Do you want to become a surrogate in San Diego? If so, you’ll have access to great fertility clinics, maternity hospitals, and surrogacy agencies—which makes San Diego a wonderful home base for surrogates! 

Read on to learn why San Diego is an excellent city to become a surrogate mother…and how to start your surrogacy journey here.

Decide if surrogacy is right for you

While surrogacy can be a beautiful, life-changing journey, it’s not a perfect fit for everyone. Surrogacy requires at least a year-long commitment and will have an impact on your body, emotions, time, family, and career. Make sure you understand the physical, emotional, and legal processes of surrogacy before you become a surrogate. 

Learn more about surrogacy requirements  

Surrogacy requirements vary between agencies. At Surrogate Parenting Services (SPS), surrogates must:

  • Have had one or more easy pregnancies and deliveries.
  • Be between the ages of 21 and 40.
  • Be at a healthy weight.
  • Have at least one child of your own living with you.
  • Be a non-smoker.
  • Have reliable transportation.
  • Be financially stable.
  • Have a desire to help another person in a special way.
  • …And love being pregnant! 

Find partners you can trust in San Diego 

Once you’ve decided to move forward, it’s time to choose a reputable surrogacy agency to guide you through your journey. But what kinds of things should you look for in a surrogacy agency? 

It’s important to consider the agency’s history and level of experience, the type of support they offer surrogates, whether they require (or provide) legal representation for surrogates, and how upfront they are about compensation.

One of the best surrogacy agencies in the San Diego area is Surrogate Parenting Services (SPS). Founded in 1990, SPS is considered one of the oldest and most established full-service surrogacy agencies in California. 

At SPS, we pride ourselves on our personal matching process and our exceptionally supportive environment. To date, we’ve helped bring over 950 healthy, happy babies into the world! 

You can also rest assured that you’ll get top-quality medical care in San Diego. We work with trusted clinics and hospitals in the San Diego area, including the San Diego Fertility Center and La Jolla IVF.

Go through the application and interview process

Each agency has a slightly different process. At SPS, there are several steps involved in the screening process.

First, we do a phone interview to determine if there is anything that would immediately disqualify the surrogate, such as her age, the number of deliveries she’s had, or where she’s located. 

If there are no issues, we invite her to complete her profile and sign medical releases, so we can review her pregnancy and delivery records. 

Then, there is a video interview, a psychological screening by a licensed psychologist, and finally, the potential surrogate meets with Cristie Montgomery, our founder and president. 

Match with intended parents 

Next, it’s time to get matched with the intended parent(s)! Our goal at SPS is to create a bond and trust between surrogates and IPs to make the experience of both parties as rewarding as possible. 

Our founder, Cristie Montgomery, personally guides the matching process—and this is one of the main reasons we have such a long history of success. There’s an art to matching you with the absolute ideal surrogate partner, and it shouldn’t be left up to an algorithm to decide.

Finalize the surrogacy agreement 

At SPS, we believe it’s essential that surrogates and intended parents have expert legal guidance before moving forward. 

We’ll arrange for you to meet with an attorney, at no cost to you, who will explain to you what the surrogacy contract means and how the contract affects and protects you. They’ll also review the contract drafted by the intended parents’ attorney to ensure it aligns with your preferences.

Get pregnant and navigate your pregnancy journey

While each surrogacy journey is unique, typically surrogates and intended parents undergo a series of fertility treatments leading up to an embryo transfer. 

A few weeks later, you’ll go back to the fertility clinic for a pregnancy test to officially confirm the pregnancy. After pregnancy is confirmed, you’ll visit the fertility clinic for heartbeat ultrasounds then be cleared for regular prenatal care with your board-certified OB. 

At SPS, your case manager will be at all milestone appointments leading up to and during your pregnancy. 

…And finally, the happiest step of all: you get to welcome a tiny new life into the world! 

We hope this article shed some light on how to become a surrogate in San Diego. If you do decide to pursue surrogacy, have a wonderful journey!  

Learn More About Becoming a Surrogate with Surrogate Parenting Services 

Surrogate Parenting Services is proud to celebrate over 30 years of helping to bring dreams to life! Founded in 1990, Surrogate Parenting Services (SPS) is a full-service surrogacy agency that offers both parties an exceptionally supportive environment throughout the surrogacy relationship. We’re passionate about creating ideal matches between surrogates and intended parents, so the journey is fulfilling for both sides and the future child is brought into this world in the best possible circumstances.   

Do you want to become a surrogate? Learn more about our Surrogacy Program online or by calling (949) 363-9525.