Kara DioGuardi and 5 Other Couples Who Have Kids Through a Surrogate

Jan. 21, 2012— -- intro: After years of fertility struggles, ex-'American Idol' judge Kara DioGuardi is finally going to be a mom.

The songwriter told People magazine she is expecting her first child with husband Mike McCuddy via gestational surrogate in the coming weeks.

"We are eagerly awaiting the healthy and happy birth of our son, Greyson James Carroll McCuddy," DioGuardi said.

The 42-year-old had multiple failed IVF attempts, so she decided to choose between adoption and surrogacy.

"We made a personal decision to try with a surrogate. I asked someone we knew, a friend. And on the first try, it worked," she said. "We're praying for our surrogate, that she gets through this and that it's as easy on her as it can possibly be, because she's been a gem throughout the whole process."

While the average surrogacy doesn't come cheap -- costs range between $70,000 and $130,000 per birth, according to Shirley Zager, director of the Organization of Parents Through Surrogacy -- celebrities are increasingly relying on and raising the profile of the practice.

Click through to check out four more famous couples who recently had children through a surrogate.

quicklist: 1title: Robert De Nirotext: He's pushing 70, but he's a new dad again. Robert De Niro, 69, and his wife Grace Hightower De Niro, 57, welcomed a baby girl in December 2011 thanks to a crutch many older and same-sex couples are counting on to expand their families: a surrogate.

Helen Grace is the couple's second child. They're parents to son Elliot, 14, and De Niro has four additional children with his ex-wife and girlfriend, two of whom were also born through a surrogate. media: 15235817

quicklist: 2title: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urbantext: Late in 2010, actress Nicole Kidman, 45, and her country music star husband, Keith Urban, 45, welcomed a new member to their family: Faith Margaret Kidman Urban, born Dec. 28, 2010, via a surrogate at the Women's Hospital at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.

"Our family is truly blessed, and just so thankful, to have been given the gift of baby Faith Margaret," the couple said in a statement at the time. "No words can adequately convey the incredible gratitude that we feel for everyone who was so supportive throughout this process, in particular our gestational carrier."

More recently, Urban reflected on how he and Kidman came to the decision to have another child.

"It felt very complete with Sunday and had she been the only girl we'd be thrilled," he told Reuters in Oct. 2011, talking about the couple's 3-year-old daughter, Sunday Rose. "But it's nice that Sunday's got a sibling."

"Faith is doing great and Sunday is as normal as it gets with regard to recognizing that there is this new entity in the house," he added. "We keep reminding Sunday she's got a very important job as a big sister. She's been taking to that and realizing that Faith really needs her to be her big sister."media: 15235760

quicklist: 3title: Elton John and David Furnishtext: Legendary musician Elton John, 65, and his partner David Furnish, 50, became fathers to their second child, Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John on Friday, Jan. 11. Elijah is their second child through a surrogate.

The couple had their first baby boy, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, on Christmas Day, 2010. They opened up about their decision to have him through a surrogate to Barbara Walters in April 2011.