As an intended parent, determining the average costs of surrogacy can seem extremely daunting. 

To provide a better understanding of the average costs of surrogacy – prenatal and postnatal –here’s a breakdown of what you can expect throughout your surrogacy journey.

Average Cost Of Compensation To Surrogates 

The journey into surrogacy is a joy like no other. The good news is the surrogacy contract will outline and specify the surrogate’s base compensation, reimbursement fees, ordinary medical expenses, and legal services.

It doesn’t happen very often, but there have been cases in the past where a so-so surrogacy contract caused lengthy legal disputes. Thankfully, the law has caught up to the industry, so there are standards in some states that protect surrogates and intended parents too.

Overall, the idea is that a surrogate deserves fair compensation, and the intended parents deserve a reasonable price in exchange for her time and steadfast commitment to giving birth to a healthy baby.

First-time surrogates can expect a base compensation of about $35,000 before added reimbursement fees.  An experienced surrogate can expect to earn as much as $50,000 for a successful pregnancy. 

Additional forms of compensation may include pay for lost wages during the process, reimbursement for travel expenses, or childcare costs in some cases. It all depends on your unique situation and the stipulations in the surrogacy contract.

Pre & Post Natal Medical Expenses

At a minimum, a valid surrogacy agreement covers the average cost of surrogacy – including the cost of prenatal, postnatal care, and counseling after the fact.

For instance, if the surrogate develops gestational diabetes – which is actually fairly common in first-time mothers – the contract should cover those types of treatments because it’s easy to regulate blood sugar with a change in diet, exercise, and medications if necessary. At SurrogateFirst, we offer wellness plans to help ensure a healthy pregnancy and quickest possible recovery times for our surrogates.  

Unfortunately, not every insurance carrier will pay for a surrogate mother’s health care. If you have any doubts, it’s always better to make sure before assuming that an insurance carrier will cover everything.

Legal expenses and other professional services

The last set of expenses that contribute to the average cost of a surrogacy arrangement are legal expenses and other professional services. These benefits are vital in states that don’t have laws that specify what needs to go into a surrogacy contract. 

A few states don’t even allow surrogacy contracts, only altruistic and uncompensated surrogacy. It all depends on where you live and where the surrogate lives. If travel across state lines is an issue, it’s best to get advice from the legal counsel before moving forward. 

Attorney fees can vary depending on where you live. In general, intended parents can expect fees in the range of $5,000 – $15,000. Those fees will typically cover the drafting, negotiation and final review of your surrogacy contract, along with court filing and/or escrow or trust account set up fees.

In the end, considering all costs associated with the surrogacy process beforehand is the best way to avoid difficult situations.  That’s why it’s important to work with a team of professionals from the very start who can explain the average cost of surrogacy down to the final penny.

Ready to start your surrogacy journey? Contact us here with any questions.

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About SurrogateFirst

We’re a boutique surrogate agency specializing in quickly matching intended parents around the world with our fully-vetted, exceptional surrogates.

We help individuals and couples, regardless of race or sexual orientation, build their families through the miracle of surrogacy.

Every team member at SurrogateFirst is either a former intended parent or an experienced surrogate herself. We also have first-hand knowledge of what it takes to have an incredible, successful surrogate journey.