Below, we've compiled the most frequently asked questions and answers about Moeders voor Moeders and participation. If your question is not listed, feel free to ask via the contact form or call 088 – 278 0000.
Moeders voor Moeders is part of the pharmaceutical company Aspen API in Oss and collects urine from newly pregnant women. Aspen API extracts the hCG hormone from this urine and supplies it to manufacturers of fertility medications for humans.
hCG, or human Chorionic Gonadotropin, is a hormone produced by the placenta during early pregnancy. It helps maintain the pregnancy and is an essential component in fertility treatments like IUI and IVF.
hCG stimulates the ovaries to release eggs (ovulation) and ensures that a fertilized egg can implant in the uterus and that the embryo can grow properly.
hCG is extracted from the collected urine at a specialized Aspen API factory in Boxtel. This extensive process takes 6 to 9 months and includes multiple purification and analysis steps. The urine is first concentrated and filtered to remove impurities, after which the hCG is isolated from the concentrated extract.
There are medications made with both natural (urinary) hCG and synthetic hCG. Urinary hCG occurs naturally in the body, while synthetic hCG is lab-made. Both have the same biological structure and generally the same effect. However, some patients respond better to one form than the other, and patients often have a preference. Offering both options allows for more successful treatments and provides doctors and patients with more choices.
Aspen API supplies the hCG from the collected urine to pharmaceutical companies that make fertility medications. According to the Medicines Act, we cannot advertise specific medications, so we are not allowed to name them.
Yes, there is a fertility medication available in the Netherlands that is made with the hCG from Moeders voor Moeders urine. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacy.
No, all collected urine is sent to the Aspen API factory in Boxtel to extract hCG. The remaining urine (what’s left after hCG is extracted) is biologically treated and discharged into the sewer.
No, only the hCG hormone is extracted from the urine. The remaining urine is biologically treated and then disposed of.
No, we are not a non-profit or charitable organization (ANBI). Moeders voor Moeders is part of the pharmaceutical company Aspen API, a commercial enterprise.
Aspen API, of which we are a part, is a commercial company that earns money from the sale of hCG extracted from the urine we collect. This revenue is necessary to cover the high costs of collection and processing and to invest in ongoing research and development.
No, Moeders voor Moeders collects urine exclusively for human fertility medications. The hCG extracted by Aspen API from the urine of pregnant women is not used for veterinary purposes. In the past, until 1985, hCG was used in veterinary products, and we suspect some media reports are based on this. Additionally, urine was once collected in Brazil, some of which was used for the veterinary industry, but that collection was entirely separate from Moeders voor Moeders and stopped in 2010. Today, we guarantee that all the urine we collect is used solely for the production of human fertility medications.
No, the hCG extracted by Aspen API from pregnant women’s urine is not intended for weight loss but is exclusively for fertility medications. If hCG is prescribed for weight loss or purposes other than fertility treatments, this is considered improper use of a medication. As Moeders voor Moeders, we do not support such uses and find them unacceptable. Slimming is not a valid reason for administering hCG. Moreover, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that hCG is effective as a weight loss aid.
It’s not possible to quantify the value of collected urine in terms of the number of pregnancies following fertility treatments, as these treatments involve multiple hormones and we do not have insight into the success rates of fertility treatments.
You can sign up via:
- The registration form on our website.
- The phone number **088 - 278 00 00**.
- The Moeders voor Moeders app, available on Google Play and in the Apple Store.
An advisor will contact you by phone within a few days of your registration.
You can participate from week 6 to week 16 of your pregnancy. You can sign up from the start of your pregnancy until week 11.
You need to be between 6 and 16 weeks pregnant. An advisor can help you determine this, either based on your ovulation cycle, last period, or a pregnancy test you’ve taken.
If you become ill during your participation, contact us to discuss whether you can continue.
Yes, you can.
After week 16, the hCG level in your urine decreases and becomes less suitable for medication production.
Not always. During the intake interview, the advisor will discuss the participation requirements with you. If you don’t meet all the conditions, unfortunately, you won’t be able to participate.
You will receive all the materials needed to collect and store your urine. Every day, you’ll collect your urine in a collection jug and transfer it into a blue bottle with a preservative. You’ll use a new bottle for each collection day. These bottles are stored in a crate, which is collected weekly by a driver. You don’t need to be home for this collection.
More information about the participation process can be found here.
No, Moeders voor Moeders does not offer financial compensation for urine donations but instead thanks participants with small gifts. At the start of your participation, you’ll receive a gift for your baby and a pregnancy magazine.
There are two main reasons for this:
1. We follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union, which state that no payment should be given for bodily materials.
2. Offering financial compensation might encourage some individuals to participate solely for the money, which could lead to them not following the participation requirements properly.
Yes, you can participate even if you work. Any urine you collect at home is welcome, and you don’t need to be home for bottle collection.
Yes, you can participate even if your pregnancy resulted from fertility treatment.
Yes, the advisor can help you find solutions to collect and store the bottles discreetly. The driver who exchanges the bottles each week operates with discretion, and the van they drive is unmarked with no Moeders voor Moeders or Aspen Oss advertising.
Yes, except on the Wadden Islands, urine is collected throughout the Netherlands.
No, participation is only possible if you live in the Netherlands.
Call us at 088 - 278 00 00 or ask your question via the contact form on our website.