Gestational Surrogacy: A Way to Grow the Family

Gestational Surrogacy growing a family

By Fatima Virrey , Parent Herald Oct 23, 10:25 am

There are a lot of ways to have children and to grow a family these days. That includes gestational surrogacy and having a surrogate mother. Because of today's technology, there are a lot more choices and options than before.

Although this practice is more familiar with movie stars and the rich, here are the things that you can expect, from its process to the overall costs, if you think this can be a good match for you with growing a family.

What is gestational surrogacy?

If you are planning or thinking of growing a family through gestational surrogacy, first you need to know what it is. In gestational surrogacy, the child is not related to the surrogate mother. That is because the eggs and sperm of the intended parents or donors are only transferred to the surrogate mother.

Finding a surrogate mother

For others considering gestational surrogacy in growing a family, they usually find a friend or a family member who is willing to be their surrogate mother. For others, they turn to agencies in the United States or abroad to find a good match.

On the other hand, agencies screen candidates to ensure that they meet the criteria needed for the process. After this, they cross-match the parents' wants and needs to find the family's best situation.

(Photo: Pexels)
Gestational Surrogacy: A Way to Grow the Family

The process

For growing a family with this method or practice, the process may look something like this. First, you choose a surrogate, and then you need to create a legal contract and have it checked. After, you need to go through the egg retrieval process where the intended mother's eggs will be taken and create embryos using the intended father's sperm.

After these, they will transfer the embryos to the surrogate, and then if it sticks, the pregnancy will follow suit.

If it didn't work out, the intended parents and surrogate might pursue other ways. Finally, the child is born, where the intended parents have full legal custody, as mentioned in the legal contract.

How much will this cost?

The costs with this method depend on the type and where you live. In general, the prices for a surrogate mother in gestational surrogacy may fall somewhere between $90,000 and $130,000. These are the health care costs, compensation, legal fees, and other fees that may arise.

Overall compensation

The base pay for new surrogates is $50,000 and $60,000 for those experienced ones. Also, there may be additional fees like $5,000 if the pregnancy results in twins, $10,000 for triplets, and $3,000 for cesarean delivery. You may also pay for things like monthly allowances, lost wages, and health insurance. Costs may also include unique instances like fetal reduction, dilation, and curettage canceled IVF cycles and other unexpected instances.

Although this method may not always be direct or straightforward, more and more people choose to do this practice. That is an involved process, but it is something worth trying.

If you think that this may fit your family, consider talking to an agency near you to go over the timeline, costs, and other things you need to know. There are a lot of ways to be a parent, and this is one of them.