We wish a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. We are so happy that there is a day that we can all take to reflect on our many blessings and enjoy the company and craziness that is Family. We look forward to helping create many more families in the upcoming years!

To better help our families enjoy the Holiday, Our offices will not be staffed the week of Thanksgiving so that our employees can be home with their families. On Monday and Tuesday, we can be available by emails, but we invite you to also take the week to relax and enjoy your family.

We will not be available on Wednesday through Sunday, except for emergencies or births by current clients, and we look forward to resuming normal business on Monday the 2nd.

Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

So, as it turns out, the Kids ARE alright. Take a peek at this cute video that shows Just how well kids react to Gay Marriage. Much better than some of their adults! Kids ages 5 to 13 were interviewed and asked their opinions. It’s good  hope for an equal future! Best Quote- I don’t get why anyone would be mad!

Hope they call us soon and have some kids!

http://now.msn.com/kids-react-to-gay-marriage-in-fine-brothers-viral-video

New York is an amazing place, so fun to visit all of you up there! We really enjoyed visiting with all of our clients and client’s babies in New York two weekends ago. Stephanie was a keynote speaker at the Men Having Babies conference, and did a great job explaining the matching process and escrow to a room full of eager parents-to-be. You can watch her video on YouTube on the Men Having Babies page here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuesq9lAQVIfGwpAs_dfKOtIoT9msE2Vg

We also had a great Happy Hour Social with many New York Clients, current, past and Future, at the beautiful 230 Fifth. We had a great turnout and loved to visit with everyone. If you could not make it we hope you will mark your calendar for next year and join us then!

Simple Surrogacy is pleased to be hosting an informational Happy Hour on September 26th from 6-8pm. All LGBT couples or singles are invited to join us to visit with past and future clients. We’ll be visiting, sharing information and visiting with friends. If you’re interested in joining us, please email stephanie@simplesurrogacy.com for details and to get the location. Registration is required to join us so we have an accurate head count. Hope to see you there!

Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing fathers out there!

Photo by: Tamara Schlesinger

One day, hanging out with my oldest son, who is 9, and his friends, I overheard him say, “My dad stinks!” He was only talking about my ability to play Stratego, and he happened to be right: Although I played this game for years as a kid, he beats me—OK, slaughters me—every time. On the other hand…“my dad stinks”?! That was the moment I realized that things had changed for good.

That’s not what he used to say. I remember going with him on a kindergarten field trip years ago, and listening in on a heated debate he was having with a friend about which of their dads was stronger. The debate was ridiculous both because of what they imagined we could do—pushing an apartment building down the street, for example—and because of the sheer nonsense of comparing me with his friend’s dad, who is actually built like an apartment building. As I laughed and told my son that day that the other father was definitely stronger, he looked at me as if I had told him Superman was afraid of the dark.

For a dad, it’s easy to be a superhero to your kids when they’re little. They think you’re the greatest, and you can’t do a thing to convince them otherwise. You hoist them up on your shoulders so they can touch the ceiling, you take them out for breakfast and let them order what they want, and they think everything you say is hilarious. I used to be able to keep my oldest son laughing for an entire afternoon by tossing him on my bed, pulling his arms out to his side, yelling “Clear!” and tickling him on the chest as if my hands were defibrillator paddles.

That was back in the days when my work-from-home schedule allowed me to be around the house more. My wife has always had a more demanding and timeconsuming job than I, and has always been happy for me to do a larger share of child care. And she, like many moms, is less interested in being the kids’ hero and more interested in getting them to eat their broccoli and brush their teeth. The kids love us equally, but they know the difference.

As the kids have gotten older, being a hero has become more of a challenge for me. You can’t put them on your shoulders anymore, they start to demand privacy in their bedrooms (and the kitchen, and the living room), and those same old jokes are a lot less hilarious. These days, when I try to amuse my 7-year-old daughter with a silly song or dance step, my little “Sweeto” (who used to wake up every morning, climb onto my lap with open arms and say, “I need you!”) is likely to take one withering look at me, say, “You’re not funny!” and return to her Phineas and Ferb episode.

As a non-superpowered human, I envy Clark Kent for many things: his great job at the Daily Planet (especially in this market), his Fortress of Solitude (the ultimate man cave) and, of course, his X-ray vision. But I also envy him because he’s able to save the world as Superman, then put on his glasses, comb back his hair, and go back to work to listen in while everyone talks about how awesome he is. As a dad, you get that less often as you become less of a hero to your kids and more of an obstacle standing between them and their video games.

I used to think that having the kids adore me was one of the keys to fatherhood, but over time I’ve learned that we dads keep doing the things we do for our kids because we know we’re being heroic in our own way, even if they don’t. And because we love them. So I let all three of them climb onto my back to go sledding, even though it hurts—a ton. I add my daughter’s favorite songs to my iPhone so she can hear them in the car, even while knowing how much abuse I’d get if my coworkers ever saw how many High School Musical tunes I have on it. And I take them swimming, even though chlorine is my kryptonite, because I know they should learn how to swim.

Maybe, as our relationships with our kids shift, our heroic model needs to shift too. Maybe instead of Superman, who gets all the praise and adulation, we should become more like Spider-Man, who doesn’t. In the comic books, he routinely saves the world from supervillains even though almost no one ever thanks him. But public acclaim or not, Peter Parker sleeps well every night, even when his girlfriend dumps him, or his professor fires him from his job in the lab because he’s too busy stopping crime. Their gratitude isn’t the point. He knows that when they leave the house each morning, safe and secure and able to pursue their dreams, it’s in part because of him, and because he’d put his life on the line against the Green Goblin in a heartbeat to protect them. He knows he’s a hero—and so do we dads.

Surrogacy 101: Legal process

Once medical/psychological screening has been completed, you will enter into the Legal Phase. We will help negotiate the contractual terms and fees associated with your agreement to ensure all parties are on the same page before the Agreements are drafted. If you entered into our Legal Included Program for TX residents or those matched in TX, then you have already paid the legal fees for the contract drafting and review of the contracts. You’ll pay the attorneys directly for the Validation and/or post-birth legal work.

If you have not entered into the Legal Included program, then we will refer you to excellent associate attorneys who will draft the legal contracts as relevant to the state of your residence and surrogacy. In that case, legal fees are paid directly to the attorney you retain. The legal phase typically lasts 6 weeks.  During that time, the contract will be drafted, and the attorneys will review with you and with your surrogate. After review, you will sign and notarize the contracts.

Once signed and notarized, the legal process will differ for you depending on the state of the surrogacy contract, the marital status of the Intended Parents, and the terms of your surrogacy contract. We will help you to navigate the post-contract legal process to insure ease following the birth.

We are offering our Free in-office consultations for June 10-12. Please call our toll-free line to make an appointment, or email stephanie@simplesurrogacy.com.

We look forward to meeting with you!

This blog continues our series on Surrogacy 101

Surrogacy 101: Screening process

Your primary physician may have already performed the work-up of the Intended Parent(s) referred for surrogacy. The philosophy at Simple Surrogacy is not to duplicate testing, thus, Intended Parent(s) are encouraged to obtain copies of their previous testing to avoid duplication. Testing for the Intended Parents may include but is not limited to psychological evaluation, std testing, hysteroscopy, mock transfer, mock cycle, and blood work.

If there has been no previous work-up or if the testing is outdated, the couple’s/individual’s work-up may include:

· Initial consultation of the couple with a staff physician of the program to review previous medical records

· Physical examination

· Consultation with the IVF nurse coordinator regarding the treatment protocol, medication and teaching of injections

· Review and sign the consent forms

Female Laboratory Testing

· Rubella Immunity

· Blood type and Rh

· HIV antibody

· Hepatitis B and C surface antigen

· RPR for Syphilis

· Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

· Cervical cultures for Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Ureaplasma, and Mycoplasma (when appropriate).

· FSH – cycle day 2 or 3

Male Laboratory Testing

·Blood type and RH

· HIV antibody

· Hepatitis B and C surface antigen

· RPR for Syphilis

· CMV

· Genetic Testing for Cystic Fibrosis, Tay Sachs Disease, Sickle Cell Disease, and
Thalassemia.

· Semen analysis (within the past 6 months)

· Sperm Count

In honor of all our Surrogate and Intended Mothers out there, we’d like to share this article on being a mother.

Author: Kathy Murdock

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. – Elizabeth Stone

When I was asked to write an article about what it means to be a mother, I have to admit, I panicked a bit. How do you answer a question that has a million answers?

Motherhood encompasses every area of a woman’s life. It changes the way you think about yourself, your family, your friends, and the world at large. It changes the way you look at life, the way you reflect, and the way you act and react. It teaches you to examine things you never gave a second thought to before delivery, and to question the things you always thought were right and true.

Motherhood is a beautiful ride, a wild ride, and the most incredible journey you will ever take, beginning the day the “plus sign” appears in the window and ending, well, never.

I knew my life as a mother would change drastically; and yet, I had no idea at all.

What does it mean to be a mother? These mothers share their answers; and I think you’ll find, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

What is most amazing to me about being a mother is how often the role changes. Being the mother of an infant is not at all the same as being the mother of a toddler. And being the mother of a first-grader is nothing like being the mother of a middle-schooler. Just when you think you have the role down, it changes suddenly, sometimes with no warning. What this has meant for me is that I am constantly growing and changing, challenging myself to new ways of thinking and being. It’s as if my children are constantly shaping me, adjusting me, testing me, just as I shape, adjust, and test them. Our family is so dynamic as we press and pull on each other. There is no time for stagnancy. Sometimes it feels as if there is no time to breathe. And then, suddenly, there is time to breathe, just for a second. And so you breathe. You take it all in. You admire everyone’s present state of life. And then you dive down again, into the rush of life, change, challenge. I never understood how exhilarating the ride would be – and how I would be so constantly changed by the whole experience.
– Julie, mother of 3

Being a mom can be translated into: “Professional-juggler-in-a-traveling-three-ring-circus-with-a-trapeze-side-show-for-a-kicker.” As Mothers, we take multi-tasking to a new and insane level. For those of us who transitioned from the corporate world, our bonus checks are now paid to us in sticky PB&J kisses covered with marshmallow hand prints, and those of us who have left our parents’ home for our spouse’s home, well, guess Who’s the Boss now! My life moves at the speed of a toddler on some days and at the speed of a saxophone on others, and I wouldn’t change a second. What does it mean to be a mom? It means the world.
– Dallas Louis, author of “The Mommy Diaries: How I’m Surviving Parenting without Killing Anyone” (May 2012)

When our kids get older and they inherently do things that make us cringe or at least shake our heads, my first reaction was to overreact and internalize (Oh my God, what did we do wrong to bring up a kid that would act this way….) But, I’ve changed my mind. Kids, especially young adults, are influenced by so much more than their parents. At this stage of the game, my influence is minor, but my role is still major. I love both kids unconditionally. AND my motto these days is, “if it’s not going to matter in 6 months….. it doesn’t matter”. I think this is a modified “don’t sweat the small stuff.”
-Judy, mom of two adult children

Simple Surrogacy is proud to announce that we are adding several new staff members to our staff to better service our clients. First among our new hires is new Clinical Liaison Lesa Hanson. Lesa will assist in the daily coordination between our staff and clinics we refer to. She will communicate directly to clinic staff, and between Surrogates and Egg Donors undergoing screening and cycles. Lesa has extensive experience in the medical field and is currently a Registered Nurse. We are proud to welcome her to the staff.

We are also adding additional coordinators very soon to our staff. Heading up Intended Parent Coordination as Senior Coordinator will be Jennifer Scott. Jennifer Scott has been a surrogate twice over for us and is very experienced in all aspects of the surrogacy process. She will guide our matched Intended Parents through the cycling process and remain their contact through their pregnancy journey. Also joining us as an Intended Parent coordinator is Jill Errera. Also a two time surrogate through our program, Jill’s experience carrying twin pregnancies will be put to good use as she also guides our Intended Parents through their cycle and pregnancy.

We are also adding additional staff to our Surrogate coordinators. Joining us will be Kristina Gray, a former surrogate. She experienced a smooth and uncomplicated pregnancy as a surrogate and we’re happy she is joining us to guide other surrogates through our program.

We are also pleased to offer a valuable additional service to our Intended Parents. As we all know, Insurance policies for Surrogates are confusing and complicated. Previously, we had reviewed those policies in house, and recommended that Intended Parents themselves be responsible for vetting those policies for surrogacy exclusions. Now, we are outsourcing the review of all Surrogate policies to a partner company who will provide an analysis of the policy and issue a report on coverage and exclusions to all Intended Parents. So, now when you match through our program, you will have the peace of mind in knowing the insurance policy has been thoroughly vetted.

We are pleased to continue to offer such excellent service and staff to our clients. As such, we have found it necessary to increase our rates for the first time in 2 years. Effective June 1st, the new fee for Gestational Surrogacy will be $14,500. The legal Included program will increase to $18,000, and will now include the legal documents for Declaration of Guardianship at no additional fee. Though we find it necessary to slightly increase our fees, we have done a through analysis of comparable programs and have found that even with the small increase, our program remains one of the lowest fee programs, especially at the level of service we provide to our clients.

We hope you will join us in welcoming our new staff and services, and we look forward to helping many more families become complete!