IPs Surrogacy: What You Need to Know

Surrogacy is one of the fastest-developing phenomena in assisted reproductive technology. With the advancements in reproductive medicine, it is becoming increasingly accessible for a lot of people who cannot carry a pregnancy and would have otherwise not had their baby. This includes same-sex couples, queer couples, women with recurrent miscarriages and those that have experienced multiple failed IVF cycles. Couples that choose surrogacy are called the intented parents (IPs surrogacy) and this article discusses what you need to know.

Surrogacy may also be restricted in some countries like India, legislated like in others, for example, Georgia, or without any regulations like in Cyprus and Kenya. If the intended parents stay in a country that is not suitable for surrogacy, they can move to another suitable country. This can be done through overseas medical treatment. The service can be provided by medical health travel agencies or meditour agencies. This is usually a form of health tourism or medical tourism.

What is surrogacy?

Surrogacy is the process where a woman who is called a surrogate, offers to carry a pregnancy and deliver a baby for an individual or a couple that is referred to as the intended parents (IPs) or parent. Surrogacy is a very complex process with a lot of steps. It also requires a lot of involvement, and there is a need to ensure that both the intended parents and the surrogate are happy at the end of the process. Surrogacy is a very demanding journey financially, medically, emotionally and psychologically. It will usually involve extensive counselling, psychological assessment, mental assessment and independent legal advice for both parties.

What are the types of surrogacy?

There are two types of widely recognized types of surrogacy: traditional surrogacy which can also be called altruistic surrogacy, and gestational or commercial surrogacy. In gestational surrogacy, an embryo is created from sperm and eggs that may either come from the intended parents or donors but not from the surrogate. This will ensure that there will be no genetic relationship between the baby and the surrogate. This is the most widely practised form of surrogacy by fertility agencies because there are minimal legal issues and hitches experienced. 

In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is artificially inseminated and gets pregnant from her eggs. This type of surrogacy creates a genetic link between the surrogate and the baby. This link may become a legal issue in the case that the surrogate chooses to change her mind about giving away the child after delivery. For this reason, this type of surrogacy is not widely practised or popular with fertility agencies.

How much does surrogacy cost?

Pinpointing the exact cost of a surrogacy process is almost impossible to do. This is because a lot of variables arise which will depend on the individual circumstances of the procedure. In traditional surrogacy, while there are no payments, rewards, fees or material benefits that are given to the surrogate for the baby delivered, the intended parents would still have to cover any out-of-pocket expenses that arise as a result of the surrogacy. 

In the case of gestational surrogacy, in addition to covering all the fees that are associated with the surrogacy, the intended parents will also agree to a fee that will be issued to the surrogate for the surrogacy. The fee will usually be agreed upon at the beginning of the process, and the payment may come once or in batches. 

The major variables that may impact the final cost of the surrogacy are the country where the surrogacy is being done, the type of fertility treatment that will be done on the surrogate, the type of surrogacy that will be done, the success of the process and how many tries it took, etc. It is important to note that the expenses of surrogacy do not all come at once. 

What are some costs expected by IPs during surrogacy?

Depending on the individual situation they may come in several months. Some may become payable before conception, others will be during the pregnancy, and the rest will come after the birth of the baby. Some of the costs that can be expected include:

Fertility treatment 

This will depend on the number of cycles that will be required. It will also largely depend on the sources of the sperm and eggs that will be used in the process. The cost will also be impacted on the success of the treatment. Insurance usually is limited or not available for surrogacy arrangements, and this will have an impact on it in different ways.

Pregnancy and birth 

Depending on whether the surrogacy is done in the country of the intended parents or internationally, medical costs may be covered by the intended parents’ insurance policies. However, medical costs that are not covered by the insurance will be picked up by the intended parents. This will include medication and treatments that may be required in the process of pregnancy and birth.

Legal advice 

This is a crucial part of the process and will usually depend on the rate of the lawyer, which may be hourly or a fixed fee. The fees will also vary considerably and will be impacted by the need for a written agreement or not. It should also be ensured that the lawyers involved will be surrogacy law specialists of the country where the surrogacy will be done. They will need to also hire independent counsel for the surrogate. This cost and theirs will be picked up by the intended parents.

Counselling and psychological assessments 

This is usually provided by the fertility agency that is handling surrogacy as part of the paid service. Counselling is both for the surrogate and the intended parents, and it is a crucial aspect of the surrogacy process. If the fertility agency does not provide it, the cost will fall on the intended parents, and it will impact the overall cost of the process.

Parentage order

After the birth of the baby, the intended parents will need to apply to the court of the country that the surrogacy was done for a parentage order. This will make them be recognized as the legal parents of the baby, as well as a change of birth certificate. This will usually involve lawyers and further counselling. 

Some other costs that will be dependent on the individual country’s legislation and the individual circumstances of the surrogacy will include:

• Travel costs for the surrogate and her partner to attend the treatment, pregnancy appointments, and the intended parents’ transport costs
• Life insurance for the surrogates
• Pre-natal supplements
• Allied health treatments like massage and other costs