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Tips for a Cool Summer

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Texas, and many other places around the country, can be brutal during the summer with the high temperatures and humidity. It is awfully uncomfortable and being pregnant can make the heat more intense. You may think “I will never feel cool again” – but don’t worry! Shared Conception has you covered with these tips on how to stay cool and enjoy yourself this summer.

  • Do outdoor tasks in the early morning or evening – when it is not as hot.
  • If it is over 90 degrees, stay in the shade, indoors or wherever there is air conditioning!
  • Wear loose fitting, light colored clothing.
  • Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
  • Can someone say “mocktail” – sip a delightful concoction to treat yourself.
  • Sunscreen! And don’t forget to reapply!
  • Take a quick cool shower (or two) to cool down throughout the day.
  • If it doesn’t need to be done now – REST!
  • And always ask for help from your support system!

Now, you may notice your skin changes too. When you are pregnant, your body can respond to all the hormonal changes and produce high amounts of melanin. This can cause dark spots and patches. Staying out of excessive sunlight will protect your skin and as mentioned above, find a sunscreen that will not irritate your skin to apply frequently. The heat can make your skin dry and itchy too. Lotions and moisturizing washes can soothe the itch, but most importantly, staying hydrated will work from the inside out.

Shared Conception is dedicated to keeping our surrogates happy and healthy. If you are looking into becoming a surrogate and giving the precious gift of life, give us a call today. You can also visit us online at www.SharedConception.comfor more information or to fill out our online questionnaire to see if surrogacy is the right path for you.

PregPosture

Pregnancy and Posture

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Pregnancy and Posture

Proper posture during pregnancy is an easy way to prevent back pain while adding extra pregnancy pounds during those blissful 9 months. Training your body to properly stand, sit move and even lie down puts less strain on your back. Proper alignment can decrease low back and neck pain. It even helps fight against fatigue. Although your blossoming belly makes you feel like you can topple over with a simple shift, there are several tips listed below that can help you maintain good posture.

  • Keep your chin tucked in so your ears are in a straight line with your shoulders.
  • Avoid standing in the same position for long amounts of time.
  • Choose the flat comfy and supportive shoes! Not high heels! For your back’s sake!
  • Consider a maternity support belt. It may not be the most fashionable item you own, but it is the most relieving.
  • When seated, sit in a chair that supports the length of your thighs and knees are level with your hips.
  • When lying on your side (because what other choice do you really have?) place a pillow under your belly and between your knees. This supports the weight of your uterus and top leg.

Remember, correct posture requires practice AND it makes such a difference.

If you are interested in becoming a surrogate and would like more information, you can visit our website: www.sharedconception.comor give us a call for an informative, no pressure conversation at 713.622.1144.

 

 

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Pregnancy Skin

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Congratulations! You are pregnant! Exciting times are coming your way and a LOT of changes are in your near future. At Shared Conception, we like to celebrate pregnancy, but we are also conscious that there are some changes we don’t always welcome during our journey. So let’s talk PREGNANCY SKIN.

 

Your skin changes when you are pregnant. Hormones are especially responsible for any unwelcomed skin changes throughout your journey. Acne, stretch marks, skin tags, darkened skin, and random raised bumps can appear anywhere and at any time – LOVELY! Always remember, like pregnancy, this is temporary and usually occurs in the first and second trimesters.

 

But don’t forget the pregnancy glow! A benefit to changes in hormone levels and increased blood flow. The skin glands on your face can produce more sebum (oil) which can give a shiny glow. Increased blood volume can make your skin look luminous which means – no filters are necessary when taking pictures!

 

To help clear skin, use a gentle cleanser twice a day. Make sure you clean your hands before you wash your face to avoid adding bacteria to your skin. There are also a ton of natural home remedies you can access here. Harsh cleansers and topical treatments are not always recommended to use while pregnant. Make sure you speak to your doctor and read any labels – some often read “not for use while pregnant.”

 

It’s also common to develop dark spots on your skin. The most common darkened area is the linea nigra, the dark line stretching from the belly button to the top of the pubic bone. 75% of pregnant ladies notice this line. But don’t worry, it usually fades away a few months post delivery when your hormone levels begin to balance out and stop fluctuating.

 

Are you interested in surrogacy? Give Shared Conception a call today. For more information, visit us online at www.SharedConception.com– we would love to hear from you!

 

 

References:

https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-body/

https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/skin-changes-during-pregnancy/

https://www.babycenter.com/0_skin-darkening-during-pregnancy-melasma-or-chloasma_222.bc

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Surrogacy Agency – Learning More About Why You Should Choose A Surrogate Agency

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[svp]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcsTOdJcWeA[/svp]
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSharedConception

Shared Conception is a full-service, custom-matching surrogacy agency that expertly and compassionately assists you through the process of surrogacy. We deftly offer personalized, efficient service that results in couples bringing their dreams of a having a family into reality.

Shiva Landry founded Shared Conception, LLC in 2011 and it is one of the most reputable and results-oriented surrogacy agencies in Houston, Texas and across the nation. No stranger to pregnancy-related difficulties, Shiva Landry has battled with her own infertility issues and so personally understands much of the related emotions. Paired with her experience in the medical field along with her extensive business experience that her Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and successful business career brings her, she and her staff knowledgeably and compassionately guide intended parents and surrogates through the process.

Shared Conception understands how overwhelming the process can be for first time surrogates. Thus, the agency’s support and experience is invaluable to the surrogates they will be supporting. Our staff is consistently available throughout the process – from the initial inquiry about the program to the time she delivers that bouncing baby.

Shiva Landry is a member of ASRM (American Society of Reproductive Medicine) and SEEDS (Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy) and professionally adheres to all established ethics and guidelines.

With Shiva Landry’s personal desire to help build and complete families plus her business experience, Shared Conception is committed to providing our clients with exceptional and individualized personal attention, education, support and confidential third party services.

☎️ For more information on Surrogacy and how you can apply http://DeliverADream.com

—————————————- BEGIN TRANSCRIPT —————————————-
Hi, I’m Shiva Landry, owner of Shared Conception. I’m so excited that you’re interested in learning more about the surrogacy process. There are so many women out there who love being pregnant, have had healthy pregnancies and have watched a friend or family member struggle with infertility and thought, what can I do to help? At Shared Conception, we guide you through the process of fulfilling a dream and helping create a family.

I do have a full time job, but I’m also a full time student and it has helped me go into school debt free. Now I’m on my second semester of nursing school with out any debt. It’s incredible. The compensation has helped my family by me being able to do things with my children than I normally would have to save up a little bit longer to do or put off for a little bit longer. The financial piece, it’s really helped my family by being able to put a down payment on a home, which is our dream home and where my family is currently living. As well as to set ourself up for success for our three children when they go to college. And I mean, it’s allowed us to go on family vacations. It’s helped us pay off some of our debt that we’ve had. And actually most recently, on this third journey, we’re looking at doing an add on project to our house.

The look on my IP faces when they became parents, I’ll never forget that. Just watching someone who may not have been able to have kids otherwise, it seeing them all their baby when I saw my intended mother holding her child and do skin to skin with this baby that she’s so long for and I’ve been wanting and praying for all this time, it has to be my most favorite moment in the delivery room when the intended parents held their baby for the first time, there was not a dry eye in the house from my ob Gyn to my husband, to the intended parents. It was an amazing experience for everyone. And it was such a thing. Special, incredible moment. And, and I can replay that in my head so many times and know that at that moment that that set of, um, you know, that set of husband and wife became instead a family,

if you’re interested in learning more about surrogacy, pick up the phone and call Shared Conception. Ask about the process, bring all of your questions and your concerns and let them, let them talk you through the process. It’s the most amazing gift that you can give. And if you’re considering it in the call, definitely reach out to Shiva at Share Conception. Just do it. Take the first step, make the call, send the email, learn more information. I have personally struggled with infertility and through those hard times that I found my life’s mission, and that’s to help amazing women like you connect with people or aching to have their own child. If you’re interested in learning more about surrogacy, just fill out the brief form on this page and one of our coordinators will contact you and answer any questions that you have. There’s no obligation whatsoever. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Traditional vs. Gestational Surrogates

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When a woman begins the process of becoming a surrogate, she can easily become overwhelmed with new terms and new definitions. One of those areas that can sometimes become confusing is the type of surrogate to become. There are two main types: gestational and traditional.

At Shared Conception, we work with only gestational surrogates. What does that mean, exactly? Gestational surrogates are women who have no biological link to the babies they are carrying. The baby is a combination of the intended parents or an egg donor. The gestational surrogate has no biological connection to the baby or babies she is carrying at all.

Other agencies use traditional surrogates. Traditional surrogates are women whose own eggs are used in the pregnancy. Shared Conception does not work with traditional surrogates due to the obvious legal and emotional aspects of this complicated situation.

Are you ready to get started finding out more about becoming a gestational surrogate? Ask us!

How much are surrogates compensated?

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How much are surrogates compensated?

At Shared Conception, each surrogate determines her fee to the intended parents. Many factors go into this overall number. Has the woman been a surrogate before? Is there travel time and cost involved? Will the surrogate’s health insurance be used or will she be required to purchase a new plan? Will this be considered a difficult pregnancy? Will there be more than one embryo or a multiple birth?

In addition, some surrogates have additional fees they include in their overall cost. Maternity clothes and a monthly allowance for paperwork and time involved in doctor’s visits are also factored in.

Also, if the pregnancy becomes high-risk, many surrogates have added expenses. Housecleaning services and lost wages are included if the surrogate is required to be on bed rest.

Answering these and several other questions can help a surrogate determine her base fee. Once the surrogate and her intended families are matched together, the parties negotiate to come up with the final compensation package.

Have a question? We’re here to help. Ask us at Shared Conception to help you get started on the journey to surrogacy.

 

Guest Blog! Was it hard to give up the baby?

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babyWas it hard to give up the baby?

This is usually the first question people ask me when they’ve found out I’ve been a surrogate before. I delivered a baby girl for my Intended Parents in October of last year. After several months of delay, we transferred in February of 2010 and were pregnant on the first try. I remember telling the Intended Mother and friend, E, that the transfer worked and she cried and squealed with joy. I cried on the phone too; it was better than I’d ever imagined.

I was there when the Reproductive Endocrinologist showed us the two embryos we’d be transferring. Baby L’s very first portrait session. I saw the word “pregnant” pop up on a pregnancy test and ran around the house waving a stick I’d peed on yelling, “IT WORKED!!! Albert, it worked!!! They’re gonna have a baby!!!” I felt sick in the mornings, craved ice cream and watched my belly grow as that child took shape in my womb. I can understand why people question a surrogate’s attachment (or rather lack thereof) to a child they’ve helped bring into the world. I see where it’s hard to comprehend that you’re not giving this baby up, you’re giving it back. Though I care for Baby L and her parents, she was not ever mine. I do feel a sense of pride and joy at seeing her. Nine months of hanging out with someone makes them kind of grow on you. I have friends that commend me on what I’ve done but always assure me that they could never do it themselves. I don’t think they mean it in a bad way, but it does bring to the table the topic of what makes a surrogate do what they do.

For me, my motivation to help a family came when I read an article in a magazine about surrogacy. I cried reading the story of a couple that was able to have the family they’d longed for with the help of a surrogate. I’ve always been a fan of pregnancy and I own my love for maternity clothes. The moment you announce that you’re pregnant, you stop sucking in and people are nicer to you! Really though, I had thoroughly enjoyed my pregnancies and had extremely easy labor and deliveries. I also had a handful of friends that were trying to get pregnant and had months of disappointment and hurt beneath their belts. Standing by and not being able to fix it made me feel helpless. Knowing that I might be able to help someone like these couples gave me hope.

We met E&J and spent the next several months getting to know them and their families. The calls from E were spent listening and discussing her dreams and hopes. My heart was filled with longing for this to work. As Baby L grew, so did the joy in her parents’ hearts. The day of her birth cemented my reasons for pursuing surrogacy. The look of pure love on each of their faces as they held their daughter left me bathed in such a sense of accomplishment and happiness. Someone else was able to experience the love I felt when I held each of my own children.

In the next few days, I visited with friends and my own family. My children needed their mommy and I was able to return to them after a couple of days in the hospital. Leaving without a baby was not as weird as I thought it would be. Somehow, knowing that she had gone home with her family replaced any feelings of awkwardness that might have otherwise been there. Seeing her pictures with outfits her mother had been waiting months to put her in brought tears of joy to my eyes. Never once did I feel pangs of hurt that baby L was with her family. In truth, I wouldn’t have had time to dwell on it anyway as my own 3 children keep me very busy. It’s funny how quickly you can recover when you can sleep through the night immediately after delivery!

So what was it like to “give up the baby?”It was like placing the last piece of a puzzle into place before you stand back to admire the fruits of your labor (pardon the pun!) It was watching a family be created and one of the greatest days of my life aside from my own children being born and the day my husband agreed to put up with me for better or worse. It was, in short, pure bliss. I feel incredibly blessed to have been apart of it and am thankful to be apart of baby L’s life as she grows.

Surrogacy is such a beautiful thing.

 

By Carmela Cancino

 

 

Becoming a surrogate

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For some families, the idea of adding a baby to the mix is bittersweet. Some couples cannot create babies on their own and need a little help. Surrogate mothers are the answers to these couples’ dreams.

It takes a special lady to become a surrogate mother. Sure there are the physical, emotional and economical restraints, but it takes something else to become a surrogate. It takes a whole lot of heart. It takes a very special woman to open up her body to help make a couple into a family.

These women sacrifice their own bodies for the sake of others. They want to see other families enjoy the love and comfort only a baby can provide. Surrogate mothers understand the unconditional joy a baby brings, and are ready to spread that happiness to other couples.

Surrogate mothers are selfless and loving. They come to help in times of need. They love being pregnant and want to share the birth of a baby with that special couple ready to expand into becoming a family.

Ready to get started making dreams come true? Contact Shared Conception to find out how.