A Match Fee is charged by an attorney or an agency for matching a Gestational Surrogate with Intended Parents. If you search for a surrogate independently or if you have already identified the woman who will be your surrogate, then you won’t incur a Match Fee.

In addition to the physical tolls it takes, the surrogacy process can be very mentally and emotionally exhausting, so potential surrogates are psychologically screened in addition to being medically screened to ensure that they’re prepared for the important task of carrying and giving birth to another person’s child.

This fee covers the legal cost paid to the attorney to represent the intended parents’ legal interests when drafting and negotiating the terms of the surrogacy contract.

Like the fees paid to the attorney who represents the intended parents during the drafting and negation of the surrogacy contract, the cost for the surrogate’s legal representation during the surrogacy process will also need to be covered. The intended parents will be responsible for the surrogate’s legal costs..

Potential surrogates and their husbands are required to undergo standard criminal background checks in addition to the other requirements for surrogates, so intended parents will be responsible for these screening costs.

These fees are to cover the filing costs of contracts, administrative fees and more.

The surrogacy process is physically, mentally and emotionally demanding and takes a significant amount of the surrogate’s time, energy and sacrifice. The main gestational surrogacy cost, then, is the Carrier Fee, which compensates the gestational carrier for her time, effort and sacrifice as she cares for your baby over the course of the surrogacy process. The compensation that is paid to your surrogate will help her and her family, as she’s typically also being a mother to her own children, and she’ll need to spend time away from work and family.

Traditional surrogacy may also involve carrier fees, although the total traditional surrogacy cost will primarily be affected by your state’s compensation laws.

Maternity clothing can be costly, and as a surrogate’s body changes, she’ll need to stay comfortable. The average cost of surrogacy may include these types of expenditures. Some women hold onto the clothes that they wore during previous pregnancies, but intended parents are often expected to cover the costs of maternity clothes.

If a surrogate becomes pregnant with multiples, which can sometimes happen with the hormones used in the IVF process, the overall price of surrogacy will rise. Surrogates will be compensated for the additional demands and restrictions of carrying a multiple pregnancy.

Like in any pregnancy, a surrogate’s pregnancy may require additional, unexpected medical procedures outside of the standard medical process for surrogate pregnancies. These procedures might include things like cervical cerclage, D&C and more. Surrogates often also receive additional compensation in the event of an unanticipated cesarean section.

Every pregnancy involves some degree of risk, including complications that could result in the loss of fertility or reproductive organs. While rare, surrogates do receive compensation in the event of a hysterectomy or other reproductive organ loss.

If, for some reason such as a potential pregnancy complications or health risks, a doctor prescribes bed rest for a surrogate, the surrogate might need help covering the costs for tasks that she would otherwise be able to perform. She may be compensated for the time she’s spent away from work, for the cost of having someone care for her children while she’s unable to herself and more.

Embryo transfers aren’t always going to be successful on the first attempt. So factoring in the cost of each transfer until implantation is successful, the cost of gestational surrogacy will rise.

The Carrier Fee is not directly paid to the surrogate. Instead, it’s held in escrow and distributed to her on a set compensation schedule. The escrow agent will also need to be compensated for their services.

Many intended parents and surrogates live in separate cities or even separate states. This can be beneficial for intended parents who live in states with more restrictive surrogacy laws, as they can match with someone who lives in a state with more favorable laws on surrogacy. Distance between intended parents and surrogates will very rarely affect the surrogacy process, although some travel will be required, primarily for embryo transfer and for the delivery.

The travel costs paid to a surrogate will typically include gas or airfare, compensation for time spent away from work, lodging (surrogates are asked to rest after embryo transfers) and more.

A surrogate’s husband or partner, if applicable, is an important part of the process. He will help care for their children while his wife continues her surrogacy journey, and he’ll provide her with much-needed emotional and physical support throughout the process. He’ll also need to join her at appointments like the pre-surrogacy screening, which husbands also must complete, and the embryo transfer procedure, where a surrogate will need him to drive her from the appointment while she rests.

A surrogate’s husband or partner, if applicable, is an important part of the process. He will help care for their children while his wife continues her surrogacy journey, and he’ll provide her with much-needed emotional and physical support throughout the process. He’ll also need to join her at appointments like the pre-surrogacy screening, which husbands also must complete, and the embryo transfer procedure, where a surrogate will need him to drive her from the appointment while she rests.

As both spouses are involved in some steps of the surrogacy process, they’ll both need to spend time away from work and their family. This means that during this time, neither parent is earning income for their family, so they’ll need to be compensated for those potentially lost wages.