Surrogacy Archives - Judith Hoechst | Colorado Reproductive Law

When children are told they were born via assisted reproduction can affect outcomes, study finds

Judith Hoechst — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 16:25:55 +0000

When children are told they were born via assisted reproduction can affect outcomes, study finds

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 9:51 PM EDT, Wed April 12, 2023

CNN —

At age 14, Helen wasn’t bothered by the fact she was born via surrogacy.

“My mum is still my mum. My dad is still my dad,” she told UK researchers conducting a study on the mental health and well-being of children born through egg donation, sperm donation and surrogacy. Helen is not her real name.

“I was talking to someone at school and they said they were an accident,” 14-year-old Simon (also not his real name) told the researchers. “I know I was no accident, I was really wanted, and it makes me feel special.”

Parents worried their children may experience difficulties as a result of learning they were conceived by assisted reproduction can stop fretting — the kids are just fine, according to the study published this week after two decades in the making.

“When we began this study more than 20 years ago, there was concern the absence of a biological link between the child and the parents could have a damaging effect on their relationship and on the well-being of the child,” said lead author Susan Golombok, professor emerita of family research and former director of the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge in the UK.

However, at age 20, children born via egg or sperm donation and surrogacy were psychologically well-adjusted, the study found, especially if parents told the children about their birth history before age 7.

“What this research means is that having children in different or new ways doesn’t actually interfere with how families function. Really wanting children seems to trump everything — that’s what really matters,” Golombok said.

Clinical psychologist Mary Riddle, an associate professor of psychology at Pennsylvania State University called the study “important, in that it represents research conducted over a long period of time.”

However, Riddle, who was not involved in the study, said the results aren’t completely applicable to the United States because surrogacy can be practiced differently in the UK in several ways.

Called “tummy mummies” by some of the children, surrogates in the UK may become part of the family, participating in the upbringing of the child they helped bring into the world, according to Golombok’s 2020 book, “We Are Family: The Modern Transformation of Parents and Children.”

“In the UK, intended parents often know their surrogate prior to the surrogate pregnancy whereas in the US, commercial surrogates are often matched through agencies and don’t have prior relationships with the families for whom they carry babies,” Riddle said.

MAKE BABIES NOT WAR Russia’s invasion is damaging Ukraine’s booming surrogacy industry

Judith Hoechst — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 17:36:30 +0000

By Priyanka Vora

AUDIENCE EDITOR

Published February 25, 2022 Last updated March 8, 2022

As Russian forces continue their attack on Kyiv, Ukrainians have been forced to take cover; people young and old are streaming into underground bomb shelters. Among them are surrogate mothers, part of the country’s booming fertility industry.

Ukraine is the second most popular destination after the United States for foreign couples seeking surrogacy services, according to Growing Families, a nonprofit organization working with couples seeking surrogacy and fertility treatment in Ukraine and around the world. An estimated 2,000 to 2,500 children are born through surrogacy in Ukraine each year, and at least 1,500 couples living in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, and elsewhere have surrogate mothers and embryos stored at clinics in Ukraine, says Sam Everingham, global director of Growing Families.

Fertility clinics are now fielding a barrage of calls from would-be parents outside Ukraine, who are desperate for updates on their surrogate mothers. Anticipating an attack, some facilities have already taken steps to ensure safety of their surrogates, transporting them toward the western regions of the country. BioTexCom, a fertility facility in Kyiv, even built a bomb shelter to protect its surrogates and infants. The shelter is equipped with gas masks, sleeping bags, canned food, and cribs. It can accommodate 200 people, BioTexCom legal advisor Denis Herman said in a YouTube video this week.

Nurse to Surrogate: Not a Far Leap

Judith Hoechst — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 15:46:44 +0000

Three local women share what it’s like to go from caring for mothers to carrying those mothers’ babies.

by Jamie Korf

Surrogates are like a thing of mommy lore. We may know of a couple going through surrogacy or have mutual Facebook friends who became the intended parents (“IP” is the industry term), but the person who played the vital role in building these families is usually cloaked in mystery. We don’t see a rash of images of her budding belly or sweat-beaded face as she lay crumpled out on the hospital bed, post-delivery. And that’s intentional; it’s not an overlooked aspect of the process. Surrogates just aren’t the showy type.

“Surrogates are women who foster animals, volunteer at their kids’ schools, give blood,” says Shannon Curry, surrogate business development manager at ConceiveAbilities, a surrogacy agency. “They work at ObGyn clinics, they are nurses, they are teachers …. And they have a lot of empathy for people who can’t carry a child as they find mothering to be one of life’s greatest experiences.”

When you consider the overlap between surrogates and health care providers, there’s no eureka moment—it makes complete and utter sense. At their core, health care professionals and surrogates embody a giving, self-sacrificial spirit. And humbled as they are, they’ll just tell you they’re here for the ride.

Israel lifts restrictions on same-sex surrogacy

Judith Hoechst — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 18:07:03 +0000

Israel’s LGBTQ community had demanded for years to be allowed to pursue surrogacy, which is already accessible to straight couples and single women.

Jan. 4, 2022, 7:53 AM MST

By Reuters

Israel on Tuesday lifted restrictions barring same-sex couples and single men from becoming parents through surrogacy within the country, upholding a Supreme Court ruling to end the ban.

“It is a historic day for the LGBTQ struggle in Israel,” Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said at a news conference, announcing the ministry had issued a circular granting equal access for all to surrogate pregnancy.

Israel’s LGBTQ community had demanded for years to be allowed to pursue surrogacy, which is already accessible to heterosexual couples and single women.

In July, the Supreme Court, petitioned by gay rights activists, ruled that the surrogacy ban for same-sex couples and single men violated their rights and must be lifted within six months.

The restrictions had applied only to surrogacy arrangements in Israel, and some of those barred from pursuing the process at home traveled abroad to do so.

Article…

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How Does Surrogacy Work?

Judith Hoechst — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 23:31:50 +0000

Intended parents and gestational carriers make matches to build families.

By Lisa Esposito

Dec. 10, 2021, at 3:23 p.m.

This article is based on reporting that features expert sources.

How Does Surrogacy Work?

When people pursue surrogacy, it’s a journey fueled by a strong commitment to becoming parents. When a woman carries an embryo and goes through pregnancy to help someone else have a child, it’s a unique contribution.

Gestational surrogacy is uncommon, representing only about 2% of all U.S. medical procedures to address infertility, according to the National Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance System Group. It’s much less common than treatments like intrauterine insemination or fertility drugs. However, it’s a real option and in some cases, the only option for an individual or couple to have a child.

Experts describe what happens as intended families and gestational carriers go through the surrogacy process.

Surrogacy Terminology

It helps to understand the language used in this field:

Types of Surrogacy

Gestational surrogacy. “Gestational surrogacy typically means that an embryo is placed into the uterus of a gestational carrier,” says Dr. Dorette Noorhasan, the medical director and co-founder of CCRM Fertility in Dallas–Fort Worth. “The sole purpose is for that person to carry the pregnancy and give birth nine months later.” The woman carrying the embryo has no biological relationship to the egg or sperm that created it.
Compassionate surrogacy. A surrogate does a carrier cycle for someone they know – a family member or friend – and is not financially compensated.
Compensated surrogacy. “This is where the gestational carrier received compensation for her time and effort in carrying the pregnancy,” says Dr. Jamie Massie, an OB-GYN, reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at the ORM Fertility Clinic in Bellevue, Washington.
Traditional surrogacy. Rarely practiced in the U.S. because of the legal and emotional complexities, traditional surrogacy is when the surrogate uses her own egg and is artificially inseminated with sperm from a donor or the intended father, so she is actually the biological mother.

Carriers

Gestational carrier. Also called a gestational surrogate, this woman carries and gives birth to a baby for another individual or family. This encompasses both compassionate and compensated surrogacies.

Medical Terms

Carrier cycle. This process involves an in vitro fertilization cycle (see definition below) to produce the embryo, which is then transferred to the gestational carrier at the chosen time. Pregnancy is the next phase.
In vitro fertilization (IVF). A technique, done in a laboratory, which uses the egg and sperm from the intended parents to create the embryo.
Embryo transfer. In this procedure, which is typically done in a fertility clinic, the embryo is placed in the uterus of the gestational carrier.
Third-party reproduction. In this approach, someone other than the intended parents is involved in the process of reproduction, through egg donation, sperm donation or an embryo-gestational carrier arrangement.

Other Terms

Intended family/parents. People who seek gestational surrogacy to have a child are called intended parents. “A lot of people do surrogacy because they have to,” says Noorhasan, author of the book “Miracle Baby: A Fertility Doctor’s Fight for Motherhood” published in 2019, which describes her personal experience as an intended parent.
Reproductive attorney. Attorneys who specialize in assisted reproduction are experts in legal issues such as gestational carrier contracts, parental rights and widely varying state laws regarding surrogacy arrangements.
Surrogacy agency. This type of business screens potential gestational carriers and helps match them with intended families. Agencies coordinate between all parties including clinics and surrogacy attorneys, mediate contracts between the intended parents and surrogate and provide counseling and support.

Pathway to Parenthood

Two main paths lead people to a fertility clinic to consider surrogacy, Massie says. One is the inability to carry a child whatsoever, such as for same-sex male couples. “So they need somebody to participate in their family building.” Similarly, there are people who come to a fertility clinic already aware that an existing medical condition prevents them from safely carrying a pregnancy.

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A Story of Sisterhood, Survival and Surrogacy

Judith Hoechst — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 21:12:45 +0000

The bond between twins is often extraordinary, but Sarah Sharp and Cathey Stoner have taken their bond to new heights. After battling choriocarcinoma, an aggressive and rare form of ovarian cancer, Sarah was devastated to learn she would need a hysterectomy, forcing her to give up dreams of continuing to grow her family. That’s when her sister, Cathey, stepped in. Now, Cathey is giving birth to Sarah’s biological son thanks to fertility miracles and a lot of love and selflessness. They bring their first-hand experience to Talk to Me Sister, a podcast that speaks to their journey and helps other women through surrogacy, women’s health issues, and beyond. Please welcome twin sisters Sarah Sharp and Cathey Stoner.

Colorado Surrogacy Agreement Act HB21-1022

Judith Hoechst — Fri, 07 May 2021 17:11:05 +0000

With Representative Meg Froelich and colleague Laura Koupal, witnessing Governor Jared Polis signing HB21-1022, the Colorado Surrogacy Agreement Act on Thursday, May 6th. Laura and I were honored to be asked to speak about the work on this bill and what it means to have statutory protections in place for surrogacy in Colorado. Three years after starting this journey with Rep Froelich, with the support of colleagues, the testimony of witnesses who selflessly gave their time sharing their expertise about surrogacy or their surrogacy stories as surrogates and intended parents, with the sponsorship of Rep Froelich and Senator Ginal, and culminating with Governor Polis’s warm remarks and his signature on the Bill yesterday, it was an emotional and wonderful day personally and professionally for all of us.

Click to read the bill…

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Surrogacy Journey Part 2

Judith Hoechst — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 22:32:09 +0000

Beginning a surrogacy journey can feel complex and overwhelming for both surrogates and intended parents (IPs). Thankfully there are people all along the way whose job it is to make these steps easy to understand. A few of the many required steps for our situation included testing and obtaining medical clearance from a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) for me, psychological clearances for myself, my husband and for Carrie, a contract in place using specialized reproductive attorneys, and obtaining donated embryos.

Once we had taken all the necessary medical and legal steps required, we were ready to begin the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF). As mentioned in Part 1, Carrie’s desire was to add to her family with the help of embryo donation (you can read more about embryo donation here.) As I thought about surrogacy, the medications and hormones – most specifically the injections – was what I felt most nervous about. I’ve always been fearful of needles and knew that in order to be a surrogate, I would need daily injections for months. It was both my husband, Drew, and my daughter, Selah, that gave me strength to continue to pursue surrogacy in the face of those injections. Drew told me early on that he would be happy to give me the injections if I couldn’t. He didn’t tell me until after the med cycle that he would’ve hated giving me shots, but had told me he would be happy to do it so that I wouldn’t be as nervous. Selah has endured more shots, procedures and surgeries in her life so far than most people experience in a lifetime. The med cycle became another surprisingly beautiful part of the process for me personally because my daughter, and her courage in the face of medical complexities, gave me the strength to pursue something that required facing a lifelong fear in order to achieve. I overcame my fear of needles by doing many of the injections myself, which was deeply empowering. Selah also loved helping. She learned the whole process of drawing up the medications to cleaning my skin and giving the injections. It was healing for her to be on the other side of the needle.

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A Surrogacy Journey Part 1

Judith Hoechst — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 16:14:56 +0000

My daughter was born in 2008. Within her first year of life, my husband and I both knew that our family was complete, and we’ve been a little family of three ever since. I don’t remember the exact year when I began thinking about surrogacy, but I remember hearing an advertisement for an agency seeking surrogates and thought about how amazing it would be to carry a child for someone who wasn’t able to carry their own. I had really loved being pregnant, found the experience to be fascinating and full of wonder, and thought it would be incredible to carry a child for someone else. I also didn’t think that I would qualify to be a surrogate. I was older than the age the advertisement specified, and our daughter had been born preterm and in need of immediate medical care from a series of congenital anomalies. I was sure that those things combined would disqualify me, and I spent the next 3-4 years with the dream in the back of my head.

51-year-old mom carrying daughter’s baby as gestational surrogate

Judith Hoechst — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 22:40:10 +0000

Most mothers give their children the gift of life once, when they’re born. But one mom from Illinois is giving her daughter that gift again — by carrying her baby.

At 51years old, Julie Loving is nearly nine months pregnant as the gestational surrogate for her daughter, Breanna Lockwood. It’s a gift that feels surreal to Lockwood.

After several rounds of IVF and suffering multiple miscarriages, Lockwood’s doctor told her she and her husband might want to look into surrogacy. It was something Loving had been pushing for a while. She even volunteered to be the surrogate, but Lockwood wasn’t sure at first.

However, after several tests and exams, doctors determined that Loving was fit to be her surrogate. “I laughed,” Lockwood said.

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