IVF

QUESTION: "In your last post, you wrote about choices made during embryo creation. You mentioned "one dad versus two" as an option. How does this work?"

QUESTION: "My partner and I have researched traditional and gestational surrogacy, and we've decided to go with gestational surrogacy because of the emotional attachment sometimes experienced by traditional surrogates. Having made that decision, we're excited about choosing an egg donor. What are some things we should know before beginning this step? What is the role of the medical team in finding and screening the egg donor? And how long does it take?"

Surrogacy News has been big this week in Australia, specifically in Queensland - and our updates will focus on where this will take the people of Australia in their quest to have a child via surrogacy. But, first we will start with Indiana, where a couple is fighting for the right to have their names on the birth certificate of their child.

Indiana - The biological parents of a child born via surrogacy are challenging a ruling by the Indiana courts. The Court of Appeals is to hear arguments this week. A trial court denied their request as follows:

Under reforms in Australia, legal parentage of a child born in surrogacy agreements will transfer from the birth mother to the parent or parents who commissioned the birth. This extends to same-sex couples.

An opposition bill that would see surrogacy continue to be illegal for same-sex couples was debated but it failed to pass.

Reproductive Possibilities is sponsoring a Family Building Seminar about Egg Donation and Gestational Surrogacy at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center [208 West 13th St, DeBenedictis Room # 410, New York] on Thursday, April 22 - from 6:00 to 8:30PM. There'll also be a wine and cheese reception.

Registration is FREE, please contact gloria@reproductivepossibilities.com.

This Seminar will cover the medical, emotional and surrogate processes involved when building your family through third party reproduction.

"You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give" Kahlil Gibran

There is no greater gift that a woman can give, then the gift of life. As we enter the second month of 2010 and some of those new year resolutions start to fade, egg donation is a selfless act that will forever be appreciated and may change the life of a woman in a way you can only imagine. Whether the donated compensation which you will receive matter to you or not, the act of giving touches the soul and remains forever appreciated.

Surrogacy, Embryo Donation, & Dr. Phil - well, it has been a slow week for news, but again the legislation that is being considered in Tennessee and Oklahoma should cause us all to pause - patients and industry professionals alike. TGIF!