Is It Cheaper to Have a Baby, Adopt or Use a Surrogate?
Starting a family is a big deal — and it’s a lot more expensive than you think. As the world struggles with a possible recession, you might be wondering if now is a good time to have a baby. And, if you decide to take the step, you might be weighing the costs of adopting, giving birth, or even using a surrogate parent.
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Of course, people might choose to adopt for many reasons that have nothing to do with finance. Some couples cannot conceive and have a baby on their own. Others might choose not to – perhaps because one partner or the other has an inheritable disease. Finally, some people choose to adopt to help a child who needs a family.
But if you’re considering the costs of adopting, using a surrogate, or birthing a child, it helps to break it down based on the related expenses.
“Regardless of whether you choose adoption or giving birth, having a baby and adding another child to your family is expensive,” said Deb Meyer, CEO of WorthyNest, a fee-only financial planning firm based in Punta Gorda, Florida, that serves young families. “Even before you give birth or adopt, the cost of diapers, wipes and nursery furnishings start to add up.”
Here’s what you may expect to pay to give birth, adopt a child, or hire a surrogate.
Cost of Giving Birth
According to the Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation Health System Tracker, the cost to give birth in the U.S. averages $18,865, Forbes reported. A Cesarean section will cost much more than this, according to the data — an average of $26,280. However, if you have health insurance, your out-of-pocket costs could range from an average of $2,655 up to $3,214.
These costs average vary widely by state, as well as whether you have any complications, the length of your hospital stay, or choice to have a home birth or use a birthing center, and several other factors.
The biggest question in planning and budgeting for pregnancy and childbirth is not being able to predict what type of birth you’ll have or whether you will face costly complications.
Let’s look at some of the biggest childbirth expenses and then compare costs for a vaginal birth vs. a c-section birth.
Prenatal Care
An important part of any pregnancy is maintaining good prenatal care, which includes doctor’s visits, prenatal vitamins and a variety of tests to monitor the health of the baby and birthing parent.
According to a chart published by BalancingEverything.com, prenatal vitamins should cost between $10 and $20. Doctor’s visits, with a copay, would cost between $15 and $35 out-of-pocket. An ultrasound would cost roughly $686, but insurance should cover most of those costs. An amniocentesis, an invasive test sometimes performed if an ultrasound indicates an anomaly, costs up to $7,000 – again, most likely covered in part by insurance. Glucose screening to test for gestational diabetes costs up to $100. Parents who opt for fetal DNA testing may expect to spend up to $2,000.
In total, you can see pre-natal care can cost thousands of dollars over the course of 40 weeks. Fortunately, insurance should cover most of it for those who carry it.
Birthing Classes
Hospitals and birthing centers provide birth and labor classes, including the Lamaze and Bradley methods. You’ll generally find four- to six-week classes costing between $50 and $200, according to BalancingEverything.com.
Vaginal Birth vs. C-Section
The KFF survey found that the average out-of-pocket cost for a vaginal delivery in a hospital was $2,655. On the other hand, a c-section would cost $3,214 out of pocket. That isn’t a very big difference.
But the actual costs for those without insurance are much higher: $14,768 for a vaginal birth or $26,280 for a c-section.
Cost of Adopting a Child
How much does it cost to adopt a child? In truth, it varies. Many types of adoptions are available, and each has different costs associated with them. You can adopt a child living in foster care or take in a child who is expected to become available for adoption, for example. Infant adoptions are popular, with more people looking to adopt infants than there are available, according to the National Adoption Center.
Creating a Family, an adoption and infertility organization, said a domestic adoption through an agency can cost from $5,000 to over $40,000, with nearly 60 percent of these adoptions falling between $10,000 and $30,000. Other adoption agencies will have a sliding-fee scale that bases costs on your income.
Let’s explore some of the costs related to adoption.
Agency Fee
Your biggest cost will be the price of hiring an agency that matches you with a child. In a June 2022 report, the Child Welfare Information Gateway shared that private adoption fees ranged from $30,000 to $60,000. Adoptive parents will also have to cover costs that include home study, court and legal fees, counseling for the birth parents, birthing parent medical and legal expenses, interim care for the child, and more.
Independent Adoption
An independent adoption arranged through private parties can cost less, according to the report. This option ranges from $25,000 to $45,000. However, there could be added costs if the birth has complications. If you choose to advertise to find a child, you may pay between $500 to $5,000.
Intercountry Adoption
Intercountry adoption is a choice for many adoptive parents-to-be. Average costs could run between $20,000 and $50,000 according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. However, you will also have to factor in international travel, which can add up – especially in today’s age of costly flights.
Adopting Through the Child Welfare System
If a child meets the criteria, you may be able to adopt through the Child Welfare System, or foster care system. The Federal government may reimburse adoption fees up to $2,000. Other expenses beyond this limit may be tax deductible.
Travel
Even if you adopt domestically, you might be required to make last-minute travel plans to get your child, especially if you are adopting a newborn and want to be there for the birth. Obviously, travel and lodging costs can add up quickly, so make sure you factor this into your overall expenses.
Costs of Having a Baby through a Surrogate
Surrogacy is not often discussed as an option for couples who can’t or choose not to birth their own child. CDC reports on Assisted Reproductive Technology found that, between 1999 and 2013, nearly 40,000 assisted reproductive technology cycles (roughly 2%) used a surrogate, according to PBS.org.
Some people may opt to carry a friend’s baby as an altruistic gesture. In that case, the parents would pay the medical and other costs related to pregnancy and childbirth. A commercial surrogacy, where the parents-to-be pay a fee, can cost between $120,000 and $200,000, according to the PBS.org article. Like childbirth and childrearing, these costs vary dramatically by state, the article said.
The surrogate parent could expect to receive between $25,000 and $50,000, as well as having all medical costs paid.
Which Costs More?
Evaluating these costs, it’s easy to see that surrogacy is the priciest option. However, it gives parents an opportunity to have a baby that shares the genetics of one or both parents without the burden of childbirth.
If you have health insurance, giving birth to a child conceived naturally is the least costly option, whether you choose a natural birth or have a c-section. But fostering and then adopting children from the welfare system can also be affordable and emotionally rewarding, since you know you will be giving a child in need a home, family, and, presumably, a better life.
Michael Galvis and Barri Segal contributed for the reporting of this article.
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