Is Surrogacy Legal in North Carolina?
Surrogacy Friendly States and a Shift Towards Surrogacy-Friendly Laws.
Is Surrogacy Legal in North Carolina?
Yes. North Carolina allows gestational surrogacy, and is generally considered a surrogacy-friendly state. Because no federal laws exist regulating surrogate pregnancies, North Carolina has its own set of practices and policies when it comes to getting parental orders. These vary depending on marital status, biological connection to the child, and even the county of residence within North Carolina. In general, married couples can more easily obtain pre-birth orders than unmarried couples. Also, notably, North Carolina does not provide second parent or stepparent adoptions, so it’s very important to fully know your options, especially if one or both parents will not have a biological connection. Working with an experienced professional familiar with North Carolina’s laws and regulations will help you confidently navigate the process.
Same-Sex Friendly
- Married Couple Friendly
- Non-Married Friendly
Single Friendly
- Donor Egg, Sperm, or Embryo Friendly
Pre-Birth Order, Post-Birth Order, or Post-Adoption Order
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How to Find a Surrogate in North Carolina
Finding a surrogate in North Carolina is convenient and rewarding with Eggceptional Fertility. We’ve created this article with all the key information you need to start your journey to parenthood through surrogacy. Read on to learn more about how to choose a surrogacy agency, surrogacy costs, and the surrogacy process.
Who Uses Surrogacy in North Carolina?
Surrogacy provides a wonderful option for intended parents who cannot carry and deliver a baby on their own, for any of a variety of reasons. In surrogacy, an embryo is developed in a fertility clinic and then transferred to the uterus of a surrogate (or “gestational carrier”). The surrogate then carries the pregnancy and delivers the baby. In return for the surrogate’s time, energy, and physical effort, the intended parent(s) provide compensation and benefits.
There are many reasons why an individual or couple in North Carolina might choose to find a surrogate on their path to parenthood. For instance, a woman might have healthy eggs, but not be able to carry a pregnancy for medical reasons. In this case, she could have her eggs retrieved, fertilized with her partner’s sperm, and then transferred to a surrogate who can safely carry and deliver a baby. In this way, both intended parents can still have a biological child. On the other hand, surrogacy also provides a path to fatherhood for single intended fathers and same-sex male couples, who can fertilize donor eggs with their sperm and transfer the resulting embryo to a surrogate.
How Much Does Surrogacy Cost in North Carolina?
Intended parents who pursue surrogacy in North Carolina tend to have three large categories of expenses: surrogate compensation, medical costs, and agency fees. These costs can be further broken down as:
- Surrogate Compensation
- Medical & Mental Health Screenings
- IVF & Embryo Transfer
- Travel & Miscellaneous Expenses
- Agency Fees
- Legal Fees
- Surrogate Medical Insurance
- Surrogate Medical Care (including prenatal, delivery, and postpartum)
The exact costs of surrogacy vary, based on location, specific needs, surrogate experience, and other details. For instance, surrogates often receive additional compensation if they carry twins, or if they need to have a C-section during delivery.
Your surrogacy agency should provide a clear estimate of costs for your specific surrogacy journey. This should include both the agency’s fees as well as a typical breakdown of overall expenses and costs. Eggceptional Fertility has a mission to provide clear and transparent information on fees and expenses. For a more detailed look at our current surrogacy fees, click here.
Find a North Carolina Surrogacy Agency Near You
Surrogacy requires a significant emotional, physical, and financial investment. Naturally, you want a quality and caring agency with you as you navigate this life-changing experience. A great North Carolina surrogacy agency will:
- Have Experience: Every surrogacy journey is unique, with its own special considerations. Your surrogacy agency needs the experience and knowledge to respond quickly and effectively to unexpected situations. An experienced surrogacy agency can answer your questions and leave you feeling confident and secure in their abilities.
- Communicate Clearly and Openly: Surrogacy is a complex process. Your agency will handle the details, but you should fully understand the process, payment details, and expectations along the way. Quality surrogacy agencies clearly present the financial aspects, including agency fees, with no hidden costs or vague promises.
- Treat You With Compassion: The path to parenthood through surrogacy involves an incredible mix of emotions – excitement, anxiety, joy, frustration, anticipation – sometimes all at the same time! The best surrogacy agencies understand that even if they’ve helped hundreds of couples through the process, you are experiencing it for the first time. You deserve individualized support and care, and should never feel like just another patient.
If you keep these key factors of experience, transparency, and compassion in mind, you can find an excellent surrogacy agency in North Carolina near you.
What Is the Surrogacy Process?
The surrogacy process begins with finding an experienced North Carolina surrogate agency and discussing your family-building goals in detail with them. From there, your agency will guide you through the matching process of selecting a surrogate and creating a surrogacy agreement. Once the legal and financial arrangements are complete, your fertility clinic will start the IVF and embryo transfer process. Next comes pregnancy, delivery, and bringing home your new baby!
Of course, there are many more steps and details throughout the surrogacy process. We will help you navigate the entire process with confidence and care. To start your North Carolina surrogacy journey, schedule an initial consultation. At this appointment, we’ll get to know you and your family goals, and you’ll get to know us and ask any and all questions you have. The path to parenthood is only a click away – schedule your initial consultation today.