If you’re interested in becoming a surrogate in the South, know that Southern Surrogacy is here to help. Our professionals can guide you through every step of the process ahead of you, from start to finish, to help you reach your goals of becoming a surrogate in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee or Alabama.
However, before you can start your surrogacy journey, there are a few surrogate requirements that you must met first. Not every woman can become a surrogate — only those who meet the strict criteria for becoming a surrogate mother.
The qualifications to be a surrogate mother may seem extensive, but remember that surrogacy is a complicated process that comes with inherent risks and potential complications. Therefore, making sure a woman meets surrogacy requirements before she begins this journey is instrumental in ensuring her safety and the safety of her intended parents. At the end of the day, the qualifications to be a surrogate are in place to protect you.
Below, you’ll find some basic information about what is required to be a surrogate mother in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama. For personal guidance on whether you meet these surrogate criteria, we encourage you to contact Southern Surrogacy at 855-787-2229.
Initial Screening Requirements to Become a Surrogate
The first step to becoming a surrogate in the South is meeting preliminary criteria for being a surrogate. This will involve you answering a few questions and filling out some basic information when you contact our agency about starting the surrogacy journey.
When you contact Southern Surrogacy, you will be required to fill out a brief Information Request Form, which will ask you some questions about your medical history and current lifestyle. These questions will determine if you meet the basic surrogate mother guidelines that our program requires.
So, what are these basic requirements to be a surrogate?
- Be at least 21 years old
- Have a previous healthy pregnancy
- Be raising your own child in your home
- Be smoke- and drug-free
- Have a healthy BMI
- Be able to travel for surrogacy appointments
- Live in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee or Alabama
- And more
If you meet these initial surrogate requirements, a surrogacy professional will be in touch to help you determine whether you qualify as a surrogate mother in our program. To do this, you will undergo some additional screening and meet with your surrogacy professional. You will be required to submit medical and insurance documents, meet with one of our professionals in person, undergo an online background check, and complete an in-home visit. Your surrogacy specialist will ensure you understand these steps before they are taken, and he or she will be there to answer any questions you have along the way.
At this point, you will have met the necessary gestational carrier qualifications set by our professionals. However, you will still need to meet the surrogacy requirements set by other professionals before you can move forward.
Medical Requirements for a Surrogate Mother
If you meet our program’s requirements to be a surrogate, you are one step closer to officially becoming a gestational carrier! Before you can do so, you must be screened by a medical professional and deemed eligible for the medical process of surrogacy (including the potential complications you may encounter along the way).
As part of your medical screening to be a surrogate, you will undergo two processes:
- Medical Screening: To ensure that you meet the medical requirements for surrogacy, a medical professional will complete a thorough screening to check if you are healthy enough to carry a pregnancy safely to term. This screening will likely include a physical, laboratory testing and screening for sexually transmitted diseases (your partner will also need to be screened for communicable diseases).
- Psychological Consultation and Evaluation: Your physical health isn’t the only thing evaluated by medical professionals before you can become a surrogate. Because surrogacy can be emotionally taxing, you will need to meet with a mental health professional to complete a psychological examination. This exam will ensure you meet the emotional qualifications for being a surrogate and that you understand the responsibilities and expectations all parties will have moving forward. This step will also include a group meeting with your intended parents to prepare you for the emotions of your upcoming partnership.
Legal Requirements to Be a Surrogate
The last set of surrogacy requirements that you’ll need to meet are the legal requirements set by your surrogacy attorneys. When you work with our program, we will connect you with a local, trusted surrogacy lawyer who will make sure that you meet all the legal gestational surrogate requirements in your state.
When your surrogacy attorney drafts your legal surrogacy contract, he or she will evaluate the gestational surrogate requirements mandated by your state surrogacy laws. Your lawyer will also address all of the legal aspects of surrogacy with you to ensure you are comfortable moving forward with this journey. The attorney will ensure that your personal needs and preferences are addressed in your contract before you get started.
Once you have met all of these qualifications for being a surrogate mother, you will be ready to start the medical process of surrogacy — the next step to finally making your surrogacy dreams come true. For more information on our program’s surrogate mother guidelines (and any exceptions to be made, on a case-by-case basis), please contact our surrogacy professionals today.
