For most people, having a child is, one sense, “free.” The act of sexual intercourse normally doesn’t cost any money between a couple, and the process of a sperm being introduced to an egg, fertilizing it, and then attaching to a uterus to grow, over a period of nine months, also doesn’t technically cost any money. All of these biological activities take place on their own, without any money needing to change hands to see the process completed.
However, for some couples, traditional childbirth to start a family isn’t a readily available option. An older couple, for example, may want to have another child, but be strongly advised against it, because of the age of the mother puts her own health—and that of a baby—at risk. In other cases, a woman may have had an illness, such as uterine cancer, that required the uterus to be surgically removed, thus rendering her incapable of carrying a child to term and giving birth.
In situations where traditional childbirth methods are too risky, or even medically impossible, surrogacy provides a solution. However, where traditional childbirth is “free” at the most fundamental level of using the human reproductive process as intended, surrogacy is not. Depending on the type of surrogacy employed, such as gestational surrogacy with preimplantation genetic diagnosis, and in vitro fertilization, costs can rise. Combined with the possibility of needing to travel to another country, legal fees, and perhaps even screening of surrogate candidates, or even sperm/egg donors, even more expenses can add up.
What are the costs associated with childbirth and surrogacy?
The costs associated with childbirth and surrogacy can be substantial, encompassing medical care, supervision during pregnancy, and specific surrogacy-related expenses. While traditional childbirth involves costs for medical care, nutrition, and hospital delivery, surrogacy adds further expenses such as egg fertilization (averaging $8000), potential sperm/egg donations or retrieval from cryobanks, and genetic screening for inherited disorders like cystic fibrosis or Down’s Syndrome. These are in addition to the expected costs for traditional childbirth medical care and a medically supervised birth for both the surrogate mother and the baby. This comprehensive financial commitment often leads people to ask if there's a way to lower surrogacy costs, to which the answer is, 'It may be possible to lower the costs, but you may not be happy with the results.'
There are certainly many possible associated expenses that come with surrogacy. The fertilization of an egg, for example, costs, on average about $8000. If this is gestational surrogacy, that requires sperm/egg donations, or even retrieval from a cryobank for preserved sperm/egg specimens, that cost goes up. If genetic screening is desired to ensure that inherited disorders aren’t present, like cystic fibrosis or Down’s Syndrome if one or both members of the couple have a family history, that’s an added cost.
Moreover, of course, there is still the additional, expected cost for traditional childbirth, with medical care and supervision during pregnancy. Then the medically supervised birth to ensure proper care and health for both the surrogate mother and the baby.
If all of this sounds like a big financial commitment, it is. But some people may ask, “Is there a way to lower the cost of surrogacy? Is it possible to have a low-cost surrogacy experience?”
The answer to that is, “It may be possible to lower the costs, but you may not be happy with the results.” And here’s why.
What are the risks of cutting costs in surrogacy?
Yes, cutting costs in surrogacy significantly raises risks, potentially impacting the survival and health of the baby and surrogate mother. Unlike other investments, trying to eliminate costs wherever possible in surrogacy can have severe consequences. For instance, eliminating the screening process for finding a surrogate, often done by approaching family or friends, still doesn't address the cost of implanting a fertilized egg. Attempting to save money by undertaking traditional sexual intercourse with the surrogate mother instead of in vitro fertilization is inefficient and can create marital problems. Furthermore, cutting costs by eliminating medical care and supervised birth, opting for home childbirth without an experienced midwife, puts the health and lives of both the surrogate mother and baby at severe risk. This underscores why an experienced surrogacy group that offers a range of services is always worth the price.
For example, one way to lower the cost of surrogacy is to eliminate the screening process for finding a surrogate. Traditional/compassionate surrogacy often does this by approaching someone close to the hopeful family, such as another family member or friend. While this eliminates what could be the sizable cost finding a candidate, it still doesn’t address the cost of implanting a fertilized egg. In a normal surrogate situation, the egg is collected from a surrogate mother, and fertilized in vitro, in lab conditions to guarantee fertilization, medically confirm it, then implant the fertilized egg into the surrogate mother.
To eliminate this cost means undertaking traditional sexual intercourse with the surrogate mother and “hoping for the best” when it comes to the actual state of pregnancy. This solution, while clearly cheaper, is not efficient, and could actually create marital problems for the couple involved if repeated sexual intercourse is taking place just to save money.
Another way to cut costs is to eliminate medical care, and even a medically supervised birth, and attempt to give birth to the baby at home. Of course, going nine months without the guidance of an obstetrician and then attempting home childbirth without paying for even an experienced midwife once again puts the health—and even lives—of both the surrogate mother and baby at risk. This is why an experienced surrogacy group that offers a range of services is always worth the price.
