Testing and Screening

Yippee....we are matched!  Now what?!?  That is a questions that I hear on a regular basis.  The testing and  screening phase is the less then fun part that falls between the matching and the legal phases.  After IPs have decided on a surrogate we move on to the screening.  This part can be a little complicated and hectic, but it is a very important step.  Every clinic has different requirements and testing required.  The first thing I do is check with them and get a list of what is needed.  Next, if the surrogate is not located near the clinic, we have to pick a location.  Depending on the situation, it may be best to have the surrogate travel to the main clinic for her testing, other times it makes more sense to use a clinic local to her.  There are several tests that seem to be universal among all the clinics, a saline ultrasound and FDA blood work.  The saline ultrasound is to evaluate the condition of the uterus and is a critical test.  If all the medical tests are passed we move on to the psychological assessment.  This requirement varies between clinics, some require personality testing while others just require a counseling session.  On the flip side all of the above tests (with the exception of the saline ultrasound) are also required of the intended parents.  It can be a lot to arrange and coordinate, but everyone is happy to graduate from the testing phase and move on to the next step!