Taking prescription medication does not always prevent you from becoming a surrogate. The clinic needs to review both the medication and the condition it treats. Do not stop, skip, or change a medicine to make an application look better.
A safe answer may require your prescribing clinician, the fertility clinic, and the mental-health evaluator. An agency can organize the review, but it should not make the medical decision.
Nina almost stopped her medication before the first call
Nina took a daily prescription for anxiety. She had been stable for two years. When she read a short eligibility list online, she worried that any medication would lead to an automatic rejection.
She considered stopping it before applying. Instead, she called her prescriber and asked the agency how medication was reviewed. The clinic requested her medication list and treatment history. The mental-health evaluator asked about symptoms, stress, support, and how she would handle pregnancy and postpartum changes.
Nina did not receive a promise from the first call. She received a safe plan for getting a real answer.
The medication and the condition are two different questions
A clinic may ask whether the medication can be used before embryo transfer, during pregnancy, or after delivery. It may also ask why you take it and whether the condition is stable.
- What is the name and dose?
- Why was it prescribed?
- How long have you taken it?
- Who manages the prescription?
- Are your symptoms stable?
- Have you had side effects or recent changes?
- What happened when you missed a dose or changed treatment in the past?
ACOG advises discussing all prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, vitamins, and supplements before pregnancy. Patients should not stop medicine without speaking with the clinician who manages their care.1
Build a medication list the clinic can use
- Medication name, dose, and how often you take it
- Reason for the prescription
- Prescriber’s name and contact information
- Date treatment began and the most recent change
- Pharmacy record or bottle photo if requested
- Recent notes or lab results connected to the condition
- Vitamins, supplements, injections, and nonprescription products
Include medications that seem unrelated to pregnancy. Let the clinician decide what matters.
Three answers you may receive
Continue with more review
The clinic may request a letter, recent visit note, lab work, or consultation before making a decision.
Pause until the condition is stable
A recent diagnosis, dose change, return of symptoms, or incomplete follow-up may lead to a waiting period. Ask what stability means and who decides when to review again.
Do not move forward
The clinic may decide that the condition, medication, or expected treatment changes would create too much risk. Ask for the reason in plain language. Do not stop needed care to reverse the answer.
Questions women often ask
Can I take antidepressants and be a surrogate?
Some women may continue after an individual medical and psychological review. The specific medicine, dose, diagnosis, stability, history, and support plan all matter.
Will I have to change medication before transfer?
Only your treating clinicians should make that decision with you. Ask why a change is recommended, how symptoms will be watched, and what happens if the change does not work.
Should I leave supplements off the form?
No. Include vitamins, herbs, sleep products, weight-loss products, and other supplements. “Natural” does not mean irrelevant to treatment or pregnancy.
Protect your health before protecting an application
Nina’s safest choice was keeping her care stable while the right professionals reviewed it. Learn more about eligibility decisions and the psychological-screening process.