Can I Become a Surrogate if I Have Taken Antidepressants?
Dear Savvy Surrogate:
I had a tough time a few years ago when my mom died. I ended up taking antidepressant medication for about 6 months. It was prescribed by my PCP. She gave me permission to stop taking the medication about 3 years ago. I haven’t had any problems since. Can I become a surrogate with my history of having used an antidepressant?
Sincerely,
No Longer Depressed
Dear No Longer:
I get this question a lot! Life happens. I get it. There's no shame in having used an antidepressant medication (Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and so on). Your emotional health is important so I applaud you for getting the treatment you need.
In order to become a surrogate, you must be emotionally stable without any medication. This is because antidepressant medications haven't been fully studied on pregnant women, so we don't know if there are side effects that could harm the growing fetus. We just don't know, so better safe than sorry, right?
If you have been on antidepressants in the past, your reproductive endocrinologist (the IVF doctor) will typically require that you have been off the medication for at least 6 months (some require longer).
Here's some other things you need to know about surrogacy and antidepressants:
Your antidepressant use is part of your medical history. As with other parts of your medical history, it will be disclosed to the intended parents.
You may be asked to provide documentation, about your prescription medication usage, from your doctor or pharmacy.
You can expect that your medication use will be discussed at your mental health screening appointment.
Sometimes surrogates develop postpartum depression (PPD). PPD is one of the risks of pregnancy and occurs in the period of time after the birth. If you think you might have PPD, I encourage you to speak with your doctor about it.
Best wishes,
The Savvy Surrogate
Do you have other questions about becoming a surrogate? Send them to us at info@newenglandsurro.com. You can also schedule a free consult for us to answer your questions about the surrogacy process.