Surrogacy By State

Surrogacy in Texas

Key Points:

• Couples who pursue surrogacy are able to fulfill their dreams of becoming parents.
• There are typically 7 steps you’ll need to take to complete the surrogacy process.
• Surrogacy is a great way for surrogates to receive compensation to pay off debts, plan a family vacation and more.

Whether you are an intended parent hoping to add to your family or a prospective surrogate wanting to make someone else’s parenthood dreams come true, understanding what your Texas surrogacy journey will entail is an important step.

So, how does surrogacy work in Texas?

This guide was created to help answer that question and more for you. We’ve provided details about what the surrogacy process in Texas is like, what surrogacy agencies are, and even how much surrogates can get paid. Keep reading to learn more!

What is Surrogacy in Texas?

While every surrogacy is different, there are a few common steps that must be included in every successful surrogacy in Texas. These steps play a key role in ensuring that your Texas surrogacy process is completed safely, legally, and ethically.

Step 1: Determine that surrogacy in Texas is right for you. The best way to learn more about the surrogacy process in Texas is by talking with a surrogacy professional. They can help you understand why so many others have chosen this life-changing process, as well as point out some reasons why surrogacy could be right for you.

Step 2: Find a surrogacy professional and create your surrogacy plan. Once you have decided that surrogacy is right for you and your family, you will need to decide who you will work with during your surrogacy process in Texas. If you choose to work with a surrogacy agency in Texas, you will work with your own surrogacy professional. They’ll help you create a personal surrogacy plan based on your needs, preferences, and goals.

Step 3: Complete all required pre-surrogacy screenings. Aside from the general surrogacy requirements you must meet, you will need to complete medical and psychological screenings. From these, medical professionals will confirm that you are completely ready for the emotional, physical, and medical responsibilities of the surrogacy process in Texas.

Step 4: Find a gestational surrogacy carrier or intended parent. The matching process to find your Texas surrogacy partner is mutual, which means you will always have a say in what kind of surrogacy partner you work with. Your surrogacy professional will take your preferences and determine which eligible gestational surrogacy carriers or intended parents best match with you.

Step 5: Create a surrogacy contract. Your surrogacy partner match cannot be finalized until a legal surrogacy contract is created. This is done with the assistance of two surrogacy attorneys – one for the intended parent(s) and one for the gestational surrogacy carrier.

Step 6: Complete the medical process of surrogacy. Once the gestational surrogacy carrier receives clearance from a fertility clinic, she will prepare for the embryo transfer. The transfer is completed at the intended parents’ clinic, and they will cover any travel costs incurred by their gestational surrogacy carrier. After the pregnancy is confirmed, the surrogate can receive her prenatal care and prepare for delivery.

Step 7: Finalize your Texas surrogacy. Before your Texas surrogacy can be completed, the surrogate’s attorney and the intended parents’ attorney will handle any final legal aspects, such as establishing parental rights for the intended parents. This is also the time in which the gestational surrogacy carrier receives her final compensation payment.

Texas Surrogacy Agencies [What Are They and What Do They Do?]

Many intended parents and surrogates find that surrogacy agencies in Texas can provide almost every single service they’re looking for in a professional. The best surrogacy agencies in Texas help make your process easier with services like:

• Screening surrogates and intended parents for better matching opportunities
• Helping you connect with other surrogacy professionals
• Support and counseling as you work through every step of the surrogacy process
• And more

The decision to work with a Louisiana surrogacy agency or pursue the process independently is entirely up to you. You can always speak with a surrogacy professional about any questions you have in finding the right surrogacy agency for you.

These surrogacy agencies in Texas can help you start the surrogacy process when you’re ready:

• American Surrogacy
• Newborn Advantage
• Prime Genetics
• Surrogacy Agency Texas
• Shared Conception
• Simple Surrogacy

How to Become a Surrogate in Texas

If you’re considering becoming a surrogate mother in Texas, there are a few steps you will take along the way:

Step 1: Contact a surrogacy professional. Many surrogates have found working with a surrogacy agency in Texas to have many benefits. The services of a surrogacy agency will always be free to you, including all of the support and guidance you receive from a surrogacy professional.

Step 2: Complete your pre-surrogacy screening. Before you can become a surrogate mother in Texas, you must meet the requirements to do so. Surrogacy professionals have created a list of basic requirements to ensure that the women who become surrogates are fully prepared for this journey:

• Age range 21-41
• At least one successful pregnancy
• Currently raising a child
• No felony convictions
• No major complications from previous pregnancies

*some exceptions may apply

If you’re worried about  meeting all these requirements, your surrogacy professional will ensure that you have everything you need to have a safe and successful surrogacy experience.

Step 3: Find and meet the intended parents. The intended parents you carry for will be your surrogacy partners through your Texas surrogacy process, so you will play an active part in determining the person you want to carry for. You will work with your surrogacy professional, who will help you determine what kind of characteristics you’re looking for in an ideal match. They can also coordinate a mediated introductory meeting before you commit to any match.

Step 4: Complete the medical process. After you are cleared by the intended parents’ fertility clinic, you will start taking fertility medication to prepare your body for the embryo transfer. Every surrogate’s medical protocol will be different, so your medical professional will describe it in more detail and address any concerns you have.

Once the transfer is done and the pregnancy is confirmed, you will receive prenatal care from your obstetrician and prepare for delivery at the hospital of your choosing.

Texas Surrogate Compensation [How Much Do Surrogates Get Paid?]

Surrogates in Texas can get paid for their surrogacy services, and compensation will vary based on the Texas surrogacy professional they use and the intended parents they match with.

On average, a gestational surrogacy carrier’s base compensation is around $45,000. Base compensation differs from the intended parents’ responsibility of covering a surrogate’s travel and medical expenses, in that the base compensation they receive is paid out in increments determined in the surrogacy contract. This money can also be used by the surrogate however she chooses.

Begin Your Texas Surrogacy Journey

This article is only a basic description of the surrogacy process in Texas, so it’s OK if you have more questions about what you should expect on this journey. You can always contact a surrogacy professional to get more information about starting your Texas surrogacy process.