I would do another egg retrieval before starting the surrogacy process.. for our transfer to a GC the first embryo didn’t survive the thaw, which was unexpected. Luckily the back up embryo stuck around and we have a 1 year old.
All in we spent about 70k, but we had frozen embryos from IvF cycles that were covered by insurance.

Also keep in mind that surrogacy is not always a sure shot that works on first try. If that happens you will be paying extra fees per cycle, or heaven forbid if you need to rematch. Try to budget at least 15-25% more than the fees you sign up for.

Just FYI on the extra fees for twins, surrogacy contracts usually specify that this fee is only paid if the surrogate carries twins past a certain point (in my contract, it was 28 weeks). My twins were unfortunately born before that point, so I didn't have to pay it (they are doing well now, though I obviously would have preferred that they stayed in past 28 weeks).

Anonymous wrote:http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-opinion/is-surrogacy-baby-trafficking-20140812-3dkda.html

I can't even believe I wasted my time reading that. One comment suggested surrogates are selfish Comparing surrogacy to prostitution is laughable. There is a monetary component to being a surrogate but there is also a significant amount of risk involved, which is why I think most people don't expect a surrogate to offer up her body for FREE.

1:45 poster again. Yup like 7:08 mentioned there's a lot of extra charges. If the surrogate needs an invasive procedure that's an added payment to her, if she ends up with twins that's an extra payment to her given the increased risk of complications that come with twins. We'd be looking at 7k extra if twins were to happen. And agree a very good lawyer is important, there's so much to this process especially on the legal side. You really have to plan for every possible complication or situation. Some things we didn't think about beforehand but really had to think about were selective reduction in the case of multiples, termination for medical reasons, stuff like that. If you're in the DC area I'd highly recommend Jennifer Fairfax, she's amazing and will give you a free hour to discuss things along with lots of info.

It's very expensive, which is why my husband and I decided to pursue immune treatments first (also expensive). My sister graciously offered to be our gestational carrier, so that was our back up plan. Is there a known reason you are not able to carry yourself? Because you have one embryo already, that part of the process will not hold things up.

I've also seen figures ranging from 80k and up. There are also additional fees for the surrogate in the event they are carrying twins, which is obviously more risk for her. I've seen up to 20k extra for twins. On the legal side you need to deal with birth orders and pre-birth orders depending on the state you live and the state where your surrogate lives. There is a lot more to that and a lawyer who specializes in this would be your best bet there. The thread PP mentioned probably has some recommendations.

Good luck with your decision!

Are you in a position where you're able to undergo another retrieval? Generally a carrier has no genetic relationship to the baby so her eggs won't be used. Traditional surrogacy which is where her eggs would be used is much rarer nowadays. We're still going through, it but expect to spend about 110-130k all in. About 40k creating embryos, 35k to the surrogate 25-30k to the agency and the rest for legal costs/stipend for clothing for the surrogate, expenses for extra procedures she might need to undergo. It's a very expensive process. I've seen posters list ranges between 80k on the low end-140k. The only real ways to save money are people who have a friend/family member who is able to carry, or able to donate eggs or both. Or if someone is willing to forgo the surrogacy agency which is risky and creates a lot more work on your end searching for a surrogate. Some people also might look overseas in places like Ukraine/Czech Republic to try to save on costs but again that's not without risks.

I found this thread to be very helpful. Good luck to you, OP!

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/75/676627.page#11815382

I dont know if this is the right board ot ask this so I may cross post.

Can you please tell me how much your surrogacy cost? How much was for the IVF/ embryo retrieval process and how much for the surrogacy and care for surrogate? Thank you very much for sharing.

BTW- I have one embryo already on ice, so presumably I could just use it.