Surrogacy

I admit it, I am addicted to reading celebrity "news" and gossip. Recently as I was perusing the all important information about the rich and famous I came across an article about Sarah Jessica Parker expecting twins via a surrogate. I do not personally know anyone who has used a surrogate, but it seems to be pretty commonplace in Hollywood. My sister actually offered to carry a baby for me and my husband when we were struggling to conceive and desperate to have a child. Ultimately, though we decided that it was not an option that we wanted to pursue without first undergoing fertility treatments to see if we might be able to enjoy a pregnancy of our own. Since… [more]

When Courtney B. Vance and Angela Basset were married I was so happy for the both of them. Mostly I was a fan of hers, but now that Courtney is on Law and Order Criminal Intent, I've become a fan of his as well. While searching through the Oprah.com archives for articles on infertility, their story popped up. I had no idea that they were having difficulties for as long as they were, and I really had no idea about them becoming parents of twins. Here is the article: Courtney and Angela After years and years of trouble, Angela was finding out about the use of a surrogate. After discussing it with Courtney and thinking about it, they decided to… [more]

I was never a fan of "Married With Children" although Chris said that he was. I suppose that kind of humor isn't something that I'm that in tune to, but I've always loved Katey Sagal. Only knowing her through MWC, I wasn't too involved with her career, but beginning with her very public miscarriage history, I became a fan of her. According to www.usatoday.com Katey and her husband, Kurt Sutter had a baby girl that they named Esme on Wednesday January 10th, 2007. The couple used a surrogate for this baby who joins Katey's two older children from a previous marriage. Although this article reveals in the headline that the couple used a surrogate for their daughter, the original article that Chris pointed out to me, did not… [more]

And the final part of the article from www.msnbc.msn.com : Three years later, on Sept. 14, 2000, Kalenda served as surrogate again to the Adziches, this time delivering twins -- Anika Stephanie, a girl, and Dominick, a boy. The gift of life Today, the Adzich children, now ages 6 and 9, call Kalenda their "fairy godmother." Kathy sends Kalenda flowers or other gifts on her children's birthdays. "Stephanie has been spectacular through this entire process. It’s very important to her that we have our own family unit and it’s important to her that she has her own family unit," Kathy said. The emotional journey of Robert and Kathy Adzich is the subject of an upcoming documentary film, "Broken Womb," being produced by Grace Kahng at Santoki Productions. Kathy Adzich is also working on two Web… [more]

Continued article from www.msnbc.msn.com : Saying goodbye again During her third pregnancy, doctors sewed her cervix shut and confined her to bed rest in order to prevent premature labor. When she started having contractions at 19 or 20 weeks, she was hospitalized and prescribed drugs to stave off labor. After about a month, on June 15, 1996, Kathy gave birth to a boy the couple named Jakob. But Jakob’s lungs were too underdeveloped, and the baby died in her arms a few weeks later. Staff at the hospital in Santa Clara allowed Kathy to spend two days with the dead baby in a hospital room while she grieved –- a gesture of compassion she is trying to get other hospitals to replicate today. "I am forever grateful to that hospital that they did not… [more]

Just in case you missed the show this morning, here is the article from www.msnbc.msn.com: Labor of love After losing three babies, Kathy and Rob Adzich were able to have three children with the help of a surrogate, a woman who had been a stranger • Couple builds a family, after losses Oct. 12: "Today" host Meredith Vieira talks with Kathy and Rob Adzich about coping with their newborn babies' deaths and Stephanie Kalenda who become a surrogate mom for the couple. Today Show Parenting By MSNBC.com and Today Updated: 26 minutes ago Many couples struggle with the challenges of infertility. The story of Kathy and Rob Adzich is not one of them. Theirs is the unique story of a loving couple who wanted nothing more than to start a family. After going through agonizing cycles… [more]

Hello All, I don't check my adoptionblogs email every day, but I sure am glad that I checked it in time to pass this on for us all to see. I am reprinting a letter that I got today regarding a segment on Surrogate couples, airing tomorrow morning on the Today show. Grace's ending comments about hopefully showcasing other infertility issues that couples deal with is very encouraging. I feel that the more exposure and information sharing we can do, can help with the outcomes of infertility and pregnancy loss. Please check it out. Hi Karianne The Today Show is airing a short documentary tomorrow (thursday, October 12th, 8:09 AM) about surrogate pregnancies and the struggles of infertile couples. It's pretty powerful stuff, and we are trying to get the word out to… [more]

I just read on www.adopting.org about an option called social surrogacy. This is where a couple decides that they want a biological child, but do not want to go through the rigors of pregnancy. There is are normally no medical issues causing the decision, only social ones. Like "too busy, the pressures of commitments, a career based on looks, etc." As I'm thinking about this, my main question going through my mind was, would this have been an option for us? Of course, now that I know what pregnancy entails and my body has already been branded by motherhood, what would the point be? Of course, being an adoptive mom as well, it was very enjoyable for me to leave the physical changes… [more]

Nancy, our eagle-eyed writer of the editor's blog alerted me to this article in the Christian Science Monitor titled, "Childless Couples Look to India for Surrogate Mothers." Basically, a lot of people from wealthier nations are "part of a growing number of childless foreigners beating a track to India, drawn here for many of the same reasons that have made India a top destination for medical tourism: low costs, highly-qualified doctors, and a more relaxed legal atmosphere." So....for the same reasons you go to India to have an English speaking, highly trained doctor perform your butt-lift, you can also rent a womb for cheap. Sound harsh? It is. It's impossible to not look at this as an intersection of globalism and capitalism and the fertility… [more]