For hopeful parents, the surrogacy process is an exciting step on the path to parenthood. But it can also be overwhelming, and many intended parents have questions like, “How does surrogacy work?” and “What is the process of surrogacy?”
As a full-service surrogacy program, Southern Surrogacy is here to walk you through the entire surrogacy process, step by step. Below, learn more about each step of the Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, and North Carolina surrogacy process with Southern Surrogacy.
Get to Know Southern Surrogacy
The surrogacy process is a personal one, and it is important to understand the laws and choose a surrogacy program that you can trust to meet your needs. The first step for all prospective intended parents is to learn more about how surrogacy works with our program.
- Complimentary Initial Consult: Schedule a time to talk and discuss your family-building needs, as well as how Southern Surrogacy will meet those needs. This first 30-minute phone meeting is complimentary and does not obligate you to proceed with our surrogacy program.
These consultation meetings not only give you an opportunity to learn more about the gestational surrogacy process with Southern Surrogacy — they also give us an opportunity to learn more about you.
Match with a Gestational Carrier
Once you officially join Southern Surrogacy’s program, we will be introducing you to the special surrogate who will carry your baby!
Create a Profile
We will work with you to prepare a profile that we can use to introduce you to prospective surrogates. We will guide you through this process and provide additional information about what to include.
Review Surrogate Profiles
Our prospective surrogates also work with us to create a profile for you to review. When presenting a prospective surrogate to you, we will forward you her profile, which includes pictures of her and her family. At the time we present a surrogate to you, she has already completed our extensive screening process. If after reviewing the prospective surrogate’s profile you are interested in working with her, we will then provide her with your profile letter. We do not share prospective surrogates’ or intended parents’ profiles online. We prefer to make our matches more personal and customized to the parties involved.
Meet the Surrogate
If all parties wish to move forward after reviewing each other’s profiles, then we will schedule a time for everyone to meet. A member of our team will be at the match meeting with you to help guide the conversation – you won’t feel overwhelmed, alone or worried that you don’t know what questions to ask! We will work with you to ensure everyone feels comfortable and has the support they need throughout the matching process.
Medical Screening By Your Doctor
If everyone is still comfortable and confident in the match, Southern Surrogacy will forward the surrogate’s medical records to your reproductive endocrinologist. She will complete a medical screening with your physician to receive final approval before proceeding with the surrogacy.
Meet with a Mental Health Professional
Southern Surrogacy will arrange for your mental health professional to schedule individual meetings with you and a group meeting with you, the surrogate, and her significant other, if applicable. During this group meeting, you will discuss each party’s expectations of each other and the process of surrogacy.
Sign the Surrogacy Contract
Upon receiving confirmation from your physician that the surrogate has completed all necessary testing and is medically approved to proceed with the surrogacy arrangement, Southern Surrogacy will refer you to experienced surrogacy lawyers to prepare the legal contract on behalf of the intended parents.
The attorney will solely represent you in the contract negotiation process, and the surrogate will be referred to separate legal counsel. Once the contract has been signed by all parties, you are ready to begin your journey!
At this point in the gestational surrogacy process, you will also need to fund the trust account in an amount sufficient to cover your surrogate’s anticipated fees and expenses reimbursements.
Begin the Medical Process
Once contracts have been signed, you are ready to begin the medical surrogacy procedures, which will be handled by your reproductive endocrinologist. The surrogate will begin fertility treatments to help prepare her body for the embryo transfer and pregnancy.
Following the embryo transfer, you may return with the surrogate to the fertility clinic to confirm the pregnancy. If a pregnancy is achieved, you will attend an ultrasound about six weeks later. If a heartbeat is heard on the ultrasound, the surrogate will return to her obstetrician for regular prenatal care.
Establish Parentage with a Pre-Birth Order
In every surrogacy arrangement, legal action is required to ensure you are recognized as your child’s legal parents. In most states, you are able to obtain a pre-birth parentage order declaring you to be the parents of the child(ren) the surrogate is gestating. Upon completing the first trimester, Southern Surrogacy will arrange for the intended parents’ legal counsel to begin this process.
The timing and process of establishing parentage can vary from state to state, and even from county to county, and are often influenced by specific surrogacy laws. Your attorney will be able to advise you about the specific process that will be used in your individual case.
With a pre-birth order in place, you will be ready to welcome your baby and take him or her home from the hospital following birth. By this point, you and your surrogate will surely have developed a special relationship, and most intended parents try to attend as many of the obstetrician appointments as possible. Throughout the rest of the surrogacy process, the staff at Southern Surrogacy will be in contact with you and your surrogate to provide support and prepare for this exciting addition to your family.
To learn more about Southern Surrogacy’s program and the services we offer throughout the Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia surrogacy process, please schedule a complimentary information session.
