Deciding on the right surrogate mother is a challenging endeavor. The decision is fraught with emotional and legal implications. You may feel overwhelmed as you weigh pros and cons of such an important decision. The best advice anyone can give you is not to hurry through the process - take the time to gather all the information you need. Interviewing a potential surrogate mother is crucial in this process.
Factors to Consider When Interviewing a Surrogate Mother
There are many factors that determine whether a woman is the right person to carry your child: her physical health, genetics, emotional well being, and support network all have a bearing on the development and well being of your child. Beyond that, you also have medical, legal, and financial considerations to keep in mind.
Raising these questions early in the interviewing process will help you quickly narrow down surrogates who share your vision of the future and your family.
The following questionnaire can serve as a helpful tool in your determination of whether a particular candidate could be the right choice for you. Your attorney can help alert you to possible red flags, serve as an objective advisor, and draft the surrogacy contract once you have made your decision.
Name _______________________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Home telephone number _________________________________________________________ Work telephone number _________________________________________________________ E-mail address _________________________________________________________________ Age ________________ Education ____________________________________________________________________ Occupation ___________________________________________________________________ Employer ____________________________________________________________________ Marital Status _________________________________________________________________ If married, does your husband support your decision to become a surrogate? ________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Height ________________________ Weight ________________________ List all medications currently taken _________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ List all surgeries and hospitalizations in last 10 years __________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ List all known health problems ____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Do you suffer from mental illness? _________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Do you have any sexually transmitted diseases? ______________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Have you ever been tested for AIDS and/or HIV? __________ Results ___________________ Do you consume alcohol? _____ Quantity __________________________________________ Do you smoke? _____ Quantity __________________________________________________ Do you now or have you ever used illegal drugs? _____________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ List all known health problems of your parents and siblings ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Do you have children? _____ List ages ____________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ List all health concerns relating to your children ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Did you have normal pregnancies? _____ If not, explain ______________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Did you suffer from post-partum depression? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ What do you expect will be the impact on your children of your surrogacy? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Why do you want to be a surrogate? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Will you allow the prospective parents to be involved during the pregnancy? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Will you allow the prospective parents to be present at the delivery? ______________________________________________________________________________ Are you willing to undergo an extensive physical examination and psychological assessment before entering into the surrogacy arrangement? ______________________________________________________________________________ Do you have health insurance? ____________________________________________________ Are you willing to execute a surrogacy contract that dictates certain behaviors in which you must engage or from which you must refrain during the pregnancy? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Are you willing to relinquish all claims to the child that is born as a result of the surrogacy arrangement? 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Hiring an Attorney
Surrogacy laws are constantly changing. A skilled family law attorney can help draft an enforceable surrogacy contract that addresses the important issues and the contingencies that could arise before, during, and after the pregnancy. With an attorney on your side, you stand the best chance of achieving your objective-having a child. Most offer free consultations, so your first step should be to contact an experienced family attorney.
