Women or couples in Orlando, Florida who are unable to become pregnant may consider several options before deciding to pursue surrogacy as an option. In many cases, an assisted reproductive technology is used before surrogacy is considered. The prices for this service and the procedures involved may vary greatly. For this reason, it is best to speak to a medical professional at a fertility clinic for an accurate estimate of all costs. Typically, surrogacy may cost between $20,000 and $120,000. This includes the payment to the surrogate mother and any screenings, tests, procedures, drugs or other expenses required for the procedure.

There are two forms of surrogacy: the traditional method and gestational surrogacy. In the traditional method, the surrogate mother becomes pregnant by fertilizing her egg with the sperm of the husband, boyfriend or male who wishes to have a baby with the partner. In some cases, donor sperm may also be used. Women may choose this route if they are unable to produce eggs or their eggs are unhealthy. The service is carried out with the help of assisted reproductive technologies such as intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is the biological mother of the child.

Gestational surrogacy is another method of surrogacy. In this method, a surrogate mother still carries a child to term for another woman or a couple, but the surrogate mother is not the biological mother of the child. An egg and sperm from the couple is combined to form an embryo, which is then implanted into the surrogate woman's uterus where she will carry the child to term. In vitro fertilization is commonly used with this type of surrogacy to retrieve and fertilize the eggs and then transfer all or some of the embryos to the uterus of the gestational surrogate.

Immediately following the birth, as per the contract signed prior to beginning the entire procedure, the surrogate mother releases the child to the contracted or biological parents, depending on which method was used. This procedure has been helpful to women who are unable to conceive or carry a child to term, to gay men who would like one partner to be biologically related to their child and to women who have certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease or renal disease that may cause complications with pregnancy. To determine one's own candidacy for surrogacy patients are encouraged to speak with a fertility specialist at a reputable fertility clinic in the Orlando, Florida area for more information.

Before beginning this service, both the surrogate and the parents of the child should sign a contract outlining the legal, financial and other terms so that all parties' rights and responsibilities are clearly understood by all who are involved. Women interested in this procedure may locate a surrogate through a fertility clinic, through a lawyer or through certain websites or other services. Women interested in becoming surrogates are encouraged to speak to a medical professional at a fertility clinic for more information regarding the steps required and general qualifications they must satisfy.