Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Reasons for Surrogacy

Posted on: December 9th, 2015 by Simple Surrogacy No Comments

There was a time in the not so distant past when surrogacy had a negative stigma attached. While there are still some states struggling with this issue, it has become a much more common and accepted practice. Science has moved us so far forward with advances in genetics and fertility that parenthood is now within reach for thousands of people who might otherwise never have been able to experience its joy. This could happen because of marital status, age or sexual orientation.

There are two types of surrogacy, traditional and gestational. Within those two groups however there can be a number of different situations and circumstances, making each situation a unique process. I.V.F. is now a standard fertility treatment but that has only been the case for the last fifteen years. Before then, the only real option that someone had was to use a traditional surrogate and since a traditional surrogate uses one of her own eggs in the process, she is genetically linked to that child. With IVF, gestational surrogacy has become more popular as some couples realize they can now have someone carry a baby that is completely and genetically theirs in every way.

There are many reasons why someone may choose to use a surrogate. A woman choosing surrogacy might do so because medical issues have made pregnancy either impossible or dangerous. Many women are able to create healthy eggs but for whatever reason have a high rate of miscarriage. Gay couples have also found success through surrogacy. It has allowed them to pursue a dream once denied them.

Regardless of the reasons behind someone’s desire to achieve parenthood through surrogacy, the fact is that the process is much easier than it once was and at least in the United States, Gestational Surrogacy has become much less complex legally.

Nepalese Surrogacy ends in disaster for Families

Posted on: October 20th, 2015 by Simple Surrogacy No Comments

We see yet again a very sorry case for Families whose laws suddenly changed leaving parents whose children were born to Surrogates in a different country trapped there. We have seen this happen with other countries as well, India, Thailand, and now most recently nepal. we are so very saddened for these families that they cannot take their children back home. Lucky for others who chose the United States for their surrogacy, they have the confidence in knowing that their rights are protected and they will be easily able to take home their children who will remain American Citizens.

Families lose hope as Australian babies born via surrogacy remain stuck in Nepal

Australian families stuck for weeks in Nepal after the country changed its stance on surrogacy are at “breaking point”, unsure if they will be allowed home with their babies.

“There’s a sense of desperation, a sense of complete despair,” said one father, Nick Martin*. Families are running out of vital supplies for their newborns; Mr Martin has had to rely on “complete strangers” flying to Nepal from Australia, contacted through social media, to deliver formula for his seven-week-old twins.

Dozens of Australians began the surrogacy process when it was legal in Nepal. But on August 25 the Supreme Court suspended commercial surrogacy, without directing what should happen to babies already conceived or born. Nepali officials have interpreted the order as applying retrospectively and will not issue exit visas for the children.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the status of surrogacy arrangements commissioned in Nepal before the ban remained unclear, despite attempts by the Australian government to clarify them.
“We will continue to encourage the Government of Nepal to put arrangements in place as soon as possible, allowing for the departure of Australian citizens,” she said. “However, there are limits to what the Australian Government can do to influence the laws of a foreign country.”

Mr Martin said up to 15 babies with Australian passports were “virtually prisoners” in Kathmandu. Families from the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Ireland, Brazil and Serbia were also in limbo, and “for all involved they are at breaking point”.

“What we parents are seeking is international awareness and pressure on the Nepal Government to allow these innocent babies to leave Nepal,” he said. “This is not a political or surrogacy debate, it is a humanitarian issue for these children.”

Health problems forced Lisa McDonald* to return home without her baby son, leaving him in Kathmandu with her husband. She said with no resolution in sight, families felt abandoned and were losing hope.

“We’re just average people who had the audacity to want a baby,” she said.

Nepal is still recovering from devastating earthquakes and is in a state of unrest, with key government ministers resigning after a new constitution was adopted and violent protests disrupting the supply of food, fuel and other essentials from India.

“The new government is dealing with so many other pressing issues … these little Australians are way down their list,” Mr Martin said. “Will the Australian government not go in to bat for its citizens?”

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Smartraveller website advises that the Nepali Department of Immigration will not issue exit permits until written clarification is received from the Ministry of Health and Population and “we do not know how long this will take”.

“International commercial surrogacy is a complex area which raises significant legal and social considerations and is illegal in many jurisdictions, including some Australian states and territories,” a DFAT spokesman said.

“Smartraveller advice has consistently strongly cautioned Australians to consider all legal and other risks involved in pursuing international surrogacy, and recommends that commissioning parents not consider surrogacy in Nepal.”

* Not their real names

Fighting For Maternity Leave for Parents of Surrogate Babies

Posted on: September 8th, 2015 by Simple Surrogacy No Comments

Fighting for maternity leave is probably not something you have given much thought to when preparing for the delivery of a baby which is hard enough, especially when you’re a working parent. The time that comes after the baby’s delivery is the most important and crucial time in the development process. The initial bond between parent and child is essentially established within that small period of time. The first interactions of a baby’s life show profound impact on a child’s cognitive and emotional development later in life.

With that being said, it seems almost archaic that companies would not consider paying maternity leave to parents of surrogate babies. Unfortunately, the struggle is real and mothers and fathers today are fighting for the same rights to maternity leave as natural birthing moms. Not only do the parents suffer an enormous amount of emotional and financial burden from surrogacy but they now have the added stress of being denied their fundamental right to spend time and care for their newborn child.

Currently, maternity leave and pay are only granted to the surrogate mother who gives birth to the child. The problem is that most companies traditionally have laws in place and are now being forced to look at every expense line, just to ensure they are properly prepared for the changing markets and economy. Adding new expenses to their budgets may cause them to have to cut backs on other, more traditional expenses and benefits.

With that being said, parents of surrogate babies are taking the control back and demanding that companies take a deeper look into their policies. A case with the high court back in July of 2015 granted a mother of twins from New Delhi full maternity leave after her company denied her. “A female employee, who is the commissioning mother, would be entitled to apply for maternity leave under sub-rule (1) of Rule 43. The competent authority based on material placed before it would decide on the timing and the period for which maternity leave ought to be granted to a commissioning mother who adopts the surrogacy route,” Justice Shakdher noted in his order.

As the platform for Surrogacy Rights evolves, so should the outdated and traditional laws that back them up. In the mean time, ask the right questions when talking to your employer and don’t be afraid to take the issues to your corporate HR Department.

Baby Love: How Our Surrogate Amber made two Dad’s dreams come true!

Posted on: July 16th, 2015 by Simple Surrogacy No Comments

It’s always so amazing to hear about a Surrogate’s journey through their own words, and to hear her describe how she made the dreams of two deserving parents come true. We are so honored to count her among our many amazing and dedicated surrogates!

BABY LOVE: HOW AMBER MADE A GAY COUPLE’S DREAMS COME TRUE

This is the story of Baby Love. Baby Love isn’t her real name; it is the name we chose for the purposes of this story. One reason we are going to call her Baby Love is that her parents would like to give her a choice when she grows up to keep this story to herself. More to the point, we are calling her Baby Love because three people took every ounce of their love, from the far corners of New York to the depths of Texas, to bring Baby Love into this world. If you stick with the story, you will hear about the moment Baby Love was born.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Amber, the surrogate who carried Baby Love. Amber will be the guest at the Men Having Babies (“MHB”) Pride meeting this week in New York. This is a real cause for celebration for anyone who cares about our gay families. MHB has grown from a program that ran at the NYC LGBT Center starting in 2005 to an independent nonprofit organization that provides valuable invaluable support to prospective gay fathers, including online resources, ratings of surrogacy agencies and fertility clinics, seminars, exhibits and workshops worldwide.

Most importantly, MHB provides prospective fathers who cannot afford the expenses involved with parenting through surrogacy with over a million dollars’ worth of cash grants, discounts and free services from about forty leading service providers including Simple Surrogacy, where Amber was a surrogate through for this couple, through the Gay Parenting Assistance Program (“GPAP”). To date GPAP has already provided almost 200 couples with access to substantial discounts, and more than two dozen couples and singles received full support, including grants and free service. These prospective parents, who otherwise may have not been able to complete this journey, were chosen by a grant committee. As of today, about 10 babies are already expected to be born later this year, with many more to come. Applications for stage I of the program is open year round, and stage II applications for 2016 are received from eligible stage I recipients until August 1.

The celebratory Pride meeting of the organization will take place at 6:30pm on Wednesday June 17 at the JCC Manhattan. It will start with a networking reception, with a short briefing by the organization’s board about recent developments, future plans and opportunities to get involved. Following the reception Amber and the parents she helped will tell their stories. Tissues and light refreshments will be provided.

This story began ten years ago when Amber, pregnant with her first son, decided that she would be a surrogate one day. Amber doesn’t remember where she heard about this option, but what she does remember is that, from that moment on, for ten whole years, she knew she would one day carry a child for another family. For the most part Amber’s pregnancies were easy: she enjoyed them, and she even said that she felt like she “could be pregnant forever.” Despite her amazing outlook and good pregnancies, there were moments that weren’t easy, but none of these hardships came close to stopping Amber from pursuing her dream.

When I asked Amber what pushed her all this time, she said that, as a mother, she couldn’t imagine someone not being able to start a family because they couldn’t have a child on their own. She knew she wanted to give this gift, not only to them, but also to herself.

Five years ago, Amber, by then a mother of three, moved to Texas, where surrogacy is legal; and the moment she and her family unpacked, she started exploring it. For a long time she was a fly on the wall on Facebook groups dedicated to surrogates and their networks, and she recommended that any women considering surrogacy do the same: hear the stories, the lovely with the ugly, the good with the bad. Amber, in a way that is typical for her personality, spent a long time researching agencies, clinics and speaking with surrogates who had gone through this journey. So it was hardly surprising that, three days after she submitted her application to her preferred agency, Simple Surogacy, she got matched with a gay couple from New York. Two days later she had her first phone call with the intended parents. I asked Amber about the moment before she hit “send” on her application. She remembered that she had butterflies because she had put so much of herself into it. She felt very vulnerable.

It had been a while since everyone on that phone call had been on a first date , but that’s exactly what it felt like. Excitement mixed with anxiety is how they all described that call. Amber remembers the exact date: January 8. Will she like us? Will they like me? Can I make sure I make a good impression while being completely honest? Is this the right person for us?

Amber says that she got some very good advice from an experienced surrogate before the call, who told her not to say “yes” just because she felt excited to start the process. But after an hour-long conversation, which had no awkward silences, it took both parties less than two minutes to write back to Simple Surrogacy and say: YES YES YES.

Amber told me that a few days ago while going through some documents she re-read the couple’s application. She said that everything they wrote in that application was spot-on, and that everything they had hoped for happened. She attributes this to both parties being emotionally ready and being in the right place at the right time.

Amber didn’t ask to be matched with a gay couple in her application, but she knew she would end up working with a gay family; maybe that is why she didn’t feel the need to be specific about it. Amber’s daughter has a disability, one of the intended dads is a cancer survivor who walks with a prosthetic leg. Amber felt that commonality brought them together. The next event that brought them closer together was a failed transfer. Amber and the intended parents had only two embryos from their initial harvest, simply bad luck. So when they found out that the pregnancy didn’t take, not only were they extremely sad about the devastating news, they also didn’t know what would happen next. Amber was very upset and emotional, and the intended parents were concerned about Amber much more than the pregnancy. This concern, and their commitment to stick through this together, is what brought them closer. This is not an uncommon human experience: families, friends and even coworkers can grow closer through hardship. But the fact that these people who were strangers until a few short months ago found comfort in each other – no blame, just compassion – was a true testament to their unique and wonderful relationship.

“Looking back, I wish I could have been able to explain to them what a highly emotional person I am. I wrote it in my application, I told them again and again, but I don’t think they knew how real it was until that failed transfer,” Amber told me. Amber recognized that a mismatch of intended parents and surrogate around these types of personalities can be devastating to their relationship. She points out that their success was not only a result of their match, but also due to their ongoing lively and loving communication, and the diligence of their Agency, Simple Surrogacy, to ensure that their match was perfect.

Attached
At last, Amber said the word that I was waiting for the whole conversation. She said she was very attached to the process and that is why the failed transfer was so hard on her. So I asked the question that everyone asks the first surrogate they meet: “Were you concerned you would get attached to the baby growing inside you?”

“I don’t want to sound crass or insensitive,” Amber said, “but I wasn’t worried about that at all. This embryo that grew to be a fetus and then a baby was put in my care to grow and I was responsible to protect it for 10 months. I am not her mother, I didn’t worry about the day after she was born and my focus was surrounding a healthy pregnancy. I wasn’t a pregnant mother, I was a pregnant woman.” If you talk to Amber you quickly find out how goal-oriented she is and how passionate she is about those goals. So for those 10 years, all she could imagine was handing a child over to a family that wanted a child. This was Amber’s goal as she set out on this journey.

On the morning of the delivery, Amber went to see her doctor, checked into Labor and Maternity, and called the intended parents, her husband, her best friend, and the photographer whom she had asked to document the birth. This was Amber’s gift to Baby Love. Amber is something of a prophet; she knew something about this moment to come that no one else could predict. Amber knew that memories would never be enough in order to capture that moment when she delivered Baby Love and handed her over to her parents. Amber, more than anything, wanted this child to be able to see that moment with her own eyes. Amber wanted Baby Love to know how many people loved her and truly wanted her in this world and she set out to document this precious event. She wanted the parents of Baby Love to see what she saw in that moment: her dads holding her in her arms. Baby Love was born, and rivers of love poured out of that delivery room. The nurses, doctors, and other families in L&D, for many of them the first time they have encountered a surrogate birth, all learned something about our families that they didn’t know before.

I asked Amber if she was worried that maybe one day the parents of Baby Love would choose not to tell her about her surrogate carrier, and maybe that was why she wanted it documented, so there was proof that she was part of her creation. Amber told me that when Baby Love was a few months old she visited her in New York and the four of them sat at a restaurant for brunch. A woman stopped by Amber and said, “Your baby is so beautiful.” It took Amber only a second to say, “These guys are her parents; I only helped her come into the world.” Amber was never worried about her place in this story; she and the parents spoke about it many times before they started the process. She wanted to give Baby Love and her parents something she regretted not doing for her own kids, a glimpse into the moment they arrived into this world.

I asked Amber how she feels now, and she told me that she is simply proud. She is proud of herself, of her family, of the new dads and of Baby Love. The moment Baby Love was born she was extremely proud and honored, and this is something she will carry with her for the rest of her life.

Amber continued the story about the woman at the restaurant: “After I told her that I was the surrogate the woman got very emotional, she told me that her boss had just started this process and that when she tells him about their inadvertent yet very meaningful meeting he is going to be so excited to hear that this is a real possibility.” This is why Amber wanted to tell her story; she wants people to know this is a possibility for them too.

The Love Wins Special

Posted on: June 30th, 2015 by Simple Surrogacy No Comments

In Honor of the Supreme Court’s historic decision, we at Simple Surrogacy want to help you get that Baby in your Baby carriage after your Marriage! Visit our web site and fill out a contact form to set up a consult today! The special price is valid for those who sign retainers in the month of July so act fast to get your consult set up today!

Love Wins!!!!!!

Posted on: June 26th, 2015 by Simple Surrogacy No Comments

We’re so excited over here we are crying and jumping up and down! Finally the United States is equal for everyone.

We are updating our guidelines for Same Sex couples as soon as we get confirmation form all of our attorneys as to what this means for the legal process now in texas and elsewhere where the laws were not favorable for Gay couples, and as soon as we have this new information we will pot it and make it widely available. It will only mean great things for everyone as we move forward! Congratulations to all who fought for equality for everyone, our nation owes you a great thanks!!!

The following article is by ADAM LIPTAK JUNE 26, 2015

Same-Sex Marriage Is a Right, Supreme Court Rules, 5-4

WASHINGTON — In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, theSupreme Court ruled on Friday that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in the 5 to 4 decision. He was joined by the court’s four more liberal justices.

The decision, the culmination of decades of litigation and activism, came against the backdrop of fast-moving changes in public opinion, with polls indicating that most Americans now approve of same-sex marriage.

Justice Kennedy said gay and lesbian couples had a fundamental right to marry.

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family,” he wrote. “In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.”

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., in a dissent joined by Justice Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, said the Constitution had nothing to say on the subject.

“If you are among the many Americans — of whatever sexual orientation — who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today’s decision,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote. “Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal. Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it.”

In a second dissent, Justice Scalia mocked Justice Kennedy’s soaring language.

“The opinion is couched in a style that is as pretentious as its content is egotistic,” Justice Scalia wrote of his colleague’s work. “Of course the opinion’s showy profundities are often profoundly incoherent.”

As Justice Kennedy finished announcing his opinion, several attendees seated in the bar section of the court’s gallery wiped away tears, while others grinned and exchanged embraces.

Justice John Paul Stevens, who retired in 2010, was on hand for the decision and many of the justices’ clerks took seats in the chamber, which was nearly full as the ruling was announced.

As in earlier civil rights cases, the Supreme Court had moved cautiously and methodically, laying careful judicial groundwork for a transformative decision.

As late as October, the justices ducked the issue, refusing to hear appeals from rulings allowing same-sex marriage in five states. That decision delivered a tacit victory for gay rights, immediately expanding the number of states with same-sex marriage to 24, along with the District of Columbia, up from 19.

Largely as a consequence of the Supreme Court’s decision not to act, the number of states allowing same-sex marriage has since grown to 36, and more than 70 percent of Americans live in places where gay couples can marry.

The court did not agree to resolve the issue for the rest of the nation until January, in cases filed by gay and lesbian couples in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. The court heard extended arguments in April, and the justices seemed sharply divided over what the Constitution has to say about same-sex marriage.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs said their clients had a fundamental right to marry and to equal protection, adding that the bans they challenged demeaned their dignity, imposed countless practical difficulties and inflicted particular harm on their children.

The Obama administration, which had gradually come to embrace the cause of same-sex marriage, was unequivocal in urging the justices to rule for the plaintiffs.

“Gay and lesbian people are equal,” Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. said. “They deserve equal protection of the laws, and they deserve it now.”

Lawyers for the four states said their bans were justified by tradition and the distinctive characteristics of opposite-sex unions. They said the question should be resolved democratically, at the polls and in state legislatures, rather than by judges.

The Supreme Court had once before agreed to hear a case arising from a constitutional challenge to a same-sex marriage ban, California’s Proposition 8, in 2012 in Hollingsworth v. Perry. At the time, nine states and the District of Columbia allowed same-sex couples to marry.

But when the court’s ruling arrived in June 2013, the justices ducked, with a majority saying the case was not properly before them, and none of them expressing a view on the ultimate question of whether the Constitution requires states to allow same-sex marriage.

A second decision the same day, in United States v. Windsor, provided the movement for same-sex marriage with what turned out to be a powerful tailwind. The decision struck down the part of the Defense of Marriage Act that barred federal benefits for same-sex couples married in states that allowed such unions.

The Windsor decision was based partly on federalism grounds, with Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion stressing that state decisions on how to treat marriages deserved respect. But lower courts focused on other parts of his opinion, ones that emphasized the dignity of gay relationships and the harm that families of gay couples suffered from bans on same-sex marriage.

In a remarkable and largely unbroken line of more than 40 decisions, state and federal courts relied on the Windsor decision to rule in favor of same-sex marriage.

Surrogacy Still a struggle for some Gay parents

Posted on: June 23rd, 2015 by Simple Surrogacy No Comments

Simple Surrogacy sees the facts and hears the horror stories every day for Intended Fathers who have tried other routes to surrogacy and been unsuccessful. It’s hard to see so many who just want to be parents struggle through the costs, difficulties and confusion surrounding surrogacy, both domestically and internationally. When Intended parents come to Simple Surrogacy, we try to educate them about their choices and options in a non biased way, while still presenting our program in a neutral light so that Parents can make a informed decision based on all the necessary facts and figures. Not everyone is as lucky as the Parents in the story below, who had a sister willing to carry for them in a surrogacy friendly state, but we hope that every match with Simple Surrogacy will feel like family when you match through us! We are looking forward to helping many more Intended Parents through the confusing world of Surrogacy with our family friendly approach and competitive pricing. Call us today!

Gay dads turn to ‘hero’ sister in surrogacy struggle

Canadian laws make surrogacy especially difficult for gay male couples

By The Early Edition, CBC News Posted: Jun 17, 2015 4:12 PM PT Last Updated: Jun 18, 2015 2:48 PM PT

Craig Parkes (right) and Matthew Hinton were able to have their son, Fitzgerald, thanks to Matt’s sister Laura agreeing to act as a surrogate. (CBC)

This Father’s Day, Craig Parkes and Matthew Hinton will have a new reason to celebrate family. Their son, Fitzgerald, was born earlier this year, and although he’s been more than a welcome addition, the road to his birth was anything but easy.

“It’s been a lengthy progress,” says Hinton. The couple originally attempted insemination with a surrogate in India, but without success. On top of that, while he was there, the country shut down surrogacy for gay parents.

The solution eventually arrived through a familiar face. Hinton’s sister Laura volunteered to be a surrogate for the couple. Although that solved the issue of who would carry the baby, they still required an egg donor, which was unavailable in Canada.

“We ended up having to go through an agency and actually compensate an egg donor, which you can’t do in Canada. So because Laura lives in South Carolina, it actually worked out for us,” says Hinton.

Since the birth of their son, Parkes and Hinton were approached by Tylenol to star in its newest commercial. Parkes says it was an opportunity to destigmatize gay couples having children. “I think the more people see regular couples with babies — whether they’re gay or straight — the more comfortable they are around it. I don’t think we set out to make a point or to change people’s minds, but looking back, it’s kind of inevitable that that’s a role we’re falling into.”

Unique challenge for gay parents

The entire process made clear to Hinton the difficulty for gay couples of trying to start a family.

He says there were few options available to them because many countries do not allow two male partners to adopt a baby. On top of that, Canadian laws add to the complication of using surrogacy.

“The issue for us is that there’s a ban in Canada on paying a surrogate. You can reimburse her, but you don’t know where that line is. You also can’t pay a woman to donate an egg to you. Realistically, for a gay couple you need have both,” he says.

The Vancouver couple refer to Laura as a hero for allowing them to start their own family. Laura says the decision came easy for her.

“Family is so important. It was a way to help a family member and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Getting started in Surrogacy

Posted on: June 10th, 2015 by Simple Surrogacy No Comments

You might be unsure of where to start if you are just considering the surrogacy process. there is so much misinformation and every Agency is telling you that they are the best Agency. Who should you believe? Where should you start? Simple Surrogacy seeks to educate and enlighten potential Intended Parents on the choices and decisions they will make throughout the process, and guide Intended Parents to the best choices that fir their lifestyle. There are many misconceptions about surrogacy and how to begin.

First, Simple Surrogacy recommends simple research. Google the Agency you are thinking of choosing and read all of the independent reviews that you can about them. Many sites like Men Having babies and Google Plus have ratings and reviews, even of surrogacy Agencies. Make a chart (or ask them to provide you with one) showing how they compare to their competitors in terms of service and costs. Find out what is included in the price and what will be extra. Ask about wait times to be matched with a surrogate and what kind of average timeline they have. Finally, ask to speak to previous Intended parents who have recently been through a journey and set up a consultation with your narrowed down agencies to evaluate how personal they are with you. Who will be your contact person? Do you have access to actual decision makers, who will be available to you? Are you dealing with the owners, like at Simple Surrogacy? Or will you have to go up a ladder to reach any real decision-makers with any issues you might have?

There are many different kinds of Intended Parents, all of them welcome at our Agency. One of the first things we try to do is educate Intended Parents on how the process works. here are some points that many Intended Parents are often confused or misinformed about when they begin the process.

The process is going to cost what? Many assume Surrogacy is only for the wealthy, but with one of the lowest fees for nationally ranked surrogacy Agencies, Simple, Surrogacy tries to be as affordable as possible. Most Intended Parents have been saving or utilize financing plans like those offered on our web site. There are also programs like Men Having Babies where Parents can apply for assistance, and Simple Surrogacy also gives away free services often to assist.

The next item we are always asked is about the child giving up the baby. The surrogate does not want your baby, she already children and completely understands that she is helping another family to have this child. We fully evaluate all of our surrogates to make sure they are mentally prepared and ready to undertake the process of being a surrogate. Your surrogate enters into the process fully informed as to her duties by her attorney which is provided to her and will explain her duties and responsibilities. With a lavid, legally binding contract in place, there is no chance of her being granted custody, even should she attempt it, which has never happened in our program.

Many people also ask if their surrogates are poor or are doing this for the money. While the income is welcome and will definitely help their families, our surrogates come from all social and economic backgrounds and money is not their primary motivation. They are stay at home moms, nurses, technology associates, even executives. They must not be on any kind of public assistance and must be living in a stable home to be acceptable in our program. She must be able to meet all of her obligations without any outside assistance and without factoring in the surrogacy compensation. So, while the money is helpful, the time and responsibility that goes into a great surrogacy could never be calculated just in terms of money.

Many people ask about the legality of surrogacy and which laws apply to them. In Surrogacy, the laws that come into play are those in a surrogate’s state, where the birth will take place. Intended parents who live in a less surrogate ‘friendly’ state would be matched wth a surrogate who will deliver in a surrogate friendly state and have the ability to utilize their laws. Our intended parents come from all 50 states and many international countries. Your agency should be able to tell you which surrogacy friendly states will suit your particular situation, wether you are a married couple, a single man or woman, or a gay married couple, your ideal state will differ with each Intended Parent.

As one of the World’s leading Agencies, with an International reputation of trust and respect from our clients, Simple Surrogacy works with ever type of couple or single seeking to become parents, including traditional, gay or lesbian couples and individuals of all races, religious and ethnic backgrounds. We work with the best in all reproductive fields, including doctors, clinics, attorneys, and genetic specialists to ensure the smoothest process and healthiest baby for your budding family.

Simple Surrogacy is owned by a previous egg donor and previous surrogate, and all of our employees have experience in the Surrogacy world as previous surrogates, donors and Intended Parents. Because we have all experienced the worlds of Surrogacy and Egg Donation first hand, our unique experience and perspective will aid you in having a smoother, trouble free journey. With one of the fastest match times in the industry and a wealth of beautiful, trysted surrogates, we await your call to help you begin the road to parenthood today.

Thank you, New York!

Posted on: May 20th, 2015 by Simple Surrogacy No Comments

Simple Surrogacy had a great time at the Family Building Expo in New York. It was a pleasure to meet so many of our clients again and see how big their babies have grown. We also enjoyed meeting so many potential clients, and we look forward to helping many of you become parents soon!

International Surrogacy again an issue for unfortunate couple

Posted on: May 14th, 2015 by Simple Surrogacy No Comments

U.S. couple stuck in Mexico due to surrogacy snafu
By Rafael Romo, Senior Latin American Affairs Editor

(CNN)An American couple who say they have been stuck in Mexico for weeks because officials there won’t provide a birth certificate for their son believe a resolution could be close.

Haseeb and Christy Amireh, of San Jose, California, had a baby with the help of a surrogate mother in the Mexican city of Villahermosa, in the southern state of Tabasco.

Their son, Grayson, was born on April 16. The Amirehs were present at the birth, and everything to that point had gone according to plan.

But since Grayson’s birth, Tabasco state authorities have not provided the parents with a birth certificate.

According to the couple, Mexican officials told them laws regulating surrogacy had changed and they could no longer get the documentation to return to the United States.
On Friday, the Amirehs said a resolution may be close, but declined to talk about specifics.

“The momentum to be able to go back home is quickly building,” Haseeb Amireh said. “We may have good news as soon as this weekend.”

The couple set up a fundraising website to help with legal costs.

“Due to politics the current administration has revoked our human right to receive a birth certificate for our child and no passport to fly home,” the couple’s Go Fund Me page states. “This leaves us waiting in hotel rooms waiting without end in sight.”

The Tabasco government did not comment on the claim that it was refusing to grant the documents, and referred CNN’s calls to the state’s Civil Registry Office.

The Amirehs “have submitted their adoption contract and it is currently being reviewed,” said Maria del Carmen López, an official at the office.

She declined to comment further, citing privacy laws.

On her Facebook account, Christy Amireh posted pictures of her baby with the words “Bring Grayson Home!”

The case grabbed the attention of U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell Jr., who represents the couple’s district in California.

“From what we learned, the governor in that state has put a moratorium on all birth certificates for surrogate families. I think this highlights why it’s really important to understand the laws of any country you are traveling to, to make a health care decision,” Swalwell told CNN affiliate KPIX.

It was unclear what modifications to the surrogacy law might be keeping the American couple stuck in Mexico.

But lawmakers in Tabasco have called for regulations on surrogacy births, and the governor supports the move, according to local media reports.

The issue of surrogacy in Mexico is also getting attention at the federal level.

Last month, Mexico’s Congress published a book that investigated alleged abuses and exploitation of surrogate mothers. Some federal lawmakers are pushing for a national law to regulate such services.

In recent years Tabasco has increasingly become a destination for American couples in need of surrogacy services, according to Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society in Berkeley, California.

“The cost is a big reason. We’re talking about people who are trying to arrange surrogacy that is significantly less expensive than it would be in the U.S. That’s why people go,” Darnovsky said.

In 1993, Tabasco state enacted a provision in the law that regulates surrogacy, one of a few Mexican states where this is allowed.

“Tabasco is closer than other countries that offer these services like India. There are companies in Mexico that serve as brokers who can put couples in touch with surrogate mothers. They say come to Cancun, have a holiday, and we will assist you with your surrogacy needs,” Darnovsky said.

CNN’s Mariano Castillo contributed to this report.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/08/americas/mexico-us-couple-surrogacy-snafu/