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Surrogacy and side hustle are not two words you would normally use in the same sentence. And while it is commonly known that the egg, the sperm and plasma donation can bring in a modest income, many will balk when it comes to carrying someone else’s child — even for $5,000 a month.
The reality is, however, that while yes, there is money involved, surrogacy provides an invaluable and indescribable service to all involved.
A surrogate is rewarded with a tremendous sense of accomplishment, empathy and, of course, financial compensation. The new parent(s), a gift so precious that words alone cannot describe it.
When Gennifer Rose, a Sacramento-based mom, first started out in the surrogacy industry, she could hardly have imagined that her surrogacy journey would soon become her personal story. On her blog, SurrogacyMama.com, Rose demystifies surrogacy through her own experiences, offering a clear, engaging guide for those interested in following a similar path.
Today, we invite her to share a little about her journey, how much she earns, and realistic steps to get started.
Meet Gennifer Rose
A wife and mother of two young children, I have worked professionally in the infertility and surrogacy industry for years, which has allowed me to meet so many people who have struggled to have children of their own.
When you hear their stories firsthand and actively work to help them become parents, you often become very emotionally invested in their journey.
Over the years I have worked with and become close friends with countless surrogates who have delivered babies for families. I found their stories to be equally inspiring and saw a lot of myself in them. I also knew that many of these women were using their surrogacy income to make big moves financially, such as starting a businessbuying a house or going back to school.
It’s a rare scenario where someone can earn an extra $50,000 in cash payouts in a year (on top of their regular wages) and it opens up a lot of possibilities for these women.
While not all women are qualified to be surrogates, I am very fortunate to have good health and a history of easy pregnancies. I was quickly approved to be a surrogate after I applied and started the surrogacy process.
How much do surrogates earn?
Surrogacy compensation is divided into two categories: pre-pregnancy milestone payments and basic monthly compensation during pregnancy.
In short, in the beginning, deputies are paid sums of money to complete many required tasks during the process. For example, in my own surrogacy journey, I received a monthly allowance of $300, $500 when I started IVF drugs, $1,000 per embryo transfer, etc. These are all payments made before the pregnancy.
Once I was pregnant and we had confirmation of a heartbeat (usually around 8 weeks), I received monthly cash deposits of $4,500 on the first of the month for the remainder of my pregnancy.
The total earnings in my contract stated that I would earn $50,000, which is a base compensation of $45,000, plus all other milestone and bonus payments.
It is important to note that the surrogate does not start earning most of her compensation until after it is confirmed that she is pregnant. So there are several months ahead where he will be doing a lot of work for little payoff.
The exact amount a surrogate will earn varies by surrogacy agency. Also, payment scheduling will vary by company. I strongly recommend that all surrogates read the documents carefully to understand exactly how their compensation will be paid.
About startup costs
Surrogates are never expected to pay any kind of money or fees to start this process. Every expense is covered by either the surrogacy agency or the intended parents.
That said, there is a significant investment of time and effort on the part of the surrogate. There will be a lot of paperwork, interviews, medical check-up appointments, travel (all expenses paid) and later IVF procedures and pregnancy.
The ideal surrogate candidate is a woman who has flexibility in her appointment schedule and is highly motivated to complete administrative tasks on time. It must be reliable and trustworthy.
On Take Her Side Hustle Online
I have been a hobby blogger for over 10 years and my husband and I now have 5 active blogs. We basically start a blog for any personal interest we have. We started our original fashion and lifestyle blog in 2014 and monetized it by running Ezoic ads and referring sponsors for cash payments.
When it comes to blog marketing, website traffic has always been my main focus. It is my personal goal to get into a premium advertising platform like Mediavine to make it more relevant passive income. To increase website traffic, I focus on organic SEO and Pinterest. I try to do some keyword research before I start writing a blog post, which hopefully will help it rank better. I’ve found that the original photo is also very helpful in getting more exposure.
For my surrogacy blog SurrogacyMama.com, we launched in early 2023. We hope to create a community for surrogates, parents and IVF patients. Surrogacy is a rapidly growing industry, but I have found that there is very little public information for those who want to do research.
Making the leap from working professionally in surrogacy to earning personally as a surrogate and blogging about my experience was a natural progression for me.
It seemed like a great opportunity to use both my professional knowledge and personal experience as a substitute to help educate others. In the future, I hope to monetize this by collaborating with other industry professionals and giving my peers more exposure to a like-minded audience.
Related: How to Get Your Business Online: 11 Step Guide
On the challenges of surrogacy
Surrogacy was the first time I had IVF treatments. I have excellent fertility and have had my own children naturally without any challenges. IVF is a different animal with semi-invasive procedures like self-injection of medication, multiple ultrasounds, and embryo transfer. It also has unpredictable results and may require multiple attempts to get pregnant.
I had to complete two rounds of IVF and two embryo transfers before I had a confirmed pregnancy. While I earned additional compensation for my second round of IVF, it took me longer to start earning my larger base benefits.
You also need to consider the emotional toll that a failed embryo transfer can cause. During this process, you become emotionally invested in the intended parents and really want everything to go well for them. It can be very frustrating when IVF doesn’t work out as planned.
The Most Fulfilling Moment
In surrogacy, the biggest moment for everyone is the confirmation of the heartbeat. This is when the intended parents and surrogate have a confirmed pregnancy.
This is also the beginning of the large compensation payments for the surrogate. A lot of time and effort has gone into getting to this point and now everyone can breathe a sigh of relief that it worked.
Tips for would-be surrogates
For those going into surrogacy without much prior knowledge, I suggest doing as much research as possible beforehand. While this can be a very profitable financial side hustle for mothers, it requires a significant time commitment, emotional investment, and can take a physical toll on your body.
Also, as mentioned earlier, a surrogate must have flexibility in her schedule to be able to attend all the necessary IVF and pregnancy medical appointments. When it comes to your employer, it helps that pregnant women’s rights are protected by federal law, but ideally, you’ll still have the support you need from your boss and co-workers.
Many of the appointments required will take place during standard business hours, so a deputy should be able to make the time.
For the future
The best part about surrogacy is that compared to other side hustles, there aren’t many skill sets or experience required to become successful. No marketing, networking or lead generation skills are required for the affiliate to earn their income. A surrogate can be completely independent and self-sufficient without her income being dependent on sales, clients or the participation of others.
This means you can take an extended break from the scene and pick things up again if time and energy allow.
As for Rose, she shared “I’m not sure if I’ll have another surrogacy in the future, but I plan to continue growing my surrogacy blog and helping other women through this process. In my eyes, surrogacy is one of those rare win-win scenarios where both parties can find great reward, meaningful connections and financial gain.”
Related: 30 Practical Ways to Make $500 Fast (In a Week or Less)
