The Price Tag
Surrogacy can cost at least $60,000, and the price depends on the specific needs surrounding each case. For example, expenses can include: fees paid to an advocate agency, the gestational carrier and social workers; legal, medical and travel costs; incidentals such as a maternity wardrobe and meals and, in case of complications, it's a good idea to have an emergency fund.
Different types of surrogacy carry different costs. Traditional surrogacy is the cheaper option, and it's done by in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination. With this method, the surrogate mother's egg is fertilized by the father's sperm.
Gestational surrogacy is more expensive, but it offers more control over genetics, since an embryo (formed by the biological mother's egg and father's sperm) will be implanted in the surrogate's womb. In this case, the carrier is not genetically related to your child, and the carrier can be whomever you choose – often a friend or family member.