#surrogacy

Celebrities and Surrogacy

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You’ve probably seen their stories reported in popular magazines and websites. When celebrities choose to publicize their surrogacy journeys, people listen. This spreads awareness and gives the public a greater understanding of the challenges of family building for both same sex and heterosexual celebrities who want to have babies–just like the rest of us!

Turning to Surrogacy

Regardless of their fame, prospective parents may need to use the services of a surrogate mother, also known as a gestational carrier, for a variety of medical and social reasons.

Intended mothers may have been born without a uterus, have a uterine structural abnormality, or needed a hysterectomy due to cancer, all of which make it impossible for them to carry a pregnancy. Some may have medical problems that would make pregnancy dangerous. Surrogacy also may be needed for women who have experienced numerous failed IVF cycles. They can produce healthy, normal-looking embryos, but implantation does not occur, even with IVF.

Of course, same sex individuals and single men who want to have biological children need two, “third parties,” an egg donor and a surrogate mother.

Here are four examples of celebrities who have shone a special light on surrogacy:

GloZell Green

GloZell is a viral social media superstar known for her signature green lipstick, vivacious personality and hilarious YouTube videos. When she wanted to have a baby in her late 30s, her doctor discovered she had endometriosis and a thin uterine lining. He suggested she use a surrogate mother to carry her baby, and with the help of HRC Fertility’s Dr. Bradford Kolb, GloZell and her husband Kevin Simon are now the proud parents of little O’Zell born last August.

In her unique style, GloZell chronicled her surrogacy journey and, in the process, has educated millions of people about infertility and surrogacy.

Elton John and David Furnish

This megastar and his producer/director husband are one of the most famous examples of a gay couple who used surrogacy to build their family. Elton and David are British citizens and commercial surrogacy is not legally recognized in the United Kingdom. They used the services of the same surrogate mother for their sons’ births.

When fashion designers Dolce and Gabbana created a firestorm by calling IVF and surrogacy “unnatural,” Elton John came to the defense of the millions of parents and babies who have used these miraculous technologies.

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban needed the help of a surrogate mother for their second daughter. After Ms. Kidman’s struggle to conceive baby number two, she was very open about her secondary infertility and the struggle of undergoing treatment and miscarriage, as well as showing her admiration for her surrogate mother.

Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin is not only a gay dad via surrogacy, but was a single man who wanted to become a father when his twins Matteo and Valentino were conceived via surrogacy. He is well-known as a “choice dad,” who made a conscious choice to embark on becoming a father.

Ricky’s surrogacy experience is an example of how the desire for parenthood is a universal goal for both men and women, with or without a partner

Thank you to these celebrities and others who have brought awareness to this unique, but increasingly popular, family building option.

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HRC Fertility has one of the largest and most successful third party parenting programs in the world. Click here to read more: http://www.havingbabies.com/infertility-treatment/third-party-reproduction/

Our Twins: We Were Excited and Scared

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When Stephen and Jun decided they were ready to start their family, they were both excited and anxious.

While anxiety is common for couples undergoing ART treatment, same-sex couples face the additional anxiety of coordinating both an egg donor and gestational surrogate.

They took their time assembling the right team to build their family, knowing they wanted twins–a boy and a girl. Using an agency, they found a mixed race egg donor who matched the mix between Stephen and Jun, who was born in the Philippines.

They also wanted a surrogate who was willing to carry twins, had children of her own, and had no concerns about carrying babies for a same-sex couple. The surrogate they found was both a twin and in a same-sex relationship.

“She had all right qualifications, and we felt immediately comfortable when we met her,” Stephen said.

The agency also referred them to several clinics, and the couple ultimately chose HRC and Dr. Frederick for a few reasons: Dr. Frederick had helped other same-sex couples conceive and she’d invested in the Bonding Room at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center for couples whose children are born via surrogate at the hospital.

Because Stephen and Jun knew they wanted both a boy and a girl, they opted for gender selection, which determines the sex of the embryos before transferring them to the surrogate. They were fortunate enough to have several embryos and one of each gender, so they chose to transfer one of each.

Dr. Frederick told them there was an 80 percent chance that one embryo would take, and a 50 percent chance that the second embryo would implant. When both were successfully implanted, the couple and Dr. Frederick were thrilled.

When at first you succeed, you must try again is this couple’s motto. The couple has already gotten a thumbs up from the donor and surrogate about a second round. In the next few years, their family of four might be a family of six–a though that excites Stephen and Jun…and probably scares them, too!