg Donor before entrance into their medical program. The MMPI is one of the most frequently used personality tests in the mental health fields. This assessment, or test, was designed to help identify personal, social, and behavioral problems in psychiatric patients. The test helps provide relevant information to aid in problem identification, diagnosis, and treatment planning for the patient. All Intended Parents, Surrogates and Donors participating in Simple Surrogacy’s Program are required to undergo a Psycho-Social Assessment before moving forward with the medical and legal process. These are provided by our program and are not an additional expense.

Gestational Surrogate/Intended Parent(s) Suggestions
During the treatment cycle both the Surrogate and Intended Parent(s) should:

• Be open and honest regarding expectations and hopes throughout the process.
• Refrain from smoking, drinking, and drug use.
• Eat healthy food.
• Take vitamin supplements.
• Intended Fathers should refrain from taking hot showers or baths and sitting in Jacuzzi tubs within the week of their sperm donation to ensure their donation results in the best quality of sperm they have to offer.
• Refrain from sexual intercourse during the cycling process.
• Keep stress levels to a minimum.
• Avoid overexertion .
• Refrain from taking any additional medication other than that prescribed by the Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) and/or your personal Physician.