(PHOTO) Instagram: @khloekardashianKhloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom are said to be eager for a baby

Khloe Kardashian is reportedly preparing to use a surrogate carrier in her ongoing quest for a baby, it has been claimed.

The reality TV star, who has been married to NBA star Lamar Odom for three years, has previously been open about their struggles to conceive. Although the couple are already parents to Odom's two children from a previous relationship, Kardashian, 28, is reportedly still determined to have a baby of their own, according to Star magazine.

"She is being extremely thorough about the woman she will choose to carry her baby," a source reportedly told Star adding "She even says she would pay half a million dollars for the right woman!"

The Hollywood power couple is allegedly planning to use the same procedure to conceive Kardashian's good friend Giuliana Rancic did. The E! Host used a gestational surrogate to conceive her and her husband Bill's first child; doctors take a male's sperm and fertilize a woman's egg before artificially planting it inside a third party.

Kardashian is said to be more eager than ever to have a baby following the recent news of her sister Kim's first pregnancy. Kim, has been dating rapper Kanye West for one year and confirmed her pregnancy on New Year's Day.

"Of course Khloe wants to be happy for Kim," a separate source said, adding "but she really doesn't understand Kim's motivation or reasoning for getting pregnant, other than to gain attention and throw it in her face!"

Aside from allegedly feeling clucky, critics suspect that Kardashian's rumored marital woes with Odom may also be influencing her desire to use a surrogate.

In December, it was claimed that the Los Angeles Clipper star had recently become so unhappy in his marriage that he was beginning to stray with other women.

"She wants to have a baby in hopes of saving their marriage. "It's so clear Khloé and Lamar are having issues, even if Khloé doesn't want to own up to it," a friend allegedly told Life & Style magazine.

"If Khloé gave Lamar a baby now, she thinks it would really solidify them, it would create an everlasting bond. A baby would cement them," a second friend said.