Gestational Carrier Screening Process
During the gestational carrier screening process our staff will work with all prospective carriers to ensure that they are healthy and physically capable of carrying a child to term. We also make sure the gestational carrier has every opportunity — through counseling, psychological testing, and consultation with her medical provider — to appraise and address her feelings about carrying a pregnancy to term and then surrendering the child to his or her intended parent(s).
Screening and matching process of our gestational carrier program
• Applicants are reviewed based on the criteria set forth by A Woman’s Gift; upon acceptance as a potential candidate, the Gestational carrier must sign medical release form(s) so that all of her medical records pertaining to previous pregnancies become available to A Woman’s Gift.
• Applicant’s profile then becomes available on our website for selection by Intended parent(s). Some Gestational carriers may be matched privately before going to the website for selection.
• Intended parent(s) may bring additional requirements or preferences to the choice of their Gestational carrier selection. However, it is a mutual matching process in which both the Gestational carrier and Intended parent(s) choose each other. The Gestational carrier retains the option to reject Intended parent(s) for any reason and actual medical treatment does not begin until the Gestational carrier formally notifies A Woman’s Gift that she is ready to proceed.
Medical screening includes:
• Evaluation of the carrier’s uterus, including cervical cultures and a pap test (which must be updated annually).
• Blood work to screen for infectious disease, including HIV, Hepatitis, Syphilis.
• Other assorted blood work relevant to the gestational carrier medical protocol (performed in conjunction with testing for infectious disease).• After a mutually satisfactory selection has been made, initial medical evaluation includes both physical and psychological screenings (these may be performed simultaneously or at separate times at Intended parent(s)’ request).
• Legal contracts are signed and the next phase of the process begins on a timeline convenient for both the Gestational carrier and the Intended parent(s) and as outlined by the medical facility chosen by the Intended parent(s) medical facility.