Surrogacy in Maryland
How To Become a Surrogate in Maryland
Have you ever wondered why so many mothers choose to become surrogates? Or thought about becoming a surrogate yourself, and wondered what that process could look like? In this article, we’ll be talking about surrogacy in general, and how to become a surrogate in Maryland specifically, including the process, requirements, compensation, laws, and everything you need to know about becoming a surrogate in the state of Maryland.
I have completed three beautiful surrogacy journeys, once carrying twins for an international same-sex couple in Australia, and then carrying the son and daughter of a heterosexual couple her in the United States.
Even being an experienced surrogate myself, three times, and having worked in surrogate intake for one of the largest agencies and done Case Management for a boutique agency in California, I don’t consider myself an expert. But I do have a wealth of experience about what it takes to become a surrogate and that experience is what I brought into this company together with my partners who were also surrogates and the volunteers we have in our support network.
Collectively, we have hundreds of journeys worth of experience, so believe me when I say, I know what I’m talking about and our goal is to save you time, effort, and heartache on your surrogacy journeys, whether it’s your first time or your last! But we’ll get back to that… let’s talk about surrogacy in the state of Maryland!
Maryland is a surrogate friendly state, so drafting a surrogacy agreement and enforcing it is not a problem at all. Do note that there are no surrogacy laws in Maryland but there is a precedent that indirectly approved of gestational surrogacy arrangements.
Gestational surrogacy is when a surrogate achieves pregnancy via IVF and is not related to the baby at all. The surrogate is simply carrying the baby for a couple or individual because they are unable to get pregnant due to medical or physical reasons.
As a potential surrogate entering into the matching process, you are able to set specific criteria for what you are looking for in a match (Intended Parents). Whether that be location, relationship status, reason for needing a surrogate, or how much communication and involvement you want them to have throughout the pregnancy, your matching criteria are very important.
For instance, if your motivation for becoming a surrogate is to help a cancer survivor who lost her fertility in her battle with cancer, or to help a gay couple whose only hope to have biological children of their own is with the help of a surrogate, you can specify that in your profile. Once an agency has completed your screening to ensure surrogacy is safe for you, you will be able to review intended parent profiles and also get to talk with them and sort of interview each other prior to finalizing your match.
The matching process is one of the most rewarding and exciting parts of the surrogacy process, and it’s important that you consider carefully what you want to get out of the journey. As much as you’ll want to help everyone, when you learn about what brought them to the point of choosing surrogacy, it’s important to choose carefully and be open and clear about your expectations.
Surrogacy is a life changing experience that I hope more and more women get to enjoy.
Surrogacy Requirements in Maryland
Requirements are pretty similar across all states except for some special requirements that the surrogacy agency may require at the request of the intended parents in their program.
- Age between 21 – 40.
- BMI between 18 – 34.
- Have given birth to and are raising at least one child.
- Physically healthy.
- Good pregnancy history with no major complications.
- Only 2 to 3 C-sections.
- No more than 6 live births.
- No history of serious mental illness.
- Will agree to a physical exam.
- Can provide complete prenatal and delivery records.
- Not taking medication contraindicated for pregnancy.
- Does not use illegal drugs.
- Does not smoke or use tobacco products.
- No history of cancer.
- Not relying on any government financial assistance.
- Clean criminal record for all adults in the household.
- U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.
- Has reliable transportation and childcare for doctor’s appointments.
Most importantly, must be committed to follow through to make a couple’s dream come true.
Surrogacy Compensation in Maryland
How much do surrogates get paid in Maryland? Compensation varies from agency to agency but, in general, compensation is between $40,000 to $75,000. (Experienced surrogates and those carrying twins are paid more).
You can read more here: Surrogate Compensation
In addition, things like lost wages and childcare are reimbursed and you may also receive housekeeping and spa days plus other benefits that will make your pregnancy as stress free as possible.
Imagine bringing in an additional $40k to $75k into your household? What could you do with that extra money? Travel? Invest in your children’s education? Pay off debts? Or put a down payment on a house like I did. 🙂
The possibilities are endless, but ultimately the money is just a bonus. The most important thing is you are helping build a family. A family that would not have been possible without you.
Surrogacy Application Process
This is where we shine as a company. As a first time surrogate, you could spend countless hours going back and forth to different surrogacy agencies filling out long applications, being rejected without explanation for reasons that one agency to the next might not have an issue with.
Trying to get someone to talk to you and answer your questions without first requiring you to hand over so much personal information and writing a mini-essay about yourself, is virtually impossible. If you want to compare agencies and what they offer, this process would be exhausting.
Many women who first look into surrogacy end up settling for the first agency they find just because they don’t want to fill out any more paperwork.
It can be stressful and there are many who give up just because of the arduous application process.
Seeing potential surrogates give up or get discouraged was heartbreaking for me because that meant she was losing the opportunity to do something life changing for her own family, and for someone else.
There are so many more intended parents than there are surrogates, the process needed to be easier in order to fulfill the growing need.
Hear surrogates talk about the myths and misconceptions they’ve encountered in their journey to be life-giving supermoms.
Hear Sunshine tell the story of her first surrogacy journey that changed her life forever!
Armed with our knowledge and experience, we narrowed down the long and difficult process into two simple steps.
- Fill out our short pre-qualifying quiz. This way you don’t waste time filling out application forms only to find out that you do not qualify.
- Once you pass the quiz, you chat with one of our experienced Surrogate Advocates, so we can build you a beautiful profile with all the things that matter, and then do the agency shopping for you. We do the heavy lifting so you can relax and just wait for a match.
Once we review your options with you, you get to compare benefit packages and support, and choose the agency that’s right for you. Then you get to choose who you want to help! This is where the magic happens and your life changing journey begins.
If you’ve read this far, I’d like to congratulate you and invite you to take our pre-qualifying quiz to see if you qualify to become a surrogate in Maryland.
As of this writing, there are so many hopeful couples and individuals on long waiting lists, just wishing for someone like you to help them start a family.
Make a dream come true today.
