As a surrogate, when the time comes to deliver the baby, there are so many emotions racing. We want to be sure everything is ready and in place well before the actual delivery day. There will be a cute bundle of joy (or two or three!) that will take center stage, of course.

For the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, the IVF clinic will continue to monitor your progress. Then, the surrogate will be released to the OB/GYN of her choosing. Many times, this is the doctor she has used for her previous children's births and delivery. If there are multiple babies, many times the surrogates will be asked to come to the doctor's office for more frequent visits to ensure the health of the babies and the surrogate.

After the birth, the baby is handed to the intended parents first. It's nice, too, if the intended parents ask the surrogate if she wants to hold the baby. A lot of the times, the surrogate also provides pumped breast milk (or actually, colostrum) for the baby in the hospital if the IPs and surrogate agree to that up front and have arrangements in place.

Furthermore, the hospital usually reserves a close-by room for the intended parents so that the baby can stay in there with them and bond. Usually, it's also a nice gesture if the intended parents take the baby and go visit the surrogate in her hospital room.

Once the baby is released by the pediatrician, the intended parents will leave the hospital with their child. The surrogate will leave the hospital with her family plus savor the wonderful feeling of helping a couple become a family.

Do you have questions about being a surrogate or the process on delivery day? Our surrogacy, Shared Conception, would love to answer any questions you may have. Call us!

•  In 1934 at Harvard University, scientist Gregory Pincus conducts IVF experiments on rabbits. Results suggest that similar fertilization is possible in humans.

•  A few years later, John Rock and Miriam Menkin succeed in the first IVF of human eggs. However, implanting a fertilized egg into a woman has yet to be attempted.

•  Fast forward 30 years, British scientist Robert Edwards heads to America to meet with Drs. Howard and Georgeanna Jones at John Hopkins University. They continue their research on fertilizing eggs in vitro.

•  Edwards meets Dr. Patrick Steptoe who developed laparoscopy— the retrieval of a mature human egg. The two join forces and further their research.

•  Lesley Brown and her husband John meet with Edwards and Steptoe. The duo heard about new research into IVF where eggs are fertilized with sperm outside the body in a lab and implanted into the womb.

•  Moving forward with the process in 1977, Steptoe removes an egg from Brown’s ovaries that is later fertilized. The egg develops into an embryo and is implanted into Brown’s uterus. Edwards and Steptoe discover that the fertilized egg was the first to grow in utero via IVF.

•  Born in 1978, Louise Brown was the first human to be conceived through the IVF process. She is now 38 years old.

From this point, assisted reproduction began taking off, giving hope to millions of infertile people and couples. Our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception, is proud to be a part of this movement. Call us as you think about enhancing your family. We can help you. 

One of the hardest things to do in surrogacy is wait.  This goes for all parties:  the IPs, the surrogate, the egg donor, the agency coordinator, etc.  It's so hard to wait when something so amazing is almost in your grasp; you just have to put the final pieces of the puzzle into place.  Waiting is also one of the most important things in surrogacy.  Imagine rushing into any other type of commitment and the consequences it can have.  You might meet a lovely couple or a lovely woman wanting to be a surrogate and think, "this is it!  Let's get this show on the road!" but there are so many important factors to consider.

The BIG questions have to be discussed before you ever move forward.  How many embryos will we transfer?  Are we open to reduction/termination?  What will our fees be?  What type of birthing situation would we like?  A good agency can and should help you to dicuss these items and may even do some of this screening before you even meet in person.  It may seem a little odd to talk about so many intimate details right off the bat, but it's important to be sure everyone is on the same page.  

One of the things I've seen so many people do is compromise their true desires and end up disappointed or in a position they did not want to be in.  The effects of this decision can run the range from casting a shadow of awkwardness over the journey to ending up with procedures you agreed to, on paper, but never thought you'd have to actually go through with.  True matching should go over the seemingly trivial details and the hard, heavy items ad naseum so that no one has regrets later down the line.  People tend to get caught up in the emotion of the process and think, "This is almost what I want so those few things won't matter."  Trust me, they matter.  They matter a lot.  So, slow down, think it through, stick to what you originally want for your journey..  You might have to wait a little longer, but the wait is worth it. Not much is finite and predictable in surrogacy (or life!) but the more solid foundation you lay, the better the process will be.  Trying to shove pieces together that don't fit never works out well.  Practicing patience to find that perfect match is one of the smartest decisions anyone involved in surrogacy can make.

Our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception, loves receiving your questions about surrogacy so please keep them coming. One question that weighs on most people's minds is this: Is there a weight requirement to become a surrogate?

There is no weight requirement but there is typically a BMI, or Body Mass Index, requirement.

Why does BMI matter for Surrogates?

BMI is a measure of your body fat based on your height and weight. The requirement is put in place for your safety and to also ensure that the transfer and pregnancy has the best possibly chance of being successful. Shared Conception typically screens surrogates because we want to make sure that a surrogacy journey is going to be the right choice for each individual who applies.

Each fertility clinic has their own BMI limit but most require the surrogate’s BMI to be 32 and under.

Calculate your BMI:

http://www.bmi-calculator.net

Stay in touch with us and, as always, let us know if you have any questions, comments or concerns. Our surrogacy agency is here to help and advise you along the way.

A recent YouGov poll asked U.S. citizens what they thought about surrogacy. Our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception,  was not surprised to learn that 71 percent of people polled said they approved of surrogacy. To give you a gender breakdown, women approved of the practice at a rate of 73 percent, while 69 percent of men were in favor of surrogacy.

Vocal celebrities speaking out about their surrogacy journeys as well as their infertility struggles may be contributing to the favorable public opinion.

In addition to celebs shining a positive light on surrogacy, generally Americans may feel deep empathy for individuals who cannot have biological children any other way than through surrogacy. Of those surveyed, 58 percent said having a biological child was important.

Majority support for surrogacy extended across all age ranges, political affiliations, and geographic regions. Most notably, the Midwest and the West proved to be slightly more supportive of surrogacy than other regions. Also, people between 30 and 44 years old were more likely to strongly support surrogacy than any other age range.

The Americans polled also supported compensated surrogacy–they believe a woman deserves to be paid to be a surrogate. Moreover, 57 percent of people polled approved of legislation in favor of compensated surrogacy.

Given our long history of successful surrogacy arrangements, favorable surrogacy law in most states, and the increased awareness for alternative parenting options, we were not surprised that YouGov’s poll showed most Americans approve of surrogacy.

This culture of support coupled with excellent health care continues to make the United States the best place in the world for surrogacy. Call the best place to start your surrogacy journey, Shared Conception. We are here to help!

A successful surrogacy is a team effort. It means the cooperation of surrogates, egg donors, intended parents, doctors, nurses, social workers, attorneys, and coordinators. Focusing on openness, honesty, and communication can help make a good journey great.

But we don’t often recognize the role of support people in ensuring everything goes smoothly. Spouses, partners, family members, and friends who stand beside surrogates are an important part of the team. So what makes an exceptional support person?

Awareness about surrogacy. Great surrogate candidates have spent considerable time researching the process of surrogacy. And a great support person has an understanding of what the process means as well.

Open conversations. On a related note, support people need to be communicating with the surrogates about what surrogacy will look like for their family.

Desire to participate. When both a surrogate and her husband, partner, or spouse click with intended parents, a vibrant relationship can grow. “We’re not just matching surrogates. Really, we’re matching families.” Support people often travel with surrogates to medical appointments and transfers.

Willingness to help out. Support people can help with the emotional journey of surrogacy, but also with childcare and helping around the house.

Our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception,  thanks all of our stellar support people for their help in making surrogacy work. Call on us and let us be a part of your surrogacy support network as well.

1. You’re family oriented.   

Diapers, spit-up, tantrums— you name it, you can handle it with ease. You make being a caretaker a priority because you want it to be. That’s essentially a gestational surrogate’s role–carrying and caring for the intended parents’ child until the baby is ready to meet the world.

 2. You’re organized.

Whether it’s a controlled chaos, or a finely tuned calendar, you have your scheduling down to a science. Gestational surrogates are responsible for gathering important documents at the start of their journey. Furthermore, they need to stay on top of their local monitoring appointments and Skype or telephone calls with intended parents.

 3. You’re open-minded.

We always remind our surrogates and intended parents that the best things to do are to keep an open mind and prepare for the unexpected. Sometimes things are completely out of the agency’s, surrogate’s, and intended parents’ control. After all, we’re talking about a little bundle of joy who’s operating on his or her own schedule.

 4. You’re healthy.

When applying to become a surrogate, there are some initial medical qualifications that need to be met, such as a healthy BMI, a successful previous pregnancy and not being a smoker. Additionally, surrogates in our program must pass medical and psychological screenings.

 5. You’re a mother.

As previously mentioned, we can only accept applicants who have given birth to a healthy child within the past 10 years. 

 6. You’re surrounded by supportive people.

One major factor in a successful surrogacy arrangement is identifying a primary support person to help guide you and be a shoulder to lean on throughout the process. A reliable support system makes the journey that much more incredible.

 7. You think everyone should have the right to become a parent. And you’re right. Just like us, you feel that sexual orientation or marital status should never be a roadblock to parenthood. That’s why we’ve sought out IVF clinics, surrogates, and egg donors, all of whom share our values and beliefs in family.

 Think you’ve got some or all of these qualities? Then you may want to learn more about surrogacy and the incredible opportunities it has given women around the country. Our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception, is waiting to hear from you. Call us.  

 

Around 10 percent of couples are affected by infertility, in addition to gay couples- many of whom would like to build families. Surrogacy has become one of the most viable options for couples who cannot conceive. Even though it is far more common today than it was 20 years ago, surrogacy is still new to the world in a lot of ways.

Most of the negative stories we hear in the media are the one in 10,000 stories, which overshadow the thousands of babies who are being born into beautiful, loving families due to the generosity of surrogates from several different states. Not to mention, those sensationalized stories often leave out pertinent facts to give readers proper context.

That’s why when a celebrity like Elizabeth Banks–who you probably know from the Hunger Gamesseries, 30 Rock, Modern Family and Wet Hot American Summer–speaks out about surrogacy, it’s a powerful gesture to the kids born via surrogacy, parents via surrogacy and surrogates.

Elizabeth Banks and husband Max Handelman have welcomed both sons–Felix and Magnus–via a surrogate mother.

“This experience has exceeded all expectations, taught us a great deal about generosity and gratitude, and established a relationship that will last a lifetime. I am also so very thankful to our family and friends for their support throughout this process,” she said.

“It was a womb issue for me. Embryos wouldn’t implant,” she said regarding her infertility issues. “It’s a big leap, inviting this person into your life to do this amazing, important thing for you. And it’s hard losing that kind of control. But our surrogate is so extraordinary, and she’s still in our lives. She’s like an auntie.”

That’s great to hear. Our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception, applauds Elizabeth Banks, for speaking candidly about her experience. I hope she knows how much it means to us.