How to Become a Surrogate in South Carolina

Becoming a surrogate is a profound decision that offers the unique opportunity to help others create a family. Whether you’re considering becoming a gestational surrogate for the first time or revisiting this path again, it’s essential to understand the entire surrogacy process. 

This guide will walk you through each step of how to become a surrogate, from the initial screening to preparing for the hospital, ensuring that you have the best experience possible. We’ll also focus on what it takes to become a surrogate in South Carolina, highlight the specific requirements and processes involved, and include some of the factors that are unique to the surrogate experience with Palmetto Surrogacy. At the end of this page is a quiz you can take to see if you qualify to be a gestational surrogate, earning as much as $8,000 per month.

What is Surrogacy?

Surrogacy is a method of assisted reproduction where a woman, known as a gestational carrier—previously referred to as a surrogate mother—carries and delivers a child on behalf of another person or couple, known as the intended parents. There are two primary types of surrogacy: traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy.

Traditional Surrogacy

In this type of surrogacy, the surrogate uses her own eggs, making her the biological mother of the child. The process typically involves artificial insemination using the sperm of the intended father or a sperm donor. Traditional surrogacy is less common today due to its complex legal and emotional implications.

Gestational Surrogacy

In gestational surrogacy, the gestational surrogate carries a baby conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) using the egg and sperm of the intended parents or donors. The surrogate has no genetic link to the child. This method is more widely used as it tends to have more legal protections in most states, including South Carolina.

Surrogacy laws and legal requirements vary by location, so understanding the surrogacy laws in your state is paramount. In South Carolina, the legal process is particularly important, and having knowledgeable surrogacy attorneys can make a significant difference in ensuring a smooth journey.

Your First Step into Surrogacy

The first step in becoming a surrogate is to pass a comprehensive screening process, which evaluates your physical, emotional, and psychological readiness for surrogacy. Whether you choose to work independently or with a surrogacy team like Palmetto Surrogacy in South Carolina, meeting these screening requirements is essential.

Background Check

A background check is performed to ensure there are no legal issues or criminal records that could impact the surrogacy arrangement. This check includes all adult members of your household. Palmetto Surrogacy also completes background checks on all intended parents.

Home Visit

A home visit with a social worker is part of the screening process with Palmetto Surrogacy in South Carolina. The social worker will visit your home to discuss your motivations for becoming a surrogate, your surrogacy expectations, and explain the entire surrogacy process. This step helps ensure that you have a stable lifestyle and a supportive environment for the surrogacy journey. Your partner or spouse, if applicable, will also participate in this visit.

Medical Screening

Medical screening involves a thorough examination of your medical history, including previous pregnancies, overall health, and lifestyle. This screening helps determine if you meet the specific surrogate requirements and whether you’re physically capable of carrying a pregnancy to term. In South Carolina, as in other regions, fertility clinics require potential surrogates to undergo a detailed medical screening, which may include blood tests, a physical examination, and fertility assessments.

Psychological Screening

Surrogacy can be emotionally challenging, making psychological screening a critical component of the screening process. This step ensures that you, as a prospective surrogate, are mentally prepared for the journey ahead. Psychological evaluations are completed by a licensed psychologist who is familiar with the surrogacy process and often includes assessments like the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) or PAI (Personality Assessment Inventory) to evaluate mental health and emotional stability. In South Carolina, this process also involves a group counseling session with the intended parents to ensure everyone is in agreement with respect to the various aspects of the surrogacy experience and are well informed regarding the expectations of both parties.

The goal of any surrogacy experience is to have a happy, healthy baby and a happy, healthy surrogate. The screening process helps to ensure that you, or any individual considering surrogacy, are not at risk of experiencing adverse complications—whether they be medical or psychological—during the surrogacy journey.

Who Needs a Surrogate?

Regarding intended parents, Palmetto Surrogacy will work with individuals or couples who cannot conceive or carry a pregnancy to term themselves. This includes:

• Infertility Issues: Women who face medical conditions such as uterine abnormalities, repeated miscarriages, or severe health risks may require a gestational surrogate to carry their child.
• Same-Sex Couples: Same-sex male couples often use a gestational surrogate to have a biological child. Typically, one partner provides the sperm, and an egg donor is used to create the embryo.
• Single Parents by Choice: Single individuals, such as an intended mother or intended father, who wish to have a biological child but cannot carry the pregnancy themselves may also turn to surrogacy.

Surrogate Requirements at Palmetto Surrogacy

If you’re considering becoming a surrogate with Palmetto Surrogacy, you must meet specific requirements to ensure the health and well-being of both you and the baby throughout the pregnancy. These guidelines are set by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) as a matter of best practice.

• Age and Health: You should be between the ages of 21 and 39, although some exceptions may be made if you’ve had a recent and uncomplicated pregnancy. You must also have a healthy pregnancy history, no history of postpartum depression, and a healthy lifestyle.
• Lifestyle and Stability: You must be financially stable, not on government assistance, and lead a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. Additionally, having a supportive home environment is vital as is the ability to travel for medical appointments as needed.
• Residency and Citizenship: At Palmetto Surrogacy, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and speak English fluently. You also need to live in or within a one-hour drive of the South Carolina border to ensure accessibility to surrogacy clinics. Because our program is considered a local surrogacy program, we also require all intended parents to work with a South Carolina fertility clinic; exceptions are sometimes made if the intended family is working with a clinic just over the border in a neighboring state.

The Matching Process: Finding the Right Intended Parents

After successfully passing the initial screening process, the next step is to find the right match between you and the intended parents. This step is central to ensuring a successful and enjoyable experience throughout the surrogacy journey.

• Choosing an Intended Family: Working with a surrogacy team like Palmetto Surrogacy can simplify the matching process. The team will present you with profiles of prospective intended parents who align with your preferences and who are looking for a gestational carrier that matches their needs.
• Match Meeting: If both you and the prospective intended parents agree that the match is a good fit, a meeting is scheduled. In South Carolina, these match meetings often take place in one of Palmetto Surrogacy’s offices in Spartanburg, Rock Hill, or Charleston. This meeting is an opportunity to discuss expectations, establish boundaries, and determine if both parties are comfortable moving forward together.
• Finalizing the Match: Once both you and the intended parents agree to move forward, the matching process is complete, and you can proceed to the next step of the surrogacy journey.

The Medical and Psychological Screening

Once you’ve been matched with the intended parents, the next step involves a more detailed medical and psychological screening. This step ensures that you’re physically and emotionally prepared to begin the pregnancy.

• Review of Medical Records: Your pregnancy-related medical records will be reviewed by the intended parents’ reproductive endocrinologist at a fertility clinic. If the physician approves your records, they will schedule a comprehensive medical screening and consultation to discuss the potential risks associated with gestational surrogacy.
• Psychological Evaluations: During this phase, you will also undergo a psychological evaluation to make sure you’re mentally prepared for the journey ahead. In South Carolina, this process involves separate counseling sessions for you and your spouse (if applicable), as well as for the intended parents. A group session is then held to discuss the dynamics of the surrogacy relationship and address any concerns.

The Legal Process

The legal process is a critical component of surrogacy, particularly in South Carolina, where surrogacy laws must be carefully followed to facilitate a smooth and legally sound journey. As there currently is no surrogacy-specific statute in South Carolina, it is extremely important that the parties consult with experienced reproductive law attorneys, licensed in South Carolina, prior to beginning this journey.

• Surrogacy Contract: After completing the medical and psychological screening, the next step is to draft and sign a legal surrogacy contract. This contract outlines the rights and responsibilities of both you—the surrogate—and the intended parents. It covers key aspects of the agreement such as surrogate compensation, expense reimbursements, and the legal process for establishing parental rights.
• Legal Representation: In South Carolina, you will have your own attorney, separate from the intended parents, to represent your interests. Your attorney will guide you through the legal contract, ensuring that all legal requirements are met and that you fully understand your rights and obligations. The intended parents will have their own legal representation, often provided by surrogacy attorneys like Jim Thompson from Palmetto Surrogacy.
• Finalizing the Legal Process: Once both parties agree on the terms of the surrogacy contract, it is signed, and the legal process is complete. This is a vital part of the process as it protects all parties involved,  ensuring that everyone is clear on what to expect moving forward.
• Legalities During a Surrogate Pregnancy: Once a pregnancy is achieved and the gestational carrier has completed the first trimester, the parties’ attorneys will petition the court for a pre-birth temporary consent order. This order will grant custody to the intended parents immediately upon birth. After birth, the parties will stipulate a post-birth final order, which judicially terminates any parental rights the gestational carrier may be presumed to have. This also confirms the intended parents’ exclusive parental rights. The parties may have to attend a brief hearing for this final order, which is typically scheduled within one to three weeks following the birth. However, many times, these are set as virtual hearings. After the final order is granted, then the parties can obtain the original birth certificate with the intended parents’ names on it.

The Surrogacy Journey: Medical Procedures and Pregnancy

With the legal process completed, the surrogacy journey transitions into the medical phase, where you will begin the process of becoming pregnant with the intended parents’ child.

• IVF and Embryo Transfer: The medical journey starts with the gestational surrogate undergoing fertility treatments at a fertility clinic. These treatments often include fertility medications to prepare your body for the embryo transfer process. The embryo, created via in vitro fertilization using the intended parents’ or donors’ sperm and eggs, is then transferred into your uterus.
• Pregnancy Monitoring: Throughout the pregnancy, you’ll have regular medical appointments to monitor both your health and the baby’s development. Once released from the fertility clinic, you will be able to receive your prenatal care through your regular OBGYN. Prenatal care is essential to ensure a healthy pregnancy and to address any potential risks. 
• Emotional and Physical Support: Surrogacy can be challenging, and having a strong support system is vital. This includes emotional support from family and friends as well as access to surrogacy specialists who can help you navigate any difficulties that may arise. When working with Palmetto Surrogacy, you will also participate in dedicated monthly support sessions by our licensed social worker to help ensure the process is going as smoothly as possible.

Giving Birth and Post-Birth Considerations

The birth of the child is the culmination of the surrogacy journey, but it also marks the beginning of the post-birth phase, which involves both emotional and legal considerations.

• Delivery and Birth Plan: At Palmetto Surrogacy, the social worker will work with the gestational carrier and intended parents to create a hospital plan that will be sent to the hospital in preparation for delivery. This plan outlines the details of the delivery process, including the involvement of the intended parents during the birth. Whether the delivery is a vaginal birth or requires a cesarean section, it will be overseen by a qualified medical professional. A copy of the pre-birth court order will also be provided to the hospital prior to the birth.
• Post-Birth Legal Process: After the birth, the legal process continues to ensure the intended parents’ parental rights are established. In South Carolina, this involves legal paperwork and potential court proceedings to confirm the parental rights of the intended parents.
• Emotional Recovery: After giving birth, the surrogate will go through a period of physical recovery and may experience a range of emotions. It’s important to have support during this time to address any emotional challenges, including potential postpartum depression. Ongoing communication with the intended parents, the Palmetto Surrogacy social worker, and access to mental health resources can help navigate this phase.
• Long-Term Relationships: Some surrogates and intended parents choose to maintain a relationship after the birth, while others may not. This decision is personal and should be made based on the comfort levels of all parties involved.

Summary

Becoming a surrogate is a journey that requires significant emotional and physical dedication. Whether you are a first-time surrogate or considering it for a second time, each step of the way is guided by careful preparation, support from surrogacy professionals, and a deep commitment to helping others. The rewards of a successful surrogacy journey are immense, providing both the surrogate and the intended parents with a beautiful experience that changes lives forever.

In South Carolina, the process involves specific steps, including a comprehensive screening process, careful matching with intended parents, thorough medical and psychological evaluations, and a detailed legal process. By understanding each step, you can ensure a smooth and successful surrogacy journey that benefits everyone involved.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the surrogacy process take from start to finish?

The entire surrogacy process typically takes about 18 to 24 months, from the initial application to post-birth. Factors such as the matching process and IVF success can affect this timeline.

What are the key requirements for becoming a gestational surrogate in South Carolina?

In South Carolina, surrogates must be between 21 and 39 years old, have a healthy pregnancy history, be financially stable, and meet specific lifestyle and residency requirements. A thorough medical and psychological screening is also required.

What happens if a surrogate wants to keep the baby?

In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate has no genetic link to the baby, and legal contracts prevent her from claiming parental rights. However, it’s crucial to have a clear and enforceable surrogacy contract.

How much do gestational surrogates get paid?

Surrogate compensation varies, typically ranging from $30,000 to $60,000, depending on location, experience, and the specific surrogacy arrangement. This includes base compensation, medical expenses, and additional payments for certain milestones. Visit Palmetto Surrogacy to learn more about the financial expectations associated with being a surrogate.

What are the risks involved in becoming a surrogate?

Like any pregnancy, becoming a gestational surrogate carries risks, such as complications during pregnancy or childbirth, emotional challenges, and the physical toll on the surrogate’s body. Comprehensive medical care, psychological support, and adherence to ASRM guidelines help mitigate these risks.

Download Our Free Guide

Are you curious about surrogacy? We’ve created a guide that answers the most frequently asked questions, like “How much do surrogates make?” “What is the age limit for surrogacy?” and “How can I become a surrogate.”

Learn everything you need to know about becoming a surrogate and how to supplement your current income by as much as $6,000 per month.

Do You Live In South Carolina?

If you live in the state of South Carolina and would like to be a surrogate (gestational carrier) for a couple struggling with fertility, click here to take a 3-minute quiz to see if you qualify to be a surrogate with Palmetto Surrogacy. Surrogates are in high demand. We would love to get you started on this fulfilling journey.