Former teacher earned $200,000 with surrogacy as a side hustle

Sunshine Hanson, 41, earned greater than $200,000 with surrogacy as a side hustle. If you happen to’re a healthy biological woman of child-bearing age, you potentially could too.

Having babies for individuals who can’t — or prefer to not — is a rapidly-growing and very lucrative side hustle. Indeed, People Magazine recently wrote a story about some 47 celebrities who used surrogates, from Anderson Cooper to 2 of the Kardashian sisters. And while not all of the possible parents enlisting surrogates are wealthy and famous, the pay to surrogates is universally generous.

Base pay ranges from about $40,000 to $75,000 per pregnancy, says Hanson. And surrogates get reimbursed for a wide selection of expenses, from medical insurance and lost wages to maternity clothing and “inconvenience” fees. Hanson bore three children for other families, in addition to considered one of her own.

Her base pay for the three surrogate pregnancies was $183,000. But she earned tens of hundreds in additional payments, including a $3,500 gift that the possible parents asked her to spend on anything, with their thanks.

“I’d probably get talked into doing it again, if I wasn’t too old and already had three C-sections,” says Hanson. “It’s such a rewarding experience. I thoroughly recommend it.”

Surrogacy as a side hustle

What are the professionals, cons, and requirements of a surrogacy side hustle? And where would you discover these opportunities? Here’s the whole lot you must know, in a matter and answer format.

What’s surrogacy?

It’s when a biological female agrees to hold a toddler that has no relation to her. Generally, a fertilized egg comes from one other source before being surgically implanted within the surrogate’s uterus.

When the kid is born, the surrogate relinquishes the newborn to the parent (or parents), who paid the surrogate and who supplied the fertilized egg.

What’s required to participate?

There’s an extended list of necessities. It’s essential to:

• be a healthy biological female between the ages of  21 and 40.
• be a U.S. citizen or everlasting resident
• have a BMI between 18 and 34
• have given birth prior to now, with an uncomplicated pregnancy, and kept the kid
• have had not more than two C-sections and not more than six live births
• be financially stable
• don’t have any history of mental illness or cancer
• no illegal drug use, tobacco use, or use of prescribed drugs which are contraindicated for pregnancy.
• have reliable transportation
• nobody within the household can have a felony record
• if married, your spouse have to be supportive of the surrogacy arrangement

Why so many requirements?

The short version is that there’s rather a lot at stake. All parties involved want this arrangement to end in a healthy birth without the complications of lawsuits or disputes. Thus, the individuals who arrange these deals try to scale back risks for each the surrogate and the intended parents.

Complicated interpersonal relationships are not possible to completely manage, in fact. However it’s necessary to know that the surrogate doesn’t feel coerced into doing this because of economic strain. And, surrogates have to be physically and psychological healthy — and have the private support they should manage nine months of pregnancy.

Is surrogacy really a side hustle?

It could actually be a perfect side hustle, since nothing about being pregnant requires you to quit your day job.

To make certain, you should have more medical appointments and procedures, which may sometimes interrupt your work day. And also you’ll have to schedule some significant break day of labor to have the newborn, too.

But the identical laws that protect pregnant women from being discriminated against within the workplace apply no matter whether the pregnancy is so as to add to your loved ones or another person’s.

Furthermore, if you must take unpaid break day for bed rest or some other pregnancy-related complication, that break day needs to be compensated by the possible parents, too. (Be certain that that is stipulated in your surrogacy contract.) So, economically speaking, there’s nothing to lose and an ideal deal to achieve.

How is pay determined and paid?

These are contractual relationships which are negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Nonetheless, the going base rate is often between $40,000 and $75,000. But Hanson, who works as a surrogacy advocate and has helped arrange about 1,500 of those deals, says she’s seen base pay as high as $125,000 and as little as $25,000.

Normally, payments are made on an everyday schedule, with the primary payments starting when the surrogate goes on medication to facilitate the IVF procedure. Final payments are frequently made inside 10 days of the birth.

Who pays the expenses involved?

This can also be governed by contract, nevertheless it’s typically the intended parents and the agencies that represent them. But, since these expenses are substantial and may start even before you strike a legally-binding deal, it’s necessary to ask financial questions upfront.

For example, women typically have to undergo a physician’s examination and blood tests before they may be qualified to be a surrogate. These expenses — and a stipend to compensate the potential surrogate for the inconvenience — are frequently shouldered by the agency in search of surrogate services.

Other expenses include travel to satisfy the intended parents — and the intended parents’ In Vitro Fertilization doctor. Surrogates are also compensated for lost wages each during and after the pregnancy, in addition to for incidentals, similar to maternity wear, in addition to for the price of medical insurance and deductibles.

Notably, since the surrogacy agreement is a legal contract, each surrogates and intended parents are typically represented by attorneys. This expense can also be shouldered by the possible parents.

What if the surrogate miscarries?

Normally, payments will stop at miscarriage. But all of the payments made until that time are the surrogate’s to maintain.

In some cases, the possible parents will ask the surrogate to try again and the agreement shall be updated.

What’s the downside to being a surrogate?

Pregnancy may be uncomfortable under the perfect of circumstances. Nonetheless, IVF pregnancies are much more so, requiring regular shots, surgical implantation of the egg, in addition to additional medical monitoring. Some women also suffer with hormonal and emotional swings each during and after pregnancy.

That is considered one of the explanations that the majority agencies will disqualify you from surrogacy, if you might have never been a mother. Having been through the experience before prepares you, a minimum of to a level, for the surrogate experience ahead.

How do I find prospective parents to develop into a surrogate?

There are actually dozens of agencies operating all around the country that actively seek women willing and in a position to be surrogates. Some price considering are:

ConceiveAbilities, considered one of the oldest surrogacy agencies, is our top alternative. (This site also arranges egg donations for prospective parents. Pay to egg donors starts at $10,000.) What makes ConceiveAbilities stand out is that the positioning is amazingly transparent in regards to the process and even offers an estimated pay calculator for surrogates. The pay calculator takes under consideration where you reside, whether you’ve done this before, and what you earn out of your day job. Once we tested the tool, it projected pay starting from $67,000 to $80,000.

Pinnacle Surrogacy arranges for surrogates for folks from around the globe. The location says pay packages for first-time surrogates typically range from $50,000 to $60,000. Seasoned surrogates earn more.

Hanson also offers an advocacy service called Surrogacy.is, where she helps potential surrogates find an agency that can suit them.

What else should I consider before becoming a surrogate?

When you’re qualified to develop into a surrogate, you’re more likely to get multiple offers from prospective parents. It’s tempting to take the offer that gives probably the most compensation. But ensure you think about the chemistry between you and the intended parents. Also speak about your expectations — and theirs — to ensure you agree on the way you’d like things to go.

Nine months is usually a very very long time, if the surrogate and the intended parents don’t see eye to eye, Hanson says.

12/15/2023