Surrogacy Gives Hope to Childless Couples

Our very own Andrea Muehlhaus and Tyler Zion interviewed by the OC Register.  Andrea tells her heartwarming story of her beautiful surrogacy journey for two Dads.

by: Jenna Jones, OC Register staff writer

On July 28, 2014, Andrea Muehlhaus underwent a C-section and gave birth to Dylan, a dark-haired baby boy, at Saddleback Memorial-Laguna Hills. The newborn took his first breath at 8:20 a.m. and weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces. He was perfectly healthy, with 10 fingers and 10 toes.

After the delivery and recovery, the baby went home with his fathers – Robbie Cronrod and Allen Artcliff-Cronrod, a married couple from Los Angeles. Since their first date, they had talked about wanting children, and Muehlhaus had given them that chance.

 "Surrogacy changed my life! says Andrea Muehlhaus, Surrogate Program Coordinator, West Coast Surrogacy, Inc.

Photo: Dylan Cronrod, 13 months, with his surrogate mother, Andrea Muehlhaus, and his two dads, Allen Artcliff-Cronrod. and Robbie Cronrod,

STEVEN GEORGES, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Muehlhaus lives in Westminster and has two children of her own, ages 10 and 6. She gave birth to a little boy for another gay couple three years ago. “I wanted to give back in some way, and for me personally, I wanted to help gay couples because they can’t have a child on their own,” Muehlhaus said. “They need someone else and I felt like I could be that person who could help them create their family.”

Muehlhaus is not genetically related to either of the surrogate children she carried. As a gestational surrogate, she was implanted with an embryo through in vitro fertilization. The egg was harvested from an egg donor and fertilized through one of the fathers’ sperm.

"...many couples who come to West Coast Surrogacy have suffered multiple miscarriages, serious illnesses and years of infertility." says Tyler Zion, Intended Parent Coordinator, West Coast Surrogacy, Inc.

A traditional surrogate is a woman who is artificially inseminated with a father’s sperm, then carries the child to term. She uses her own egg and is the child’s genetic mother. The couple seeking and using a surrogate are known as the “intended parents.”

Now a surrogate program coordinator at West Coast Surrogacy in Irvine, Muehlhaus matches surrogates to intended parents and guides them through the process. Her most recent surrogacy was handled independently before she started working there. Surrogacy agencies usually process commercial surrogacy cases in which a woman is paid to carry a child. West Coast Surrogacy coordinated 46 births last year and works solely with gestational surrogacy.

"During the matching process at West Coast Surrogacy, the surrogate’s and intended parents’ personal beliefs are taken into account." says Zion

To find out more about West Coast Surrogacy's Surrogate Mother Requirements and Surrogate Mother Process visit our website, and click on the section Become a Surrogate.

If you think becoming a Surrogate is for you, and want to give the gift of unparalleled compassion, West Coast Surrogacy would love to speak with you!  Apply Today by filling out our easy online application

Read the full story here.

About West Coast Surrogacy, Inc and West Coast Egg Donation, Inc:

West Coast Surrogacy, Inc (WCS) and West Coast Egg Donation, Inc. (WCED) is an all inclusive surrogacy and egg donation agency based in Southern California, with satellite offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and Sacramento. Working with Intended Parents domestic and International, together with gestational surrogates and egg donors nationwide, WCA and WCED uses a team-oriented approach that encompasses the highest level of integrity, support, compassion and affirming care. Committed to compliance with all the regulations and standards set forth by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), it is our pledge to guide you through every step of this life-changing process, acting as both a resource for information and an unparalleled support system.

Contact the writer: Jljones@ocregister.com or on Twitter @jljonesOCR

West Coast Surrogacy Featured in Parenting OC Magazine

                          EXPLORING SURROGACY WITH WEST COAST SURROGACY

Director of West Coast Surrogacy, Amy Kaplan, was recently featured in Parenting OC Magazine.
Here is an excerpt and the entire story can be viewed at the link:

Who Can Be a Surrogate?

Potential surrogates must undergo and pass a lengthy physical and mental exam to determine if she is a prime candidate. According to Amy Kaplan, President, West Coast Surrogacy/West Coast Egg Donation in Irvine, some of the main guidelines for potential surrogates include: must be between the ages of 21 to 40; have children of her own; have a history of full-term pregnancies without complications; a non-smoker; living a stable and healthy lifestyle; and have a support network of friends and family. “We look to see if she is willing to make lifestyle changes during the pregnancy—if requested by the intended parents—(i.e. refrain from coloring her hair, painting her nails, willing to eat organic food if provided an allowance, refrain from drinking caffeine, etc.)” Kaplan stated. She continued, “A surrogate does need to pass a psychological evaluation, as well as a medical screening exam. During this exam, a reproductive endocrinologist will evaluate her uterus and review her medical and pregnancy history. She and her partner/husband will also have screening for infectious diseases and drug use.” Becoming a surrogate does not have to be a one-time deal. As long as a woman meets the required criteria, she can be a surrogate as many times as she wishes. However, many fertility specialists prefer to use a surrogate candidate with no more than seven pregnancies.

What Does the Process Include?
The preconception phase is a complex one that can last several months. Besides being matched with the right surrogate for the intended parents and entering and passing the medical screening processes, the intended parents and surrogate then enter into the legalities of the surrogacy—a legal contract—where this phase alone can take up to at least two months to ensure that all parties are on board with the proposed terms and conditions. “The attorney will represent the intended parents and draft the legal contract between the parents and surrogate. This attorney will also file the documents to establish the legal parentage of the child/children,” Kaplan explained. “In California, this paperwork is filed and the Judgment of Parentage is granted prior to the birth. The parents’ names are listed as the legal parents on the birth certificate. This is the case with same sex couples as well. The surrogates name is not listed on the birth certificate.” This contract is a vital aspect of the entire course because it provides both parties with provisions that they have agreed upon. According to Kaplan, the surrogate does has the right to make decisions about her own body and about reduction and abortion, however, that decision could lead to a breach of contract. She also has the right to be compensated, reimbursed and have her medical expenses paid in accordance with the contract terms. Like many, Lawson and her husband paid $80,000 to $90,000 for each of their surrogates.
http://parentingoc.com/2014/04/exploring-surrogacy/

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

It Takes a Village to HAVE a Child

This post below is an excerpt of a lovely blog by KeAnne called "It Takes a Village to Raise a Child and Sometimes it Takes a Village to Have One" and you can read it in its entirety here:

http://www.blogher.com/it-took-village?from=pop

She describes her experience of becoming a mother with the help of a gestational surrogate.
 

 

The bones of my birth story and becoming a mother are like everyone else's: a woman in labor in the hospital; the hum of the equipment monitoring the woman and the baby; the nurses moving in and out; moans as the contractions intensified and soothing words.

The details are different.

I was not the woman in labor although the baby being born was my biological child.

The woman in labor was our gestational carrier. My husband and I sat in chairs against the wall a little removed from the bed. My anxiety was so intense that I thought I would vomit and I couldn't say a word. I wanted to make myself as small as possible. I was terrified.

When we started this journey with F, our gestational carrier in 2008, I never spent much time thinking about what the birth would be like. I knew some information about the stages of labor, pain, etc., but I never thought about what it would be like to sit in that room while she labored.

I was not prepared for the reality. I thought we would have hours to become prepared and accustomed as F’s labor progressed. I pictured us chatting and laughing, enjoying the excitement. In reality, she went into labor suddenly one day before our due date and when we arrived at the hospital an hour after receiving the call from her husband, she was almost fully dilated. It was almost too late for her to receive an epidural.

West Coast Surrogacy Announces New OC Offices

We packed up and moved but we're still in the neighborhood!

 

We're delighted to say that we have a lovely new location and we couldn't be happier!

 You can find us here:

6 Venture

Suite 395

Irvine, CA 92618

949-861-4100

 www.westcoastsurrogacy.com

 

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.

Words to Live By

West Coast Surrogacy Celebrates at the Beach

 

Creating families, changing lives, fulfilling dreams and empowering women--it's pretty big stuff.  At West Coast Surrogacy, the staff and surrogates are engaged in work that is transformative and so important every day but this past weekend, they took time to hit the beach and just enjoy each other's company and celebrate their successful partnership.

 

With nearly 100 people attending, the surrogates, staff and their families mingled and mixed on the sands of San Diego with the beautiful Pacific Ocean in the background. 

 

One of our surrogate mothers wrote a thank you note, already:

 “THANK YOU!  Thank you all so much for putting on such a fun beach party!  The boys and I had a blast.  It was great to meet so many of the other surrogates and their families.  You run an amazing company that does amazing things and you should all be proud.

 Thanks again for such a fun time.”

 

Thank YOU!  And many thanks to all our wonderful surrogates. 

Working with you makes every day, a day at the beach!

 

How Our Surrogates Talk to Their Children About Their Pregnancies

WE LOVE OUR SURROGATE MOTHERS!  They are the most caring, interesting, and giving women in the world.  We asked this wonderful group on our Facebook page to share with us how they tell their own children about their surrogate pregnancies.  Read these terrific responses and you will love them, too!

A gathering of surrogate mothers and our Director, Amy Kaplan

•  I explained to my 8&5yr old kids that a mommy's tummy wasn't able to grow a baby, so the doctors were going to combine their "ingredients" to grow a baby and then put that teeny baby in my tummy for me to grow for them. They're reaction: "it's like a really great Christmas gift!" They always had a very clear understanding that the baby I was carrying was not ours.

 

•  I gave my 9 year old a pretty realistic but age appropriate breakdown of the IVF process and explained that I was going to help someone else have a baby and in no way would it be ours or related to us. For my 2 year old, I found a really great book called "The Kangaroo Pouch" that has helped a lot. They are both clear who these babies belong to and get excited to see the intended parents.

   
•  My kids understood that I was helping another mommy who's tummy was "broken".

   
• Our 12 & 14 year old understood without much explaining that after a quick procedure that an embryo that was not ours and had been grown in a science way were going in my uterus to grow. The 3 year old was told we were going to grow a baby for our friends. He loved the experience and is already asking when I will grow another baby for a family that can't have one on their own.

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

Life, Love, Surrogacy: Inspiring Surrogate Mommy Bloggers

There are some wonderful surrogate mothers who have blogged beautifully about their experiences. It is such a gift to anyone considering surrogacy--Intended Parents and/or Surrogate Mothers--to be able to read these rich, revealing accounts.

I love this paragraph from Life, Love and Surrogacy

Back in December (as you know) I gave birth (in a most spectacular manner) to two of the loveliest human beings.  I am  in SHOCK as I tell you they are 5 days shy of their half-birthday!!!  I am literally the HAPPIEST person alive in part because 3 parents, 5 grandparents and many cousins, aunts, godparents and friends are living in a brighter world.  I am happy to say my life is richer and my horizons are broader because of 2 remarkable families.  I am content to move on from this era of my life knowing I have fulfilled one of my callings, to help create a family (or 2) by way of surrogacy.  Though I may never again be pregnant, I will always know 4 sweet things are babbling, getting food on the carpet, potty training, saying mama and dada in part because my family and I said YES to these most amazing journeys.

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.

WATCH: Hear from a Surrogate Mother and Her Husband on the Joys of Surrogacy

Explaining Your Surrogate Pregnancy to Your Children

On the website for the support organization, Parents Pursuing Pregnancy, there are excellent articles for the Intended Parent but also pieces targeted at surrogate mothers.   This is one of them:

Surrogate arrangements are an important option for couples seeking to build their family. Surrogate mothers have an essential role in helping couples become parents, and this role is one that they assume with knowledge and sensitivity. A relatively unexplored issue that confronts surrogate mothers is the impact of the surrogate pregnancy on their own children. Most women who want to be surrogates already have children of their own. This is important because they understand well from experience the process of pregnancy and childbirth, and also appreciate children and what they mean to a family. Generally, these children are quite young, typically under the age of ten, since the most fertile years are relatively few. 

The surrogate mother is necessarily focused on thc baby she is carrying, but she must also consider her own children in her planning. She needs to think about her own feelings and she needs to think about how she will explain the pregnancy to her children. She needs to consider how she will explain the fact that her children may never meet the baby-possibly their half-sibling, and how she will reassure her children that they need not fear separation from her. One surrogate mother explains that she is "babysitting" for nine months; another says she is "an oven, an incubator". 

Not only are these issues complex, but the level of cognitive and emotional development for each child will dictate a different approach to these concerns. Concerns for any one child will change as that child matures. As with any sensitive issue in a child's life experience, parents must be open to following the lead of the child's apparent and disguised anxieties, fears, and questions. For some children, questions can be conscious and arriculated, such as: "Why isn't the baby coming home from the hospital?" or "Why can't I see the baby?" It is often more difficult for children to express fears, some of which may even remain under the surface, such as, "If I do something wrong, will you send me away?" Some questions may be raised by friends or others outside the family. A teacher or neighbor may ask, "Are you having a baby sister or brother?" These can be complicated questions for a surrogate mother, and even more so for the child who is without maturity or intellectual or emotional resources to understand the situation. 

Because these questions can be so delicate, some women may want to believe that their young children have no awareness of the surrogacy. However, while there are significant iudividual differences, babies as young as one and a half can have a concrete perception of mother getting bigger physically, and children around the age of three will have some ability to understand that there is a baby inside. Additionally, children are very sensitive to family concerns, family secrets, and family tensions. Even a one year old can grow up with a vague sense of something signifigant having occurred within the family. While the two-year old may not have fantasies about this process, this same child may develop layers of fantasy as he or she matures. Thus, a surrogacy can come up at different times, bringing with it different meanings and questions. Surrogate mothers can assist their children by their sensitivity to their children's developing awareness and changing concerns as they mature. 

One surrogate mother tells her children, "Mommy is helping two people who can't make their own baby so that they can have a baby that they really want." At another time in response to her children's fears, she says, "When Mommy decided to help this couple have a baby, Mommy knew the baby was for them. The baby belongs to their family. When Mommy decided to have you, Mommy knew that you would be our baby forever and ever. Mommy knew you would always belong to our family and you always will." A surrogate mother must feel comfortable with her own explanation. 

An awareness of these concerns can help a surrogate mother hear the questions her children ask and can provide the opening to explain what is happening. If such concerns ir questions are posed, a surrogate mother should respond to them and acknowledge their importance. 

Dr. Linda Kanefield, a clinical psychologist in Chevy Chase Maryland, evaluates surrogate mothers, and is the author of articles and presentations on women's issues, including dual-working couples, pregnancy and mother-daughter relationship. 
 

Surrogates Answering MLK's Call

Surrogates, your answer to this is simple.

Thank you for all you do to change lives.

Woman Suing for Maternity Leave After Son Born Via Surrogacy

A woman is fighting for the right to get maternity pay despite having a baby using a surrogate mother.
She is taking Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, to the High Court claiming her human rights are being breached.
The woman, from Kent, says that even though she did not give birth to her son she is entitled to paid leave to look after and bond with him.
She told the Sunday Times: 'Having my son via surrogacy does not change the fact that I want to and need to be there to care for him and bond with him in the early months of his life.
'I am just like any other parent of a newborn and my son and his needs are the same as any other baby.'

The mother, to be named as RKA in court documents, says she 'feels judged' for her inability to have a child naturally.
Her case is being brought at the same time as a legal challenge from Surrogacy UK which wants a judicial review of regulations barring maternity pay to mothers who use surrogates.
There are now about 140 surrogate births every year and the numbers are rising.
Currently, surrogates are paid a maternity allowance and given leave while in adoption cases, the birth and legal mothers are guaranteed pay up to 39 weeks and can take 52 weeks leave.
In the case of RKA , a medical problem meant she could not carry a baby, so the couple had IVF treatment and then embryos were implanted in a surrogate in September last year.
Her company reportedly said it was not legally required to give her paid leave or time off, when she asked about her benefits. They offered her 52 weeks unpaid leave.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2207401/Woman-baby-using-surrogate-claims-human-rights-breached-allowed-maternity-pay.html#ixzz29U1dXsIA
 

West Coast Surrogacy Staff and Surrogates Gather

West Coast Surrogacy Staff and Surrogates Gather in Irvine, CA

This is what a surrogate looks like.  Or many surrrogates.  Surrogi? 

A recent group of  California surrogates and staff from West Coast Surrogacy met for lunch at the Irvine Spectrum for conversation and sharing.

This group might be a book club.  Or a local Mom's Group.  The one extraordinary thing about this picture is just how wonderfully, beautifully, everyday and ordinary this gorgeous group appears to be.  But was sets them apart is their willingness to help another man, woman or family bring a longed-for child into their lives and home. 

This is what a surrogate looks like.  It looks pretty good to us.

www.westcoastsurrogacy.com

"Corrie" and Surrogacy

Why are Soap Operas so addictive?  Is it the drama, the heightened reality, the pretty people, the sticky situations or all of these combined?  Coronation Street has been running on British TV since 1960 and is affectionately known to its fans as “Corrie.”  A recent story line surrounding surrogacy has split the fans between those camps that feel it’s believable and beautiful and those who consider the plot implausible rubbish.

In the story, Katy, as played by Georgia May Foote, offers to act as surrogate for her sister, Izzy.  Soap Opera or no, as described by Foote in this interview, "Corrie" and its cast understand what motivates a woman to be a surrogate:

Georgia May Foote explains what's going on in Katy's head when she offers to be a surrogate mum for sister Izzy.

Why does Katy offer herself as a surrogate?
Katy can see that Izzy and Gary are suffering, so she just wants to help. The family are devastated when Izzy loses her baby and I also think Katy feels guilty because she had Joseph so easily, whereas Izzy is struggling so much.

Will Katy struggle to give up the baby if all goes as planned?
She may find it difficult because she will carry the child for nine months, but she is aware that the baby is Izzy and Gary’s, not hers.

Wish we could catch "Corrie" on this side of the pond.  Instead, we encourage you to watch some real-life surrogates on our website and hear their stories:

www.westcoastsurrogacy.com

Sperm Quality Is Down Everywhere, Especially in Israel

An article in the Los Angeles Times about the declining quality of sperm in Israel reported this change has been dramatic just in the last ten years.  Today, only "1 in 100 donors makes the cut. A decade ago, it was 1 in 10."

The story, reported by Edmund Sanders, goes on to say:

 "Simply put, the quality of Israeli sperm is falling at an alarming rate, and no one's sure exactly why."

"So the drop in the quality of sperm is raising some red flags, even though the cause remains a mystery. Speculative theories range from the mundane (carrying cellphones in front pockets) to the far-fetched (depleted uranium from exploded munitions). Some Israeli scientists are looking seriously at naturally occurring hormones, particularly estrogen, in Israel's water and milk and suggest that it's a mark of the country's aggressive dairy farming methods."

 Male infertility can be a terrible blow to a man's sense of self.  It might feel like an assault to their virility.  The same diagnosis for a woman can be equally shattering but often, because women are more apt to share their feelings and to seek support when overwhelmed, they are able to move ahead with what needs to be done to create the family of the dreams.   But given the declining quality of sperm in the world, wonderful organizations like Resolve may be reaching out to more and more men. Hopefully, the men will be willing to accept the help.

"The decline has been dramatic," Cryobank's Ronen said. "It's a shame. We see these macho, beautiful guys come to give donations, but then we're embarrassed to have to tell them that their sperm quality is so low they may actually end up coming back as a client."

www.westcoastsurrogacy.com