Does it Cost Money to be a Surrogate? [A Financial Overview]

If you’re new to the surrogacy process, you probably have a lot of questions, particularly about the financial side. You might be asking “How much is it to be a surrogate?”

Simply put, being a surrogate won’t cost you a dime

The decision to carry a child for someone else is a huge commitment, and such a commitment is usually made altruistically. You want to bring an individual or couple joy by giving them a child that is genetically theirs.  

You will already be committing a lot of your time and physical and emotional energy to carrying a child for the intended parents. Because of the sacrifices you are making, you will not be expected to contribute financially to the surrogacy process. 

To learn more about the cost of being a surrogate and the financial side of surrogacy, contact a professional today or continue reading below. 

How Much does being a Surrogate Cost? 

If you’re considering becoming a surrogate, you’re likely aware that you will be paid a base compensation. You might be worried that you will immediately have to direct this money toward surrogacy costs and medical bills during your pregnancy. Fortunately, this is not the case. As a gestational carrier, you will receive a monthly allowance to be used for surrogacy and pregnancy expenses.  This ensures that surrogacy will always be free to you and that you can use your base compensation in whatever way you’d like. 

In addition to your base pay, the intended parents and your surrogacy professional will put payments towards all the expenses incurred during your pregnancy, including:

  • Screening costs
  • Fertility treatments
  • Legal fees
  • Medical bills
  • Travel expenses
  • Lost wages
  • And more

These expenses are always covered so that you don’t have to spend a dime on being a surrogate. Your surrogacy professional will do everything in their power to ensure that you won’t be under any financial strain during your surrogacy journey. This allows you to focus on having a safe and healthy pregnancy and bonding with the intended parents. 

Before the medical portion of the surrogacy process, you will be able to sit down with your surrogacy professional and the intended parents and work out a surrogacy contract. This contract will go into depth about the surrogacy and pregnancy expenses and how you would like those costs of being a surrogate to be covered.

This guarantees that you won’t have to worry about any surrogacy expenses being covered. 

To get the answers you need about the cost of being a surrogate, reach out to a surrogacy professional today to get the most accurate information. 

How Much do I get Paid to be a Surrogate? 

So, now that you know that being a surrogate will cost you nothing, you might have more questions about how much you will be compensated. While your desire to be a gestational carrier may not be fueled solely by monetary gain, the compensation is definitely a notable benefit. So how much do they pay to be a surrogate? 

The answer to this question will depend on the surrogacy agency you work with, your circumstances and other factors. The average base compensation many surrogacy agencies offer ranges from $30,000 to $40,000. This base compensation will be paid directly to you in monthly installments once your pregnancy has been confirmed and is your money to spend however you want.

Many surrogates put this money toward financial goals such as:

  • Buying a house
  • Paying off debt
  • Taking care of their family
  • And more 

The intended parents will also cover your surrogacy and pregnancy expenses in the form of a monthly allowance so you won’t have to worry about using your base compensation to cover these costs. 

The Emotional and Physical Costs of being a Surrogate 

While surrogacy will come at no monetary expense to you, there are additional “costs” of being a surrogate to consider. One reason the screening process to become a surrogate is so rigorous is because not everyone has what it takes to be a surrogate. You are committing up to a year of your life to your surrogacy journey and the twists and turns that come with it.  

  • Being a surrogate will require a lot of you physically. You will be required to take a lot of fertility drugs, some via injection and undergo invasive procedures. Pregnancy itself takes its own physical toll. You will need to be prepared for the side effects of pregnancy such as morning sickness, fatigue, hot flashes, body aches, frequent urination and more. 
  • Surrogacy and pregnancy also come with emotional challenges.  While it’s extremely rare for the surrogate to become attached to the baby they’re carrying, there are a lot of emotions that come with being a surrogate due to the pregnancy hormones and general stress of the surrogacy process. As with any pregnancy, you also run the risk of pre- and postpartum depression, as well as general frustrations that come with having to alter your life to accommodate the pregnancy. 

It’s important that you have a good support system in place during your surrogacy and that you are taking care of your mental health. Your emotional health is just as important as your physical health when it comes to being a surrogate. 

So, when it comes to the cost of being a surrogate, you will never have to worry about contributing financially to your surrogacy journey.  To get more information on surrogate compensation and payment plans, reach out to a professional today.