Becoming a Surrogate in Hawaii

Want to learn how to become a surrogate mother? Hawaii is an amazing place for you to pursue your goal to help hopeful intended parents.

There are seven steps involved in becoming a surrogate in HI. The following guide will walk you through those steps, so you can decide if this path is the right one for you.

Here’s how to be a surrogate mother in Hawaii:

Step 1: Decide If Becoming a Surrogate in HI is Right for You

If you do decide to be a surrogate mother, Hawaii has plenty of waiting families who have been dreaming of someone like you to help them have a child. But the process to become a surrogate mother in Hawaii isn’t easy, nor will every woman be eligible for surrogacy.

First, to be a surrogate in Hawaii, you’ll need to fully commit yourself to the physical, emotional and mental processes involved, which often last at least one year. You’ll need to prepare for some sacrifices to your time, family and career.

Because of that, you’ll need your family to be on board with your choice, especially your spouse, if you’re married. Your spouse’s support is necessary for legal reasons, as well as practical and emotional ones.

You’ll also need to be certain of why you want to become a surrogate. For example, requesting fair compensation in exchange for your time and effort is reasonable, but if your first question is, “How much do surrogates get paid in Hawaii?” then this probably isn’t going to be a good fit for you.

If, however, your primary motivation is to help families, then you’ll likely be a wonderful surrogate.

Step 2: Choose Your Surrogacy Path

If you’re sure that you’re ready to become a surrogate mother, Hawaii has two types of surrogacy that you’ll need to choose from:

• Traditional surrogacy: Very few professionals will complete this type of surrogacy, because as a traditional surrogate, you would be the biological mother of the child you’d carry. This creates additional legal and emotional risks.

• Gestational surrogacy: This is the preferred method of surrogacy. You would not be biologically related to the baby you’d carry for the intended parents when acting as a gestational surrogate (also called a carrier). Instead, a fertility clinic would create embryos with gametes from donors or the intended parents using IVF and would then transfer the embryo(s) to your uterus for you to carry.

It’s important that you partner with an experienced professional throughout the process, for everyone’s safety, even if you already know and trust the intended parents. For this, there are two types of professionals you could choose from:

• Surrogacy agencies: Also sometimes called a surrogacy or matching program, this professional matches you with intended parents who have already been screened and approved. Agencies are also able to complete all the required services and coordinate everything for you and the intended parents.

• Surrogacy attorneys: These professionals handle the legal process, and while they can’t usually help with any searching or matching services, they may be able to offer tips about finding potential parents yourself or can refer you to professionals who can help.

Step 3: Meet the Requirements to Become a Surrogate Mom in HI

When you’ve decided how you want to proceed with your surrogacy plan, you’ll next need to verify your eligibility to become a surrogate in Hawaii with your preferred professional. The requirements you’ll need to meet can vary slightly from one professional to the next but will typically include these criteria:

Health

There are quite a few health requirements involved in the process to be a surrogate mother in HI, including having given birth at least once, having no previous pregnancy complications, having a BMI range of about 19-33, being smoke- and drug-free and more.

Legal

You’ll also need to meet several legal requirements when learning how to become a gestational surrogate in HI, including being a permanent U.S. resident, not currently receiving government assistance, clearing background checks and more.

Emotional

The psychological screening process involved in being a gestational carrier in Hawaii is designed to help ready you for the mental and emotional experiences of surrogacy. A preferred element of how to become a gestational surrogate in HI is having a strong support system of people who encourage your pursuit of your surrogacy goals.

Step 4: Match with Intended Parents

The following step in learning how to become a surrogate mother in Hawaii is an exciting one — finding the intended parents you want to carry for. There are three ways to do this:

Partner with someone you already know:

Some women begin researching how to become a surrogate mother in HI because they personally know someone who needs their help to have a child. For this, you’ll need to contact a surrogacy professional. They’ll need to confirm your eligibility before you complete the required legal and medical steps.

Find a match through an agency:

If you don’t already have intended parents in mind, a surrogacy agency or program can provide you with profiles of waiting parents who could be your potential match. These people have been screened and approved to move forward already.

Look for intended parents on your own:

You’ll still need to hire an attorney if you’re becoming a surrogate without an agency in HI. You’ll be searching for intended parents yourself, typically via ads, networking and more, so you’ll need to be cautious and patient.

Step 5: Create Your Surrogacy Contract

Once you’ve found your intended parent match, you’ll move on to the legal steps to becoming a surrogate in HI with your new surrogacy partner(s) and your spouse, if you’re married. These steps need to occur before any medical actions are taken, and both parties should have their own surrogacy attorney.

This is when your contract will be established, covering a range of important topics like compensation, the legal parental rights of the intended parents, what happens in the event of pregnancy complications, the risks and roles that everyone agrees to and more.

Step 6: Complete the Embryo Transfer

After your contract has been finalized, you’ll proceed to the medical stage. By this point, you’ll have already met the necessary health requirements to be a surrogate mother. Hawaii professionals will have confirmed that you’re healthy and that it’s safe for you to begin the medications and fertility treatments that lead up to embryo transfer.

These transfers will be scheduled at the fertility clinic established within your contract. It can sometimes take multiple transfers to achieve a stable pregnancy, but when a doctor is able to confirm this, you’ll be able to see your preferred OB-GYN for regular prenatal care.

From that point, you’ll be able to go through the pregnancy as usual, all while keeping in touch with the intended parents and getting excited for the baby’s birth together!

Step 7: Celebrate the Baby’s Arrival with the Intended Parents

This is the last, but most exciting, step of becoming a surrogate in HI. You can create a birth plan with the intended parents when you establish your contract, which includes talking about where and how you’d like to deliver. The intended parents will also make necessary travel plans so that they can be there for your labor. This is a life-changing experience for everyone involved, and it’s a beautiful thing to share together.

Becoming a surrogate in Hawaii is one of the most amazing and unique ways that a woman can help others. Want to learn more about how to become a surrogate mother in Hawaii? Ready to begin your journey? Contact a surrogacy professional for information.