My son and his fiance want to have a child, but she has had a hysterectomy. What is involved in having a child by a surrogate mother? How much does it cost? He is 28 and his fiance is 36.

ù Brenda

You did not state whether the fiance still has ovaries. If she does, I assume that you would be using her eggs. She would undergo ovulation induction and an egg retrieval similar to patients using in vitro fertilization (IVF). The egg would be fertilized with her husband's sperm to produce an embryo. The surrogate mother would then receive medications to synchronize the development of her uterine lining with the egg retrieval and the transfer of the embryo. Success rates depend upon the egg donor's age and can approach 50-60 percent in most programs that provide this service.

The average cost for gestational surrogacy is roughly $30,000. The reason that this approach is so costly compared to IVF is the cost of screening the surrogate, her fees and the legal expenses. You can learn more about this option by visiting the American Surrogacy Center.