Can you be a surrogate if you take antidepressants?
What 19 US surrogacy agencies say on their own websites, agency by agency, each rule quoted and linked to the page it is on. Read Oct 28, 2026.
Sometimes. Of the 19 US surrogacy agencies compared here, 9 state a rule on it: Eggceptional Fertility, Family Source Consultants and Simple Surrogacy do not accept a surrogate while she takes antidepressants or anxiety medication; American Surrogacy, Circle Surrogacy and Hatch allow it with conditions, such as being off them for a year or not having taken them in the last pregnancy; and Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute, Golden Surrogacy and Surrogacy4All review each case. Most look at current and recent use, during or since the last pregnancy, rather than a past history.
What each agency says: antidepressants
- American Surrogacypays $55,000 to $65,000+ (first-time base)
Allowed with conditions (off them for a time, or not during the last pregnancy): History does not disqualify; must be safely off antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication for at least 12 months before the medical process
“American Surrogacy requires you to be safely off these medications for at least 12 months before beginning the medical process.”
American Surrogacy's own page, read Oct 28, 2026
- Circle Surrogacypays $55,000 to $75,000+ (first journey, base from $55,000 plus benefits)
Allowed with conditions (off them for a time, or not during the last pregnancy): Not accepted if prescribed antidepressants for postpartum depression after the most recent delivery, numerous prior deliveries, or all prior deliveries; other antidepressant use case by case
“At this time, we are unable to accept applicants who experienced postpartum depression and were treated with antidepressants after their most recent delivery, numerous prior deliveries, or all prior deliveries.”
Circle Surrogacy's own page, read Oct 28, 2026
- Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institutepays $60,000 to $70,000 (first-time base ($70,000 in California))
Reviewed individually: Case by case; must not be on antidepressants during the most recent pregnancy or unwilling to wean off under medical supervision
“It depends. Surrogates cannot be on antidepressants during their most recent pregnancy or unwilling to wean off under medical supervision.”
Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute's own page, read Oct 28, 2026
- Eggceptional Fertilitypays $60,000 to $80,000 (typical; first-time from $60,000)
Not while taking them: No current use of antidepressants
“No currently use of anti-depressants”
Eggceptional Fertility's own page, read Oct 28, 2026
- Family Source Consultantspays $55,000+ (base pay, first journey)
Not while taking them: Excluded while on depression or anxiety medication
“Not currently on medication for depression or anxiety”
Family Source Consultants's own page, read Oct 28, 2026
- Golden Surrogacypays $70,000+ (first journey: $50,000 base + $20,000 benefits)
Reviewed individually: Individual review, not an automatic bar
“Past or current mental-health treatment, including postpartum depression or the use of antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication, requires an individualized review.”
Golden Surrogacy's own page, read Oct 28, 2026
- Hatchpays $50,000 to $55,000 (first-time base, plus benefits)
Allowed with conditions (off them for a time, or not during the last pregnancy): No psychological medication during the most recent pregnancy; cannot be currently dependent on medication without being willing to wean off (except hypothyroidism); must be able to stop anti-anxiety/anti-depressant medication during pregnancy
“Surrogates cannot be on any psychological medication during their most recent pregnancy and they cannot be currently dependent on any medication without willing to wean off of, except for Hypothyroidism.”
Hatch's own page, read Oct 28, 2026
- Simple Surrogacypays $58,000 to $63,000 (first journey ($63,000 with maternity coverage))
Not while taking them: Excluded: no psychiatric illness and no medication for depression or anxiety
“Not have any psychiatric illness or take medications for depression or anxiety”
Simple Surrogacy's own page, read Oct 28, 2026
- Surrogacy4Allpays $50,000 to $65,000 (base pay; total up to $100,000)
Reviewed individually: Reviewed individually; not an automatic disqualifier
“If you use anti-anxiety or antidepressant medication, that’s reviewed individually with your prescribing clinician rather than treated as an automatic disqualifier”
Surrogacy4All's own page, read Oct 28, 2026
Agencies whose pages do not say
Babytree Surrogacy, ConceiveAbilities, Growing Generations, Ivy Surrogacy, Modern Family Surrogacy, Northwest Surrogacy Center, Patriot Conceptions, Physician's Surrogacy, Quest Surrogacy, West Coast Surrogacy. Their pages did not answer this when we read them; ask the agency before you rule it in or out.
Screening decides
These are the rules each agency publishes for an application. Every agency then screens medically and psychologically, and the fertility clinic that does the embryo transfer sets its own limits, which can be stricter or looser. Where an agency's pages disagree with each other, both statements are shown.
What these agencies pay
First-time surrogate pay, agency by agency, with what each figure covers and a check of which agencies you qualify for: how much surrogates get paid, and by state.