What is the monthly allowance for and when does it start?
A first-time Private Label Surrogacy surrogate carrying one baby receives a typical total package of roughly $68,000 to $78,000. Base compensation is $60,000 (proposed), or $65,000 to $70,000 for an experienced surrogate. The benefits and allowances on this page are paid on top of base, not out of it. They are the same for first-time and experienced surrogates.
| Item | Amount | Trigger | How paid | First-time vs experienced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly allowance | $300 per month | From contract signing | Allowance, no receipts | Same |
| Medication start fee | $500 | Starting injectable medications | One-time payment | Same |
| Embryo transfer fee | $1,000 per transfer | Transfer day | One-time payment per transfer | Same |
| Maternity clothing | $750; $1,000 for multiples | Confirmed pregnancy | One-time allowance | Same |
| Housekeeping | $90 per week | From 32 weeks | Weekly allowance | Same |
| Pumping breast milk | $200 per week | After delivery, if you pump | Weekly payment | Same |
| Multiples | $5,000 twins; $10,000 triplets | Multiple pregnancy confirmed | Added to base installments | Same |
| Lost wages, you and your partner | Actual documented wages | Journey-related time off | Reimbursement with records | Same |
| Travel | Actual cost [mileage rate to confirm] | Screening, transfer and other clinic trips | Reimbursement with receipts | Same |
| Childcare | Actual cost | Appointments, transfer travel and delivery | Reimbursement with receipts | Same |
| Life insurance | Extended policy up to $750,000 | Before medications begin | Policy paid by intended parents | Same |
| Health insurance | Premiums and costs covered; new policy if needed | Your plan's coverage, checked before match | Reimbursement or policy | Same |
All cash items are paid from an independent licensed escrow account that the intended parents fund before medications begin. PLS never holds the money.
The monthly allowance covers the small recurring costs of a journey that are not worth a receipt each: prenatal vitamins, phone calls, parking and local mileage. It is $300 per month, starts at contract signing and runs through delivery. You do not submit receipts for it. PLS calls it an allowance, not a stipend, because it is a defined amount for a defined purpose.
Medication start and embryo transfer fees
These two fees pay you for the medical work that comes before any pregnancy.
The $500 medication start fee is paid when you begin injectable medications. From that day you are on a medication calendar set by the intended parents' clinic, with monitoring at a clinic near your home.
The $1,000 transfer fee is paid on embryo transfer day, and again for each transfer if more than one is needed. Both fees are yours to keep whether or not the transfer results in a pregnancy. They pay for what you did, not for the result.
Maternity clothing, housekeeping and pumping
The maternity clothing allowance is $750 for a singleton pregnancy and $1,000 if you carry multiples. It is paid once.
Housekeeping support of $90 per week begins at 32 weeks and continues to delivery, whether or not you are on bed rest. Late pregnancy is when cleaning, laundry and lifting cost you the most. The allowance lets you hire help or pay someone you know.
If you choose to pump breast milk for the baby after delivery, you receive $200 per week while you pump. Pumping is your choice and is agreed with the intended parents in advance. Julie Bendix, the PLS lactation counselor, can help you plan it.
Lost wages, childcare and travel reimbursement
These are reimbursements, not allowances. You are repaid what the journey actually costs you, with records.
- Lost wages. If you miss work for a journey-related reason, such as screening, the transfer, doctor-ordered bed rest or delivery, your documented lost pay is reimbursed. Your partner's lost wages are reimbursed too. See surrogate lost wages for how they are calculated.
- Childcare. Childcare is reimbursed for appointments, transfer travel and delivery, with receipts.
- Travel. Trips to the intended parents' clinic for screening and transfer are paid: flights, hotels, meals and mileage. The mileage rate used for reimbursement is being confirmed with Nancy.
Submit receipts as you go. The escrow agent pays reimbursements from the funded account, and PLS case managers help you file them.
Life insurance and health insurance
The intended parents fund an extended life insurance policy on you, up to $750,000, with the beneficiary you choose. It is in place before medications begin.
You do not need to buy health insurance to be a surrogate. PLS reviews your existing plan during screening. If it covers a surrogate pregnancy, the intended parents reimburse your premiums, deductible and copays. If it excludes surrogacy, the intended parents buy a surrogacy-friendly policy for you, at a cost to them of $5,000 to $40,000. You never pay a medical bill for the pregnancy. Details are on surrogate insurance.
Multiples and invasive procedure fees
If the pregnancy is twins, $5,000 is added to your compensation. For triplets, $10,000 is added. Base compensation stays the same; the multiples fee is paid on top. The maternity clothing allowance also rises to $1,000.
Some agreements include a separate fee for invasive procedures, such as amniocentesis or a D&C. The PLS amount for these procedures is being confirmed with Nancy. Your attorney will make sure any procedure fee is written into your agreement before you sign.
Non-cash benefits: nutrition, mental health, case management
Some of the most useful parts of the package are services, not cash.
- Nutrition. Julie Bendix, MPH, RD, LD, CLC, is a registered dietitian and lactation counselor. She holds at least six nutrition consults with you across the journey. See the PLS nutrition program.
- Mental health. Support comes from independent licensed professionals, paid by the intended parents. PLS does not employ in-house psychologists, so the person you talk to answers to you.
- Case management. Natalie Gaudio-Fricano and Jenni Symons carry the active PLS matches. Both have been gestational surrogates themselves. Natalie delivered in 2016; Jenni delivered in 2019 and 2021.
- Physician review. Mark Silverberg, DDS, MD, reads your prenatal and delivery records and writes a medical summary for the intended parents' clinic, so your history is read carefully before any medication starts.
- After-hours help. When travel goes wrong, the PLS team handles it. One night the after-hours team rebooked a stranded surrogate's hotel, car and flight while another PLS surrogate was delivering twins.
What is not covered
The package covers the costs the journey creates, not your everyday life. Three limits are worth knowing before you sign:
- Expenses without records. Apart from the monthly allowance, everything reimbursed needs a receipt, a log or a pay record.
- Costs you would have had anyway. Your regular bills, groceries and household costs are not reimbursed. The allowance and housekeeping support exist for the extra costs.
- Paid time twice. If you use paid time off for a journey day, you were paid for that day, so it is generally not reimbursed again as lost wages.
- Promises outside the agreement. Only what is written into your agreement is funded in escrow. A verbal offer is not protected.
One thing that is never your cost: the medical side of the journey. IVF and clinic fees are paid by the intended parents directly to their clinic, and pregnancy care is covered through your insurance arrangement. You will not receive a bill from the fertility clinic.
If something is not listed in your agreement, ask your case manager before you spend. Your own attorney, paid by the intended parents, reviews every line of the agreement with you. The complete package is on the surrogate compensation page.
Sources
- Private Label Surrogacy compensation and benefits schedule, pending confirmation by Nancy Block, RN.