The miracle of surrogacy would not be possible without individuals, who despite being unable to have children on their own, are determined to build loving, wonderful families of their own. And it wouldn’t be possible without mothers, who recognize the power of parenthood, answering the call to become surrogates.

We are honored that, our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception, have been able to be a part of creating your families and being a part of your lives. There’s not a day that goes by where we don’t think about how spectacular the last couple of years have been and we are excitedly looking forward to the future.

The act of even deciding to consult with a surrogacy agency is a well-thought out decision that we take seriously. We understand the excitement, trepidation, nervousness and happiness that comes with picking up the phone or dropping us an email. To that end, expect us to be compassionate, straightforward, honest and transparent about our surrogacy process.  We have the same high expectations and wish for a successful outcome just like you do. We celebrate you, the intended parent, you the potential surrogate and we celebrate surrogacy!

For individuals who are interested in becoming parents through surrogacy, more information is available at http://sharedconception.publishpath.com/parents.

For women who are thinking about becoming a surrogate, there is more information at http://sharedconception.publishpath.com/surrogates.

To keep up with our latest news in surrogacy, find us, Shared Conception, on Facebook.

Here at Shared Conception, we wish you well as we turn yet another chapter in our journey of life, and keep living to our fullest potential.

Our surrogacy agency researched* and found the "Top 10 New Years Resolutions." Do they match up with any of your personal New Years resolutions?

1. Lose Weight

2. Getting Organized

3. Spend Less, Save More

4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest

5. Staying Fit and Healthy

6. Learn Something Exciting

7. Quit Smoking

8. Help Others in Their Dreams

9. Fall in Love

10. Spend More Time with Family

At our surrogacy agency, our chief goal is #8, "help others in their dreams." As an Intended Parent or someone thinking of becoming an Intended Parent, now is a great time to finally make your dream of becoming a parent come true. Now, is the time to research what it means to use a surrogacy agency and how to successfully navigate the role of being an Intended Parent. Making the first step can lead to you, hopefully, cradling your newborn soon!

As a surrogate or a surrogate mother, you also have the opportunity to literally "help others in their dreams." Imagine being able to give the gift of a baby, the gift of life to a family who so yearns to parent and lovingly raise a child. Now is the time for you to start researching what it means to have a baby for another family. Now is the time to start prepping your body (through a healthy diet and exercise) to carry a baby. Now is the time to call a surrogacy agency and start the screening process.

It's such a treat to start the new year with a clean slate, let's intentionally write the words to our own life story. Peruse the above-mentioned resolutions (pay close attention to #8!), and determine how this new year will unfold for you and your family.

 Happy new year!

1. You get to give one of the greatest gifts anyone can ever give. From the moment children come into our lives, our world changes for the good. We are suddenly filled with enormous amounts of love and devotion for a tiny little being. Their first smile, first giggle, first step and first word are just a few of the simple, but extraordinary treasures that make parenthood an amazing and rewarding experience. Helping someone else experience these treasures is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.

2. You’ll form a lifelong bond, a connection that is like no other. The surrogacy process creates an intimate link that binds the lives of the intended parents, the surrogate and the child. The relationship created through the surrogacy process is one that our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception, takes exceptional care to respect and maintain throughout the journey.

3. Receive financial compensation for helping a family in need. Receive financial compensation to help you and your family.

4. Choose who you want to work with. Intended parents come from around the world and all kinds of backgrounds. During the application and screening process, surrogates have the opportunity to express whom they would like to work with. Shared Conception’s matching process involves the mutual exchange of profiles and an introductory Skype video call so you can be sure you’re comfortable with the couple or individual you will be working with.

5. Gain a sense of pride and accomplishment that you take with you the rest of your life. Becoming a surrogate and helping another family achieve their parenthood dreams is an amazing act of kindness. These intended parents wouldn’t have a child if it weren’t for your desire to help. You will have a sense of pride that you helped another family fulfill their dream for the rest of your life.

6. Have the support you need 24/7 from the beginning to the end. Every step of your surrogacy journey–from the IVF process, pregnancy, delivery and post-delivery–will be carefully guided and coordinated by our experienced team. In addition to the support from your intended parents, you can be sure our surrogacy agency will be cheering you on!

7. Help create families of all backgrounds. Shared Conception works with both heterosexual and LGBT intended parents. During the application and screening process, surrogates have the opportunity to let us know whom they would like to work with.

8. Set a good example for your children and community. Show your children and community the unselfish act of kindness of helping another family.

9. Help make dreams come true. Women who choose to become surrogates do so out of a sincere compassion to help a couple or individual have a child. They realize that nothing fulfills a person’s life more than being part of a family. They might not realize it, but they make dreams come true.

10. Last but certainly not least, become a part of an amazing group of women – the surrogate mother community. Be a part of a community of some amazing, selfless, compassionate women helping to create little miracles for others.

What did we miss? Tell us what you think are the best reasons being a surrogate is great!

It is common to give surrogacy gifts to both surrogate mothers as well as to intended parents. (And don’t forget the surrogate babies!) From gift baskets and surrogacy t-shirts to commemorative trees and Kodak photo books, there are countless gifts for all parties involved!

A surrogate journey, ending with the birth of a baby, is in itself a gift, for everyone. No material gift could compare for anyone involved, including the surrogate.

Gift giving, however, is a very common custom in many families and cultures. Surrogacy is no exception.

Many surrogate mothers and intended parents would like to give surrogacy gifts to one another as symbols of their friendship, extreme gratitude,  as a welcoming gift or just as a thank-you.

Not every surrogate pregnancy involves gift giving, but most do.

Gifts can be surrogate mom gifts, gifts for intended parents, for the surrogate babies or even the surrogate mother’s children. They do not have to be expensive. Remember, it’s the thought that counts. Happy gift-giving and happy holidays from all of us at our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception!=

This season makes most of us naturally think of giving thanks for everything in our lives. Here at our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception, we truly think that there is much more to be thankful for than we initially assume.

Family

Okay, now we know this is a very popular and cliché answer,  but ask yourself these questions: What does my family do for me? Where would I be without them? Are they supporting your surrogacy or your intended child? It is the unconditional love that exists between the members of a family which makes these relationships so incredible.  Please do not take one moment for granted while you are with your family this holiday season! And also, do not be afraid to express your gratitude to them whether in person, via text, by letter or a quick phone call. It will mean the world to them.

Friendships

These are other relationships that go unnoticed and unappreciated all of the time. When was the last time you said “Thank you!” to your best friend for always texting you back or replying to your Facebook posts? It goes without saying that our friends put up with a lot for us, and they still love us anyways. After all, how many times have you texted or called them regarding your pending surrogacy journey? This season try to thank your friends with a simple note or hug to let them know that you really do care.

A Peaceful Home

We understand that your own home may not be literally  "peaceful" but take a moment to understand how blessed you are to live where you do. Many people across the world are living in areas of poverty, mass destruction, and immoral chaos. Do not take this blessing lightly anymore. Instead, be thankful for every moment, even the most frustrating.

Happiness and Laughter

There is no greater gift than a smile. During this time of year, soak up every laugh and giggle you can. Be thankful for the happiness you are able to share with those around you and share that with the world around you. You never know who needs a smile, and you could definitely brighten someone’s day by flashing those white sparkly teeth their way.

Food and Health

We are assuming that none of you have truly experienced extreme hunger like many children do in other countries. Although you may not like broccoli and squash, be mindful that the food you are given or the food you buy is keeping you strong and healthy. Especially during this holiday season, give extra thanks for the food you eat.

Our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception, is thankful for our industry and we are super thankful for all of you!

Selfless. Generous. Powerful. Beautiful. Heroic. These words come to mind when you think about gestational carriers aka surrogates. But some surrogates simply believe, “If you’re in a position to help someone, you should.”

That’s what an amazing surrogate, Kim, told us.

“When you have four kids nine months goes by pretty quickly,” says Kim, who is on her second surrogacy journey. This time around she is carrying twins. Sometimes a surrogate will work with the same parent or parents if they would like to have another baby. In this case, she is working with new dads.

Every woman’s path to surrogacy is unique. For Kim, she wanted to make something positive out of her loss. Five years ago when her father died, she went in search of something meaningful. It was around that time she decided to become a surrogate. She was paired with a gay couple on her first journey and helped them build their family. In the process her family grew.

Her kids, one girl and three boys, think of her first baby born through surrogacy like a cousin. They skype. They send photos. They even exchange birthday gifts and Christmas gifts. Their closeness serves as a reminder that we’re more connected to one another than we are divided.

“I feel that family isn’t limited to blood and DNA, it is the people you choose and those who have touched your life,” says Kim.Because of Kim’s nursing degree, she is very aware of all the need in the world. Kim added that she doesn’t work as a nurse, and her husband doesn’t use his degree either. She and her husband would like to make an even greater contribution to the world.

Right now her husband is back in school pursuing a degree to make both of their dreams come true. The plan is to take his agricultural knowledge and open an organic farm. And with Kim’s love of hospitality as a driving force, they would love to parlay their crops into a farm-to-table restaurant. That’s the dream, but she is receptive to what the world may have in store for her.

“I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up,” Kim added.

Talking to Kim was a great reminder of something we already know—that surrogates are very special individuals who contribute to their family while helping another.

One of the requirements for becoming a surrogate is a “successful term pregnancy." What this means is that to be a surrogate you need to have had given birth before. Many women want to help complete another family even if they do not meet this requirement, but we must include it for several reasons.

Deciding to become a surrogate can be a life-changing decision, but it’s important to know the entire process before committing. One of the first things prospective surrogates will look up are the basic surrogate requirements before applying. Some of these are set by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. ASRM is an organization that ensures ethical standards are upheld through the practice and advancement of reproductive medicines. In order to be approved by this organization, our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception  must uphold their requirements, one of which is that a woman must have had a successful term pregnancy prior to being a surrogate.

While surrogacy is often described as a journey, pregnancy is a journey in itself. Some women find a love for pregnancy, having an easy time adapting to their changing body and having little trouble with delivery. While some meet challenges, battling hormonal differences and dealing with aches and discomfort throughout the process. What it comes down to is that you don’t know what your experience will be like until it happens, and to be a qualified surrogate, we need women who know first-hand what pregnancy, labor, and delivery entails.

Intended parents come to Shared Conception because they want to build their family. Deciding on the path of surrogacy is many times the result of infertility. One in six couples is affected by infertility, and it is equally a women’s issue as well as a men’s issue. We also work with single individuals and same-sex couples who are in need of assisted reproduction to help build their family.

Most times heterosexual couples do not know they’re infertile until they’re trying to get pregnant. After unsuccessful attempts at becoming pregnant, couples may seek medical help where they may discover that they are unable to conceive or unable to bring a child to term.

If a surrogate has never been pregnant or carried a child to term before then she may have limited knowledge of her own fertility. This information is important to intended parents who are ready to emotionally and financially invest in a surrogacy journey.

Overall, these guidelines are put into place to make sure our surrogates can knowingly say they are comfortable with the process and that they are positive of their decision to become a surrogate. Pregnancy history is one of the key factors in evaluating a potential surrogate for both our surrogacy agency and intended parents. While this guideline is set by the ASRM, we believe that it is necessary to be set forth for potential surrogates as it offers valuable information as to if a woman qualifies to be a surrogate. Shared Conception is ready to help you embark on this journey. Give us a call.

To many, surrogacy may seem like a revolutionary idea. While this holds some truth in that the legality and medical advancements are ever-changing, the fact of the matter is that surrogacy has been around for thousands of years. Ever since people have been reproducing, surrogacy has been an alternative, helpful way of doing so.

Traditional surrogacy is a relatively straight forward process, requiring a fertile man and a fertile woman, which made it an effective way of childbearing throughout human history. In fact, the bible cites an ancient instance of traditional surrogacy. Sarah, who was infertile, requested that her handmaiden, Hagar, carry her husband, Abraham’s, child.

While traditional surrogacy has been practiced for ages, gestational surrogacy was developed much more recently. In 1978, the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) baby was born. Just five years later, the first baby from an egg donation was born. The combination of these two innovative technologies resulted in the emergence of gestational surrogacy, which was first performed in 1985 and has grown exponentially in popularity over the past 20 years.

In 1986, surrogacy encountered its first real legal question when a traditional surrogate, upon giving birth to the child, decided that she wanted to keep the child. A two-year-long legal battle between the surrogate and the intended parents eventually resulted in the IPs retaining custody. As surrogacy continued to grow, this landmark case, referred to as the Baby M case, sparked many legal questions surrounding surrogacy in many countries around the world, and today, commercial surrogacy is legal in most U.S. states, and a handful of countries including India, Russia, and Ukraine; however, intended parents from countries where surrogacy is illegal may travel abroad to legally have a child through surrogacy.

Even more recently, several surrogacy records have been reached including in 2011 when the oldest-ever surrogate mother, 61, whose daughter is infertile, carried her grandchild. She was the second grandmother to carry her grandchild in only a few years.

Surrogacy has helped start families for centuries. It has developed from a rarely documented occurrence thousands of years ago, to a rapidly growing and viable option for having children.

To find out more about becoming a parent through surrogacy, or to set up a consultation with our team, visit www.sharedconception.com.

For many parents pursuing surrogacy and/or egg donation as a family-building method, the term PGD may come up. This reproductive technology is used with an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle and can be used to diagnose genetic disease in early embryos prior to the implantation in your surrogate mother. You may have also heard of the term preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), which doesn’t look for specific diseases, but uses PGD techniques to identify at-risk embryos. Here we take a look at how the test works to help you determine if it’s right for you.

How does it work?
PGD begins with IVF that includes egg retrieval and fertilization in a lab. Over the next three days, the embryo will divide into eight cells. Then one or two cells are removed from the embryo. The cells are then evaluated to determine if the inheritance of a problematic gene is present in the embryo. Once the procedure has been performed and embryos free of genetic problems have been identified, the embryo is implanted in the surrogate’s uterus in hopes of a successful pregnancy.

What are the benefits of PGD?
The reason intended parents (IPs) opt for PGD is because it can test for more than 100 different genetic conditions. Since the procedure happens before implantation, it allows IPs to decide if they wish to continue with the surrogate’s pregnancy. It’s important to keep in mind, however, it doesn’t completely eliminate the risk of conceiving a child with a genetic disorder.

If you’re interested in learning more about PGD testing, talk to your IVF doctor. And if you’re part of our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception, we can help you connect you to the right people.

Starting out, I didn’t know exactly what to expect— though I could imagine the possible effects. When I first found out I was pregnant with my daughter, it was a complete surprise, and I was initially in shock and did not know what to feel or think about being pregnant. I was only 19 after all and had no plans of getting pregnant for at least a few years. After a few days, I let that news sink in and ended up embracing the news. I remember for the majority of my pregnancy being very excited and happy. I just loved it. And from time to time (after the birth) I would actually miss being pregnant (but with no desire to start over with a newborn no matter how adorable they are, lol).

I thought long and hard and discussed at length the decision to go on a surrogacy journey. Not to mention all the surrogacy blogs I read of other surrogates, each one unique in its own way. Emotions are rather unpredictable, especially when combined with a woman’s hormones. And I could not say with 100% certainty that I would come out of it ‘unscathed,’ but my husband fully supported my decision and shared my opinion that I would have the right mindset. So I decided to start with the application with my selected surrogacy agency…and see if or how far it would take me. And I am so glad I did 🙂

There was definitely a lot of frustration after going through two failed transfer attempts and three cycles—those shots aren’t exactly fun! And after feeling like I had so much trouble getting a successful transfer, I worried through most of the first trimester that the baby wouldn’t stay. I think I started really feeling confident in the pregnancy after I started feeling the first flutters of movement from baby around 17-18 weeks. My favorite part, albeit the least comfortable, is the last 2 to 3 months when you really start showing. The overall pregnancy was a good experience though different from what I had anticipated.

I realize now that a part of the kind of excitement and happiness I felt with my daughter came from preparing and planning for the baby, which is something I did not need to do in a surrogacy journey. So when that ‘nesting’ period came instead of running around preparing and arranging baby stuff, I was running around scrubbing appliances inside and out and washing down walls and doors and reorganizing closets, lol. Instead the excitement and happiness I felt was different because it wasn’t for me, but for an awesomely wonderful intended couple that had started this journey long before I stepped in.

When my water broke on a Monday morning, I knew it wouldn’t be long (though I didn’t know it would be 21 hours later-lol) that I would be laying my eyes on the child I had carried for the past 38 weeks and I wasn’t sure what or if any kind of emotion would hit me. But when I first laid eyes on her I felt nothing except the relief that pushing was over. They cut the cord, wiped her up a little bit and then I was asked if I would like to hold her. I didn’t feel the need to and wondered if I should…but decided I would. Taking her in my arms, I felt nothing but a big sense of pride wash over me, she was beautiful or as her father said when I first walked into their room as he was holding her, “She’s perfect.” I wish the parents could have made it there in time for the birth, but all that matters is that they were able to make it. I never once felt like she was mine or that she was being taken away from me. I am fully confident that my intended parents will be wonderful parents. I got a kick out of watching them with her because they acted just like new parents. I remember my first week with my baby, Chloe…she broke me in. And so Hannah will break them in, lol.

The one month pictures were just beautiful, I loved seeing how much she had grown and how healthy she looked. The parents have made it all the way home now and have had a couple of pictures on Facebook of them holding/feeding her. They make a beautiful family 🙂

Assuming everything goes well with my postpartum checkup, and I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t as I am feeling almost 100% right now (I think it helps that I didn’t tear, thank goodness!), I can totally see me going on another journey.  I can only imagine how wonderful it must feel to see new families created every day but it really is a wonderful thing surrogacy agencies are doing for these intended couples. And I am thankful to have been a small part of it.