Surrogacy costs in the US

If you are unable to carry a baby yourself, either due to a medical condition, not having a uterus, or for gay couples, surrogacy can be the answer. Modern surrogacy takes many forms, and the surrogate mother can gestate a baby using her own egg, or an egg from another woman. What are the costs of surrogacy in the United States today?

Surrogacy costs can vary quite a lot, and the cost also depends on your state's laws regarding commercial surrogacy. Everything considered, the average cost of surrogacy in the US is said to be between $60,000 and $80,000. So, what exactly are you paying for? Your fee for the surrogate mother of your choice will probably be between $13,000 and $25,000. Some surrogates are happy to carry twins, but most will want a higher fee for that. Additional fees are also commonly requested by surrogate mothers who will have a c-section for whatever reason. Besides the fee for the actual gestation of your baby, you will also be required to pay the surrogate mother's expenses. These include prenatal care, vitamins and dietary supplements, compensation for lost wages, insurance to protect the surrogate and her family, and compensation for maternity clothes.

The medical expenses needed to facility your surrogacy journey (as people in the surrogacy world like to call it) are where the largest chunk of your total expenses will go. The costs of IVF can quickly add up. Fertility medication for both the surrogate and the egg donor (which can be you!), if you choose to use a gestational surrogate mother, can be up to $2,000. IVF, the transfer of frozen embryos, and sperm preparation can add up to $14,000 or more, depending on the number of cycles that are needed to establish a pregnancy. If ICSI is needed (as is the case in men with low quality sperm), that is going to cost you an additional $1,000. Then, there are the legal fees you will inevitably encounter. The cost of your legal fees greatly depends on the state you live in and the number of legal hoops you need to jump through to verify parental rights and avoid custody battles. It is important to choose a lawyer that specializes in surrogacy issues, because making sure your paperwork is in order is certainly one of the most important aspects of surrogacy.

There are many ways of finding the surrogate mother that is right for you, and many people do locate their chosen surrogate privately, with the help of the internet or through their circle of friends. But if you end up choosing to find a surrogate through a surrogacy agency, the cost of this will be round and about $15,000.