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

Will The New Normal Get Surrogacy?

The desire to be a parent can overwhelm all other concerns and dominate a person’s thoughts, actions and lives. When building a family proves elusive,and the process of understanding and coping with the causes is underway, the stress is immense, the pain profound.  Life becomes a series of acronyms—IVF, ICSI,ART, IUI, IP’s—and navigating the intricacies of options—adoption, surrogacy,donor—is a full-time job. 

So, when those same wounds are mined for material, it might prove uncomfortable if done without sensitivity or understanding.  A soon-to-debut television show in the US, The New Normal, will use surrogacy as its storyline.   That’s not to say it can’t be done well; a sense of humor in addressing a serious situation serves to make the subject more relatable.  Yet, in the written description of the show, there are clichés surrounding the surrogate mother who, of course, has a “checkered past”; she is described as “A Midwestern waitress and single mother looking to escape her dead-end-life.”  That is a tired stereotype.  Women who serve as surrogates come from all walks of life.   Their unifying trait is their desire to extend the great gift of parenthood.

Conversely, in the preview online, there are glimmers of hope.  The surrogate mother says, “Family is family and love is love.”  Would like to see that the Intended Parents don’t go with the advisor/agency/attorney who describes surrogates as “an Ez-Bake Oven with no right to the cupcake.”  If instead they walk away from him and into the office of an agency that is as respectful of its surrogates as it is with its clients, then The New Normal will be a celebration of the new family and not just an easy-to-digest version of one.



These days, families come in all forms - single dads, double moms, sperm donors, egg donors, one-night-stand donors... It's 2012 and anything goes. Bryan (Andrew Rannells,"Girls," "The Book of Mormon") and David (Justin Bartha,"The Hangover") are a Los Angeles couple, and they have it all. Well,almost. With successful careers and a committed, loving partnership, there isone thing that this couple is missing: a baby. And just when they think the stars will never align, enter Goldie (Georgia King, "One Day"), an extraordinary young woman with a checkered past. A Midwestern waitress and single mother looking to escape her dead-end life and small-minded grandmother(Emmy and Tony Award-winner Ellen Barkin), Goldie decides to change everything and move to L.A. with her precocious eight-year-old daughter. Desperate and broke - but also fertile - Goldie quickly becomes the guys' surrogate and quite possibly the girl of their dreams. Surrogate mother, surrogate family.

Ryan Murphy serves as creator/executive producer and director along with creator/executive producer Ali Adler ("Glee," "Chuck") and executive producer Dante DiLoreto ("Glee," "American Horror Story").
"The New Normal" isproduced by 20th Century Fox Television and Ryan Murphy Productions.
-Excerpted from NBC.com

Learn more about surrogacy at www.westcoastsurrogacy.com

Surrogacy Laws: Different in Every State

A well-written and researched piece by Gina Barton of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ("Surrogacy laws vary by state" August 7, 2012) includes a discussion about the development of a "model act" to make surrogacy laws more comprehensive and universal. As it stands today, they are different everywhere and rulings are often made on a case-by-case basis. 

The entire article appears here but the description of the proposed model act is especially interesting:
http://www.jsonline.com/features/health/surrogacy-laws-vary-by-state-co65rvg-165348756.html

The bold type on the quote below is our emphasis and not in the original article.  It is so eloquently expressed we felt it deserved special attention.

"And some judges here have allowed the names of those who hired the surrogate to be placed on the birth certificate without requiring her to give up parental rights as part of an adoption or other legal proceeding, Brisman said.
But other judges have not, according to attorney Steven Snyder, chair of the American Bar Association's committee on assisted reproductive technologies. While Wisconsin law includes a mechanism for determining paternity through DNA testing, there is not a similar statute to establish maternity, he said. The law here assumes the woman who gives birth is the mother. Attorneys who believe otherwise must make their arguments in court.

"The laws were based on a universe where the only way to have children was the old-fashioned way," Snyder said. "We have a rainbow of alternatives today in how to get pregnant and how to have a child, and the laws have not kept up."

That leaves most of the legal issues surrounding surrogacy up to each judge.
To reduce the likelihood of problems, the bar association drafted a model act governing assisted reproductive technology. The model act, approved by the association in 2008, covers everything from who can donate eggs to what happens to embryos in the event of a death or divorce. It is gender neutral and applies to heterosexual couples, gay couples and single people.
For surrogacy, the model act mandates safeguards such as medical insurance and mental health evaluations. It lists requirements for both the surrogate and for those hiring her. Surrogates, for example, must be at least 21 years old and must have given birth to at least one child. Those who want to hire one must be unable to safely carry their own children."

Learn more about surrogacy and review a variety of resources at www.westcoastsurrogacy.com

© 2012, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved.

Christie Vetoes Bill To Set Guidelines For Gestational Carrier Agreements

TRENTON – Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have permitted New Jersey parents to enter into gestational carrier agreements to have someone else carry their baby to term and give birth.
Unlike traditional surogacy, where a woman is artificially inseminated and gives birth to a child conceived with her own egg, a gestational surrogate carries a child conceived without any of her genetic material.
“Validating contracts for the birth of children is a step that cannot be taken without the most serious inquiry, reflection and consensus,” Christie wrote in his veto message. “I am not satisfied that these questions have been sufficiently studied by the Legislature at this time.”
State Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), who sponsored the bill, said, “I am deeply disappointed with the Governor’s decision to veto legislation that would have thoughtfully created rules governing what is already an existing method of having children. Many parents who cannot otherwise have their own children have used this procedure for many years. It is a major setback for parents who wish to create life and give a baby a loving home.
“I also strongly disagree with the Governor’s comments that the Legislature did not sufficiently study this issue. I dedicated over one year to discussing this issue with a variety of groups and individuals, including my colleagues.”

SOURCE:
WWW.NJTODAY.NET

Who Is a Surrogate? Meet Laura

Laura Davis is a third time gestational surrogate.  She is the mother of two children and really wanted to help a family that was struggling. 

Laura addresses the "who is a surrogate?" question when she says "A Surrogate is me, it's you, it's the woman at school dropping off the kids. It's an average woman who wants to help out in a special way."

We Say "Yes" : Is Surrogacy on Its Way to Becoming the 'New Normal'?

In late June, Fred Silberberg authored this post on the Huffington Post:  Is Surrogacy on Its Way to Becoming 'The New Normal'?     He outlines steps in the surrogacy journey and his concluding paragraph emphasizes the importance of "taking proper measures" and working within a framework so that you will be "free you from the stress and distraction of surrogacy's process and allow you to focus on what's truly important: preparing to welcome a new child into the world with love, warmth and care."  Sharing this with credit to Mr. Silberberg and thanks to Huffington Post:

Surrogacy affords the opportunity of a dream-come-true for couples and individuals hoping to become parents but face the burdens of infertility or other health issues which make pregnancy and delivery dangerous or impossible. It enables you to welcome a child into the world who is truly your own and continue the miracle of your family lines.
The hard part, however, is reaching that point.
The surrogate parent's path to parenthood is infamously complicated, posing an intimidating and often overwhelming obstacle to parents-to-be. Quite justifiably, surrogacy's daunting process is enough to spur many parents to rule it out altogether as a potential alternative parenting option.
But it doesn't have to be this way. An understanding of surrogacy's legal structure and its step-by-step process can help make the process more manageable and allow you to realize the joy which surrogacy can bring.
Depending upon your needs, the first step is to find and connect with a surrogate, egg donor or sperm donor. Given the nature of the relationship and all that's at stake, you need to be careful and deliberate in conducting your search. Surrogacy is rife with schemes and fraud, but you can help to protect yourself by finding a surrogate, egg donor or sperm donor you can trust and depend on. You should conduct an extensive screening process, as there are details concerning medical and pregnancy history, insurance and family health information which need to be addressed from the very beginning. To help make the search process more manageable, a surrogacy agency can help you to engage with candidates who have been through a proper screening. If you choose to pursue the search on your own, be judicious and maintain your standards -- even if it means extra time and, more likely than not, frustration. Finding the right connection early on will help to protect you and ensure a smooth process.
The legal agreement you execute is crucial. This is where surrogacy can turn into a painful headache for many parents. In the U.S., there is no federal regulation dictating the legality of surrogacy on a national level. Surrogacy is governed at the state level and laws and regulations can vary widely from state to state, ranging from criminal penalty to full protection of those parties engaged in surrogacy agreements. To complicate things further, a state's statutes and its relevant case law often seem to oppose one another in matters regarding surrogacy, meaning that what is written has been bent, stretched or outright contradicted in actual practice. The result is a patchwork, state-by-state legal atmosphere which is complicated, unclear and, to some extent, unpredictable.
In welcomed contrast, however, California has served as one of the most stable and favorable states in which to execute and complete a surrogacy agreement. The state has a strong base of case law which upholds surrogacy agreements and grants legal custody to intended parents. Thankfully, this means that the legal integrity of your surrogacy agreement in California hinges primarily upon the effectiveness of the agreement itself -- not external variables and uncertainties which are beyond your control.
Although a surrogacy contract may seem rather simple, a properly drafted surrogacy agreement is a complex and detailed document. The contract covers a range of matters and it needs to properly address each individual consideration, which go far beyond mere terms of compensation. The agreement must address, for instance, what happens if multiple embryos are implanted and they all take, whether the parents can eliminate some embryos to avoid multiple births, what happens if the surrogate suffers medical complications, what measures the surrogate must take to maintain a healthy pregnancy, whether there will be a waiver of the surrogate's rights to health care confidentiality relating to the pregnancy, and what happens if insurance is denied, to name a few points.
Once you've reached a legal agreement which protects you and your child that you understand thoroughly, and one which creates a sound framework to move forward, the fertilization and implantation medical processes begin.
From here, your role moves into a supervisory one -- staying on top of your surrogate to ensure they are keeping all medical appointments and leading a lifestyle which supports a healthy child. Sadly, many parents often disappear at this stage and show up again after delivery. You should make every effort to keep in close contact with your surrogate throughout the pregnancy and provide support in any way you can. Remember, you're trusting your surrogate with your own child, and it's in everyone's best interest to work in an environment of support and trust. When choosing your surrogate, you should ask to what extent they'll want you involved during the pregnancy term, and be sure you're on the same page in knowing what level of contact and support is desired throughout the pregnancy. In addition, many parents choose to continue their relationship with their surrogate after birth. Some do not wish to. This expectation should also be made clear prior to signing a contract.
Taking proper measures at the beginning of surrogacy's process can help to ensure that your journey will go smoothly. Further, doing so will free you from the stress and distraction of surrogacy's process and allow you to focus on what's truly important: preparing to welcome a new child into the world with love, warmth and care.

 Follow Fred Silberberg on Twitter: www.twitter.com/fredsilberberg

Complaints Arise From India's Surrogacy Arrangements

Myleen and Jan Sjodin with Baby Amari



Joining an ever growing chorus of complaints, more couples are speaking out about their negative experiences with Indian surrogacy agencies. Recently, the Los Angeles Times published an article about this growing problem, highlighting couples who have had very serious problems with Indian surrogacy clinics.







Myleen Sjodin and her husband Jan, both of Toronto, Canada were elated to become parents through surrogacy after Myleen having survived uterine cancer. They contracted through one of the many Indian surrogacy clinics and after going through all of the process, they learned they were to be parents. According to the Times article "It all turned into a nightmare as the doctor hiked her fees just before the baby was born, hitting them at their psychologically weakest point. She also didn't pay outside hospital bills and tried to use India's infamous bureaucracy to delay their homecoming." "We were robbed of our joy as first-time parents," Jan Sjodin said.







They felt fearful that they may have problems with customs and the hospital so they paid the extra $7,000 in fees and left quickly. Myleens' motivation for speaking out is that other intended parents don't get manipulated. She says "I love Indian culture and we thought we were getting a good deal, but in the end we've paid nearly as much as doing it in the U.S."

Other problems with Indian surrogacy involve citizenship, such as the 2008 case of the Japanese baby, whose parents divorced during the surrogate's pregancy, resulting in the mother giving her up. Baby Manji's citizenship was left ambiguous as Japan refused to recognize her as one of theirs. Last year, a Canadian couple who had contracted with an Indian surrogacy clinic were dumbfounded to learn the twins they had were biologically unrelated to them. Given the vast problems surrounding surrogacy in India, people considering this option are urged to weigh these issues out before pursuing surrogacy outside the US.

Click Here for LA TIMES article.

The High Cost of Lower Cost International Surrogacy-Part 2 of 2

In addition to many the human rights concerns, surrogacy arrangements in the developing world can also be challenging in terms of the geographical distance, language barrier, and cultural differences, making it difficult for well-meaning intended parents from abroad to cultivate deep relationships with their surrogate. This divide also hampers the conscious intended parent from offering emotional support to the surrogate, and insuring that during her pregnancy, she is receiving access to the best nutrition and health care on the planet. For these reasons, many parents opt to contract with more reputable, highly regulated agencies in the US or UK. Agencies, such as West Coast Surrogacy, connect their clients face to face with potential surrogates, and encourage frequent, open dialogue between all parties throughout the pregnancy. West Coast Surrogacy takes great care in screening each potential surrogate for psychological and emotional well being, physical health, a history of bringing babies full term, a stable home environment, and a commitment to a healthy pregnancy. Every WCS surrogate must have regular prenatal care, live a healthy lifestyle and avoid any high-risk behaviors. Such careful screening results in top-notch surrogates who are treated well, have overwhelmingly positive experiences and who often come back to have the experience all over again.



In addition to high expectations, WCS surrogates are also expected to have regular phone and email contact with the agency and the intended parents. Frequently, the bonds that are forged throughout the process result in the parties desiring to continue the relationship, long after the arrival of the new life they've created together. To learn more about West Coast Surrogacy, click here.

The High Cost Of Lower Cost International Surrogacy- Part 1 of 2

For many people seeking to become parents through surrogacy, the monetary cost is certainly a big consideration. For this reason, scores of well-intentioned people have turned to the Internet to connect them with lower cost surrogacy options in the developing world. In response to this growing demand, countries such as India, home to a massive population of poor, uneducated women, have become popular places to contract surrogacy services. Because surrogacy is a relatively new concept, and newer still in the developing world, many countries, such as India, have not created clear policies and regulations that are absolutely critical to protecting both parties within such a delicate arrangement. Without these safeguards, ethical dilemmas and human rights problems emerge and are further exaggerated by extreme poverty, lack of opportunity, corruption and greed. According to the online magazine The Star, India’s “surrogacy-related fertility tourism has long been fraught with ethical and human rights concerns in the country.” While there is a non-binding guideline, “current rules are ambiguous about vital issues like the rights of the surrogate, their minimum age, details about the contracts, informed consent and adoption requirements. This opacity often leads to legal ambivalence for would-be parents or exploitation of poor Indian women who rent out their wombs to earn money.” “The trade in India also breeds unscrupulous middlemen who entice and push marginalised women into surrogate motherhood. There’s no protection against the misuse of a surrogate child for purposes of terrorism, prostitution or unethical genetic engineering research.” This is an alarming problem and an ethical quandary for childless couples looking for a lower-cost way of having their own biological child. Many parents are not aware that such corruption exists since there is relatively little negative press about the topic in comparison to all the sites that are promoting the industry. Click here for full story.



Another problem that emerges out of India is the question of citizenship. Because the offspring of surrogates are not automatically given Indian citizenship , the resulting non-citizen status may create difficulty in obtaining citizenship at a later time through the parent's home country. In one instance, a couple from Germany who went to India to have twins through a surrogate, were emeshed in a two year legal battle to obtain a visa for thier children to return with them to Germany. Click Here for the full story. All this uncertainty leads many people to look to select states in the US as the ideal place for surrogacy arrangements. Each child born within our borders, regardless of their parents county of origin is automatically given US citizenship. California leads the country in pro-surrogacy legislation offering more clarity and legal protections than any other place in the US. West Coast Surrogacy, located in Orange County is proud to be the premier agency in Southern California. We screen our surrogates carefully and support them throughout the pregancy resulting in many of them becoming WCS surrogates again. We also employ a team of professionals, including psychologists and lawyers who ensure our clients have the best possible outcome. Please visit our website to discover how our premier full service agency can assist you. West Coast Surrogacy

Good Morning America Salutes Surrogacy

This week on Good Morning America, audiences around the country got a chance to get better acquainted with the emerging new field of surrogacy. In this highly informative segment, Dr. Jacques Moritz defined what surrogacy is and explained how gestational surrogacy differs from traditional surrogacy. The segment also covered just some of the health reasons that prevent women from being able to carry their own child. He also discussed how California has emerged as the best place in America for those seeking surrogacy arrangements, since laws in this state are most protective of surrogates and intended parents. Click here to watch.

If you are considering surrogacy, we invite you to look closely at who we are and what past clients are saying about us. West Coast Surrogacy, based in Southern California, is a client-centered agency, committed to upholding the highest levels of legal protection, professionalism and discretion. Our founder and executive director, Ms. Amy Kaplan, has been working in reproductive medicine since 1990. Her profound desire to help those with fertility challenges led her to become an egg donor, a surrogate of twins and finally to birth her vision of the ultimate agency, West Coast Surrogacy. We believe our agency, WSC is uniquely qualified and capable of being your guide along your wonderful journey of having a baby. It would be our greatest honor to do so. Please visit our website at http://westcoastsurrogacy.com

New York Times article; Building a baby with few ground rules

Most surrogacy agencies, like West Coast Surrogacy, have strict regulations in place to screen surrogate candidates as well as parents in need of surrogates. When this doesn't happen, in a state that doesn't support surrogacy, it can be a recipe for disaster.

Click Here to see the article in the New York Times

UC Irvine settles lawsuits of stolen eggs, embryos

Having been an egg donor myself back in the early 1990's, I find this article of interest.

Click Here for Article in the Los Angeles Times

A New Day for Stem Cell Research

Last week, President Obama addressed the country with a new policy on stem cell research, which allows scientists much freer access to embryonic stem cells in particular and reverses the tight restrictions set by the Bush administration in 2001. The president’s plan offers many potential benefits and greatly enables scientists to conduct their research more thoroughly and effectively. They will now be able to study among thousands of embryonic stem cell samples, instead of the mere 21 lines allowed previously. These 21 lines were not ethnically or genetically diverse and therefore far from ideal for accurate research. Studying from a diverse and unrestricted sample size will help scientists better understand how to treat heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s, as well as spinal cord injuries and many other serious health conditions.

Obama’s lifting of the previous administration’s restrictions also means that it will no longer be illegal for scientists in the private sector to share facilities, equipment and findings with their government-funded colleagues. This will make the research process much more conducive to real medical breakthroughs. And that’s what this change of executive position is really about – facilitating the uninhibited flow of knowledge. It is this open exchange of study and ideas that has brought us medical advancements like our modern fertility treatments and cures for countless life-threatening diseases.

Of course, there is still a great deal of controversy over the use of embryonic stem cells in scientific study. Adult stem cells can also be used for valuable research, but it is the cells from embryos that have the ability to develop into any kind of cell in the body. This is what makes them special, but it is also their potential to start a new life that stirs so much debate. However, the vast majority of these embryonic stem cells come from IVF clinics and may have been discarded anyway. So why not use them for potentially life saving research instead? What do you think?

Here’s a Newsweek article on the subject which includes an interview with Amy Comstock Rick, CEO of the Parkinson's Action Network and president of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR), a group formed in 2001 to advocate for embryonic stem-cell research.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/188454/page/1

Ova Time: Women Line Up to Donate Eggs for Money

With the United States in a recently declared recession and everyone affected, belts are beginning to tighten all around the country, and in this economic crisis, clinics are now reporting a surge in the number of women donating eggs for money or attempting to become surrogate mothers.

In some reproductive agencies, the amount of would-be egg donors has been up almost 30% in recent weeks—about 60 calls a day. There is no longer a wait for egg donors with the offers coming in so rapidly for donation. Even advertisements are running that call for specific traits; for example, “100% Jewish with… high SAT scores… attractive, at healthy body weight and free of genetic diseases.”

This squeeze on the economy is bringing women of all backgrounds into our surrogacy world—women who have college loans, who want to buy a house, or who need to provide for their own children’s education.

In all this uproar for eggs and surrogates, the women who are only looking for some quick cash get turned down—most agencies, including West Coast Surrogacy, only accept a tiny fraction of applicants, and the qualifications are stringent. There are numerous disqualifiers for the candidates as well as requirements of appropriate weight for their height and very good health.

Despite the rise in egg donations and surrogacy applicants in this recession, there has been no drop in demand for donor eggs despite the costs of each attempt. Many of the couples seeking egg donors and surrogates are from Europe, where paying for such surrogacy services is illegal and waits can take many years.

Read more on this topic in the Wall Street Journal;

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122878524586490129.html

Against the Odds in Britain: A Surrogate Story of Success

In Great Britain, it is currently illegal to advertise yourself as a surrogate mother. This limit in surrogacy advertisement has consequently had a huge negative impact on the amount of surrogacy that takes place in the United Kingdom today. In the past 23 years, despite vast leaps in both traditional and gestational surrogacy, there have only been 600 successful surrogate births in the UK, and the subject of surrogacy still remains an “almost taboo” subject.

Yet here is a story of success against the odds for a surrogate couple and the intended parents.

Surrogate Parents: Vanessa and Kyle Hastings

To Vanessa Hudgens, “giving birth is a gift, something she is good at, and something she has always longed to share with others.” This positive mentality has enabled Vanessa to be a mother of three as well as a surrogate mother twice to three children. She had always wanted to be an egg donor, and in looking into it, she found the world of surrogacy. The support that her husband, Kyle, had for her decision allowed nothing to hold her back from being a surrogate mother.

Because surrogate advertising is illegal in the United Kingdom, Vanessa was able to meet with people wanting to get involved through a support organization, Surrogacy UK. Vanessa and Kyle met and befriended Sabreena and Robert Sutcliffe, the eventual intended parents, and through a support program, the two couples were able to create a friendship before the surrogacy. This relationship will allow Vanessa to remain in contact with the two children even after the birth of the twin daughters she is carrying for the Sutcliffes.

The Hastings have stressed that their own children fully understand the process of surrogacy and have known exactly what was happening in each surrogacy.

Intended Parents: Sabreena and Robert Sutcliffe

Sabreena Sutcliffe had always known she wouldn’t be able to have children. She was born without a womb and knew if she ever wanted children, it would be a difficult process, and in preparation, she began freezing her eggs since 21-years-old.

Sabreena and her husband, Robert, knew from the outset that they wanted to go through with a surrogacy in order to have children. After their previous attempt at surrogacy had resulted in a miscarriage, they began to feel the pressures of having children even more, until they met the Hastings in their support group. They quickly became friends and decided that they could work together to have Sabreena and Robert’s children.

Once the process had been taken care of and paid for, both couples were surprised and delighted to find that Vanessa was unintentionally pregnant with twins. Both couples fully intend to stay in contact and remain friends for life. Sabreena and Robert are determined to explain to their new daughters exactly how they came into the world, and that “it is nothing to be ashamed of or stigamatised about.”
http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news-features/Surrogacy-our-story.4639609.jp

Surrogacy Process for International Clients

The financial aspect of surrogacy is generally the first and primary concern for most couples embarking on this journey. The following is an overview of the surrogacy process for parents that reside outside of the United States.

Initially, you will be asked to complete paperwork for West Coast Surrogacy in order for us to find your ideal match. West Coast Surrogacy has no upfront fee for evaluating surrogate profiles, and you are given the opportunity to review profiles of available surrogates as well as speak with a candidate via phone or email if you are interested. Once you have selected a surrogate that you would like to meet, an initial agency retainer fee is paid.

You will be asked to come to the United States to meet with your surrogate, the director of West Coast Surrogacy, your IVF physician, as well as the counselor and attorney that will be representing you.

A meeting will be arranged with your surrogate and her spouse, as well as the director of West Coast Surrogacy, to discuss the entire process. Any particular concerns you may have will be addressed, and you will have the opportunity to spend time getting to know each other. After the meeting you will have time to decide whether you want to move forward with this surrogate. If so, your surrogate will be medically evaluated by your IVF physician in preparation for the process. These fees will be paid by you directly to the IVF center and can vary from center to center.

Ellen Winters Miller, our psychologist, will meet with your surrogate for an evaluation and testing. It is preferred that you attend this meeting with Ellen and your surrogate if you are available. Ellen is available to you, the intended parent, and the surrogate throughout the entire pregnancy via phone and email. Your surrogate will be in contact with Ellen every two weeks throughout the pregnancy and will have access to speak with her at anytime.
The surrogate receives a payment from West Coast Surrogacy once the screening and testing process is complete, and you will later receive an invoice to reimburse the agency.
Provided is a recommended attorney to draft your legal contract. You will pay the attorney the initial retainer fee which varies depending upon the attorney. Once you retain the attorney, a trust fund is established in your name for the surrogacy process. Once the trust fund is established, all future payments to the surrogate, the attorneys, the psychologist, and the agency will be paid by this account.

Once the surrogate has completed her medical and psychological testing , the legal contracts will be finalized and the embryo transfer cycle may begin. This process generally takes 4-6 weeks. In your absence, our director (or a representative from West Coast Surrogacy) will attend appointments with your surrogate. We will also attend visits with her to the obstetrician once pregnancy has begun. We will continue to stay in close contact with your surrogate during the entire pregnancy and relay any information to you as needed. In addition to you, we will be available to her for support throughout the process. The director is easily reached by phone or email as much as needed and has a commitment to be accessible 7 days a week.

Once the surrogate is pregnant, she will begin to receive monthly payments as outlined in the Surrogate Benefits Package. The terms of these payments will be specified in your legal contract drafted by your attorney. The attorney who drafts your contract will also manage your trust fund. No payments will be paid unless both the attorney and the agency approve such requests. If the payment falls outside the terms of the legal agreement, you will be personally contacted and asked for your approval.

It is preferable for you come to the United States once or twice to visit your surrogate during the pregnancy and attend physician appointments with her. These will provide you an opportunity to see your baby/babies by ultrasound and allow you to spend time bonding with your surrogate.

After the birth of your baby/babies, you will be required to stay in the United States for approximately 4-8 weeks while a birth certificate for your child/children is obtained. West Coast Surrogacy will assist you with hotel/lodging arrangements as needed during this time.
Completing the necessary paperwork to begin the matching process is the first step to the surrogacy process, and you can be on your way to meeting your surrogate and bringing home your baby/babies!

Surrogacy Advances in Connecticut

In light of the recent election and this past year of 2008, gay rights in Connecticut have clearly made memorable advances. Same-sex couples officially have the right to wed rather than accepting civil unions that carry the same rights of a married couple without the title, “married.” Connecticut joins Massachusetts as being the only two states that allow gay marriage in the entire country.

The demand for equality of gay rights in Connecticut can be exemplified in the recent case of a homosexual male couple attempting to have children via gestational surrogacy in an agreement with a married heterosexual couple.

A Texas gay couple, married in Canada as well as in Massachusetts, entered a gestational agreement with a Connecticut heterosexual married couple. Both the gay men contributed sperm in order to create a fertilized embryo with an egg from an anonymous donor. The surrogate mother became pregnant and carried two babies to term, and despite the fact that both of the men are the biological fathers of either one of the babies, they have made no plans to figure out which child is theirs.

The entire issue stems from the law in Connecticut, that when a child is born, the birth mother’s name is automatically placed on the birth certificate; however, in gestational surrogacy, a “replacement” certificate is created with the legal parents listed. Objections have been raised because of the men’s decisions to not genetically test which of the children was actually theirs.

The Connecticut Health Department holds that since there is the possible “absence of a genetic tie” between the children and the men and that “only a biological or adoptive parent should be listed on a birth certificate,” that the men should not be listed on the birth certificate as the legal parents.

This objection to allowing the two men to adopt the children fell flat when the judge accepted the declaration from both the Texan men that their sperm created the embryos, and because they planned to raise the children together as spouses, there was no need for genetic testing. This precedent has widened the avenues by which gay couples can attempt to have children of their own, as well as show the flexibility of surrogacy laws and process in Connecticut.

http://news.aol.com/article/gay-marriages-allowed-in-connecticut/241707

http://www.gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20190340&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=568860&rfi=6

Proposition 8 and Surrogacy

Proposition 8 and Surrogacy
As many of you know, Proposition 8 is an initiative measure on the 2008 California General Election ballot titled Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. If passed, the proposition would change the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. A new section would be added stating "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

California state law does allow for a same sex couple, whether married or not, to have the names of both parents on a child’s birth certificate. This will not change if Proposition 8 passes. What will change, however, are the rights of these parents to marry the person they love, the father or mother of their child, which I see as a fundamental right of all human beings.

Please vote NO on Proposition 8.

Surrogacy In The News: Birth Certificate Issued to Baby Born In India

A birth certificate issued Saturday for a surrogate baby who has been in legal limbo since she was born in India may pave the way for a reunion with her biological Japanese father, a doctor said.
http://news.yahoo.com/story//afp/20080809/wl_sthasia_afp/indiajapanbabysurrogacyadoptionlaw

Surrogacy In The News: Baby born to surrogate Indian mother in legal limbo

A baby born via surrogacy in India is unable to leave the country with her father. A story that hopefully will arrive at a happy ending very soon;

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080806/ts_afp/indiajapanbabysurrogacyadoptionlaw