WELCOME, BABY! Creative Birth Announcements

These beautiful images, gorgeous graphics and adorable works of art are examples of birth announcements we found on Pinterest.  How wonderful to be able to welcome a baby to the world and introduce them to their new family with these creative cards. 

HAPPY (BELATED) BIRTHDAY TO LOUISE BROWN, THE 1ST IVF BABY

Below is an excerpt from an article on ABCNEWS.com by Susan Donaldson James via Good Morning America that shares some fascinating information on IVF, infertility treatments and shows us that we still have a ways to go in gaining understanding of infertility. James has done a stellar job of reporting.

                                John and Lesley Brown and daughter, Louise

Louise Brown, the world's first test-tube baby, was born 35 years ago today  (JULY 25), revolutionizing the field of reproductive medicine and giving infertile women hope that they could become mothers.

Now, the procedure is so common that more than 5 million around the world have conceived babies through in vitro fertilization or IVF.

Brown was born at Oldham General Hospital in Britain on July 25, 1978. Her mother had blocked fallopian tubes, still one of the most frequent causes of infertility in women. But Brown herself, who has a 6-year-old son, never required IVF and just revealed she is expecting a second child.

Infertility affects 7.3 million people in the U.S, or one in eight couples, according to RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association.

Today, thanks to the efforts of British Nobel Prize winners Dr. Patrick Steptoe and biologist Robert Edwards, who pioneered the procedure with the birth of Brown, IVF is performed successfully around the world.

 

Live birth rates using non-donor eggs are as high as 40 percent in couples under the age of 35, according to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).

ART accounts for slightly more than 1 percent of all U.S. births, more than 61,000 births in 2008, the last year for which there are statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But despite advances in medical technology, society still stigmatizes women who cannot conceive, according to RESOLVE's president and CEO Barbara Collura. Insurance coverage varies from state to state, and infertility is often treated as a non-medical condition.

"We've had really amazing medical breakthroughs, but I don't think that 35 years later the discussion of infertility is much more mainstream," said Collura. "That's because public understanding is not quite there."

 

"A lot has changed," she said. "But a woman being told right now that she's having trouble conceiving is going to have the emotions and feelings of loss."

Many women do not have access to IVF because insurance companies do not cover the costs or they require riders that result in higher premiums. That's because in many policies it is considered an elective procedure, like plastic surgery.

TRICARE, the company that insures active duty soldiers, and the Veterans Administration (VA) only cover treatments leading up to an infertility diagnosis.

Two bills are currently pending in Congress to bridge the gap for couples who cannot afford the price of IVF. One would allow couples a tax credit, much like the adoption credit for out-of-pocket costs.

A second bill would require the VA to provide IVF and adoption assistance to those whose wounds have rendered them infertile.

One cycle of IVF, which includes medications and all procedures, including cryo-preservation of embryos, can cost anywhere from $12,000 to $20,000, according to Collura.

Using a donor egg can be as much as $35,000 to $40,000. Surrogacy, which in some states includes compensation for the carrier as well as her health care, can exceed $80,000.

Since the 1980s, 15 states have passed laws that require insurers to either cover or offer coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures.

Amanda Dodson lives in Dayton, Ohio, a state that does not mandate coverage of IVF. The 29-year-old suffered from several miscarriages due to polycystic ovary disease, and her husband has abnormal sperm.

Thanks to IVF, they now have a 2 1/2-year-old son, Elijah. But the procedure cost upward of $16,000. She works in home care and her husband is a call-center supervisor, so money is tight.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE...

 

IMPROVING ON FAMILY BUILDING: West Coast Surrogacy Adds Egg Donation Agency

West Coast Surrogacy Agency in Irvine, CA recently opened West Coast Egg Donation Agency. The President of West Coast Surrogacy (WCS), Amy Kaplan, and Director of the newly launched West Coast Egg Donation Agency (WCED), Laura Davis, wanted to do what they were already doing well—matching individuals and couples with gestational surrogates—but make the process even more secure, streamlined and stress-free. Opening WCED means that Kaplan and her staff are able to bring their years of success, their connections with the best reproductive specialists, and their caring approach to family building to the rewarding experience of connecting individualsand couples to qualified, carefully-screened egg donors. In addition, they are in the position to guide interested egg donors and surrogates through a life-altering journey.

Kaplan who is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Resolve,and Fertile Hope and has been a guest speaker at Whittier Law School on the topic of surrogacy law and ethical guidelines, had years of experience in Reproductive Medicine before she fulfilled a dream to donate her eggs and, later, to be a surrogate herself.

Davis, with her degree and Psychology and over 10 years of case management has
also been an egg donor and surrogate. Today, the team at WCS and WCED includes
other women who have similar stories and who understand the importance of clear
direction, consistent support and confidence in an agency’s abilities. The WCS/WCED in-house team commits themselves to supporting the surrogates, egg donors and intended parent(s) while maintaining confidentiality.

WCS conducts gestational surrogacies whereby embryos produced by the intended parent(s), with eggs from the intended mother or with the assistance of an egg donor, are implanted in the surrogate. The embryo is produced by a process called in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Kaplan operates WCS and WCED in California, a “surrogacy-friendly” state, meaning
surrogacy arrangements are allowed and courts recognize the right of intended parents
whether or not they are biologically related to the child. WCS and WCED serves clients worldwide.
To learn more, call 949-861-4800 or 877-492-7411
www.westcoastsurrogacy.com and www.westcoasteggdonation.com

Happy Chinese New Year!

Kung hei fat choy! Happy Chinese new year!

The 15-day celebration of Chinese new year starts today, on Friday, with the first new moon of the calendar year. The day marks the end of the year of the water snake and welcomes the start of the year of the wooden horse.

TheGuardian.com listed some need-to-know facts about this important turning of the year and we include a few below:

1) The Chinese zodiac – or Shēngxiào – is a calendar system originating in the Han dynasty (206-220BC), which names each of the years in its 12-year cycle after an animal: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig, in that order. According to the system, the universe is made up of five elements – earth, water, fire, wood and metal – which interact with the 12 animals, resulting in the specific character of the year ahead.

2) People born in the year of the horse are said to be a bit like horses: animated, active and energetic – they love being in a crowd. They are quick to learn independence – foals can walk minutes after birth – and they have a straightforward and positive attitude towards life. They are known for their communication skills and are exceedingly witty.

 3) If you were born in the year of the horse, you should be looking for potential partners who were born in the years of the tiger, goat or dog. Avoid those born in the year of the rat, ox, rabbit or horse. You won't like them.

4) If none of this rings true, don't worry. The animal signs of each year merely indicate how others see you or how you choose to present yourself. There are also animal signs for each month, known as inner animals, signs for each day, called true animals, and animals for each hour, or secret animals.

5) According to superstition, in your zodiac year you will offend Tai Sui, the god of age, and will experience bad luck for the whole year. To avoid this you should wear something red, which has been given to you by someone else. In general, the lucky colours of team horse are are green, red and purple; the lucky numbers are three, four and nine, and the lucky flowers are giant taro and jasmine.

READ IT ALL HERE:
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/31/eight-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-year-of-horse

HAPPY NEW YEAR, BABY!

Wishing everyone a year filled with joy, possibility, hope and peace!

West Coast Surrogacy Celebrates 100th Baby Born Via Gestational Surrogate

In a little over six years, our director Amy Kaplan has had the supreme pleasure of celebrating many births with new parents and their surrogates. We are thrilled to be able to announce that on October 2nd, 2013 we celebrated the birth of our one-hundredth BABY!  Well, actually our 99th and 100th because our wonderful surrogate was carrying TWINS!

It is a joyous milestone and we'll keep on creating families and realizing dreams for many years to come.

Anger Motivates Infertility Sufferers According to Atlantic Article

An interesting and probing article at The Atlantic online describes how women and men suffering from infertility are often able to use their pain, their anger as instruments of change to drive them forward.  Read the whole article but here are some especially pitchy pull-quotes:

New research shows that “negative” emotions, like desperation and anger, often deepen a patient's involvement in decision-making and cause them to deliberate carefully, rather than consigning them to paralyzed indecision or blind commitment to unrealistic goals.

Infertility patients are already, or are becoming, competent, circumspect decision makers, not shrinking violets.

The lived experience of desperation and anger has not mired them in helplessness but helped them to overcome it.

Story of a Surrogate: The Intended Mother

By Kate Hill-ABC South East SA online

After battling fertility problems for eight years, she was concerned she would never be able to conceive. This November, she'll hold her own baby in her arms. The intended mother shares her story and discusses her desire for a family.
Although not all women will have children, for many it's a basic progression of a loving relationship, a right of womanhood to be able to procreate.

But, due to many and varying factors, some couples struggle to conceive on their own, left on the sidelines to watch others who find it easy to build a family.
Mary* (not her real name) was concerned she would never be able to conceive, after several operations to her cervix.
"They did tell me, 'it won't affect your fertility'.
"I did wonder about it, even before my husband and I were together.
"We were together for about a year and trying naturally and that didn't work. So we went to see a fertility specialist.
The couple tried IUI first, a procedure which involves tracking the woman's cycles to see when she was ovulating. After several attempts, the couple then turned to IVF.
"We did that for 5 or 6 years. It was pretty draining - each time you go through an IVF cycle you get hopeful maybe it will work and scared that it won't.
Mary described the ups and downs of the process as a 'rollercoaster of emotions'.
"It puts your life in a holding pattern.
The couple talked about giving up their battle, to live a life without children.
"I was probably the main instigator of us to keep it going."
The couple also looked into adoption and egg donation before exploring surrogacy.

Finding a surrogate mother
Mary* said she was unsure to begin with, not knowing a whole lot about the process and her husband was equally dubious.
"He initially said, that's pretty 'full-on', to get someone else to carry your baby, but he was open to thinking about it."
"He met Bec and she was really great and I guess that alleviated a lot of his concerns about it."
The couple met Rebecca online, through a social media page run by Surrogacy Australia. After talking online initially and then on the phone a few times a week - while Mary was undergoing egg donation procedures - the two women became close.
After twelve months, Rebecca made an offer to become a surrogate for the couple.
"We felt very privileged to have that offer.
"It's a massive deal for someone, for a friend to do that for you.
"I think one of the most important parts of it is being comfortable with your surrogate and their family and feeling that you can trust them."

READ THE ENTIRE STORY HERE:

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/07/24/3809873.htm?site=southeastsa

Surrogacy Is a Blessing in Any Language

Sometimes, when someone has obviously used a translation software, the meaning gets distilled into the most basic language, making it that much more powerful. This  post, while clumsy, is charming and earnest and whether you believe in a Higher Power or not, most can agree on this: A child in the family, every one would be happy even god.  

 Does god comes any where near to such miracle of advanced medical science? Yes, god does come closer to situations. God has created every thing and he is the supreme father body. How could he see one or more of his creations are not happy because of not having a child to love?

 Being a creator of every thing, all the credit goes to god. He has given us a beautiful life with a fertile brain, brain has the power to think, imagine and utilize ones imagination to an invention, a practicality. We all are in need of love, a child. We should make use of this gift of science. Great are those men of science, we are grateful to them.

A child in the family, every one would be happy even god.

Traditional Surrogacy vs Gestational Surrogacy

 

Traditional surrogacy: in which the surrogate either undergoes artificial insemination or IVF with sperm from the male or from a sperm donor. The surrogate herself provides the eggs and is therefore genetically related to the child. This form of surrogacy is the older method and because of the genetic link between the surrogate and the baby there is some downside risk to this form of surrogacy.

Gestational surrogacy: in which the surrogate carries a pregnancy and delivers a child that is created from the egg and the sperm of the intended parents and /or donor egg and /or donor sperm and/or donated embryos in any combination. The key to this type of surrogacy is that the gestational surrogate is not genetically related to the child and acts only as a gestational carrier for the pregnancy.

A Gestational Surrogate Shares Her Story

This an excerpt of a very nice piece  from the Green Bay Press Gazette and was written by Maria Amante.  This quote beautifully describes what we hear from other surrogates:

 

“If you understand why you’re doing it, it’s gonna be something that makes you whole, that will be meaningful for you,” she said. “It’s one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. It’s such a touching moment to see the faces and reactions of parents who get their children. It’s worth everything, all the shots and doctor’s appointments and appointments with my kids I can’t make. It’s incredible, amazing and no way to put into words how special that moment is."

 

 

Diane Harrill helps make families.

The 49-year-old has given birth to nine children. But they’re not all genetically hers. She has five biological children, aged 13 to 30, and she has been a gestational carrier for four others. She calls the four her “surro-babies,” but doesn’t consider them her children.

“I love those babies, but not the way a mother loves a child,” Harrill said. “You love them, you think of them, but not every day. I think about what they’ll be when they grow up, just like my own kids. I remember their birthdays. But I don’t worry about them, because I know the parents. They were never mine.”

Gestational carriers bring embryos to term that are not genetically their own. The term “surrogate“ is commonly used in place of gestational carrier, but surrogates have genetic connections to the embryo.

The use of gestational carriers is up in recent years. Their numbers increased 13 percent in 2011 from the previous year, according to the most recently available data

from the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technologies. The society says totals are up 99 percent since 2004.

Harill was first pregnant as a gestational carrier in 2004 when she was 41. Harrill’s sister-in-law introduced her to a couple unable to conceive, and Harrill says she had no reservations about carrying the child.

“I didn’t think anything of it,” she said. “I didn’t know what was all entailed — 12 weeks of shots, and if it doesn’t take the first time, you do it all again.”

Despite the increased use in gestational carriers across the country, the concept remains new in the Green Bay area. In 2004, Harrill couldn’t find an attorney to help draft a contract.

Typically before implantation, the gestational carrier and intended parents agree to a contract to address all contingencies before, during and after the pregnancy. Those issues include what to do if the pregnancy needs to be terminated, the level of contact, if any, a carrier will have with the family after the birth and what compensation the carrier will receive.

After working out the details, Harrill became pregnant on the first cycle of fertilization. Nine months later, she delivered a healthy baby via caesarean section.

“I’d been blase whole pregnancy,” she said. The intended mother “said all the time, ‘This is so wonderful, what you‘re doing.’ I just completely blew that off ... (after the birth) she looked at me, she said, ‘You know, you just made a family.’

“And boing! A lightbulb went off. I got it,” Harrill said. “I went back to my room, tearing up, and my mom said, ‘See, I knew you’d have a hard time letting go of that baby.’ And I said, ‘No, I just got what I did! I just got it.’ They walked in two, walked out three, it’s a family. It’s pretty cool and that really hit home.”

A carrier is typically the last result for most couples looking to conceive, said Carmen Tust, a registered nurse and infertility coordinator for 16 years at Women’s Specialty Care, a Bellin Health affiliate.

“Our couples who have chosen to use gestational carriers have tried in one way or another, had in vitro fertilization and it never worked, it didn’t take or they miscarried,” she said. “They may have had a hysterectomy for whatever reason, or a physical ailment so they’re medically recommended not to carry a pregnancy.”

Physicians traditionally recommend intended parents use a surrogacy agency to connect with gestational carriers, Tust said. With no agency in Green Bay, they often head to Milwaukee or Madison or an out-of-state agency to connect with a surrogate and legal counsel.

Adoption is a similar concept, but it’s much more regulated, said Lynn Bodi, a founding partner at The Law Center for Children and Families and owner of The Surrogacy Center, both in Madison. Harrill connected with the family for her second surrogate pregnancy at Bodi’s agency, which has handled about 150 surrogacy cases in about 20 years.

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s guidelines suggest a carrier should not have more than five previous deliveries or three deliveries by cesarean section, and at least one successful pregnancy. Both intended parents and carriers need to undego psychological testing. The society recommends carriers are between 21 and 45, and says carriers older than 45 are acceptable, but note pregnancy risks increase with advancing maternal age.

READ THE COMPLETE STORY HERE:

 

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20130427/GPG04/304270205/Gestational-carriers-help-create-families-those-who-can-t-conceive