ARR1.com's blog

A recent article in the National Post (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Couple+urged+surrogate+abort+fetus+defe...) highlights an issue in the fertility industry that is ripe for discussion. A couple that had turned to surrogacy after failed infertility treatments subsequently urged their surrogate to get an abortion after doctors found abnormalities in the fetus. The surrogate initially refused.

One quote in the article really stood out. “The physician…said it appeared to him that the three had never seriously considered such a scenario before the pregnancy.”

I was recently the proud surrogate of two wonderful intended parents who happen to be gay. For me it wasn’t a decision of whether I should carry for a gay couple or not. They are both marvelously caring and compassionate people, and I know they will be great fathers to their twins.

By Jodi

I was recently the proud surrogate of two wonderful intended parents who happen to be gay. For me it wasn’t a decision of whether I should carry for a gay couple or not. They are both marvelously caring and compassionate people, and I know they will be great fathers to their twins.

My husband and I have known each other since we were 16, and we started our family early. After two healthy children, we decided our family was big enough, but I was still young. Previously, my sister had been diagnosed with a mild case of endometriosis. It was a hard time for my family, but we stayed by her side and another sister and I both knew we would be willing to carry a child for her in the future if the endometriosis caused permanent damage. Luckily, she recovered well and now has a wonderful 3-year-old son.

Surrogates are unusual women who selflessly carry a child to term for someone who cannot otherwise do so. They endure psychological counseling, fertility treatments, pregnancy cravings, swollen feet and more, all with a smile on their face. The end prize: happy families that they help create.

What these surrogates don’t have much of is a network just for them. A place to go when the hormones are raging, to question other surrogates about the legal process or just to express how they’re feeling after the baby is born.

by Mary Ellen McLaughlin, partner at Alternative Reproductive Resources (www.arr1.com)

Surreal: the one word that describes the last year of my life.

In 2007, my partner and I decided it was time to start a family. We are both very family oriented and were ready to take the next step most couples decide to take: kids.

We decided to look into open adoption, since so many children are in need of a family. Unfortunately, it was a very long process and we would consistently get to a certain point only for something to go wrong. In the end, adoption just wasn’t meant for us.