An Interesting article published today in the Daily mail, a UK newspaper, highlights just how challenging it can be for couples and surrogates to try to negotiated the world of surrogacy without a guide. A lovely, giving surrogate decided to help a UK couple, only to try over 5 different couples before getting a successful pregnancy. Her journey includes people who dropped out for financial reasons, people who changed their minds only after she began injections to have the pregnancy, and even a sad miscarriage.

For Surrogates to match on their own, without a trusted agency on their side, her journey is not really news, her experiences are common. For Intended Parents in the UK, there is a waiting list of couples who need a surrogate, and who struggle with the cost. I invite those couples to investigate surrogacy in the US with Simple Surrogacy, a trusted and affordable surrogacy journey, guided by experts.

Read the article here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2540167/When-surrogacy-turns-sour-Louise-expecting-baby-thatll-bring-joy-desperate-childless-couple-five-failed-pregnancies-wrangles-money-bitter-fallings-out.html

Surrogacy 101: PGD Testing and facts

PGD TESTING FACTS AND QUESTIONS

(Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis)

Does Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis have a role to play in Embryo Selection?

The concept of performing of PGD/ Fluorescence in-situ Hybridization (FISH) to exclude numerical chromosome abnormalities (aneuploidy) in order to select the “best embryos” for transfer is undoubtedly flawed and such practice should be discouraged. In contrast the performance of PGD using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) for the identification of chromosomally (numerically) normal (euploid) embryos is a completely different consideration and is emerging as a valuable tool that might significantly improve implantation potential, reduce multiple births and , markedly reduce the risk of miscarriage and chromosomal birth defect. The following considerations will assist in better assessing the role of PGD in the selection of embryos for transfer:

1. Trauma to the embryo (through PGD) is always a potential problem. However this is far less likely when PGD is done for CGH than when FISH is performed: Here is why…..PGD for FISH requires maintaining blastomere chromosomes intact for specific analysis. This explains why 2 cells are often biopsied rather than one and why in the hands of the inexperienced, there is a greater potential to traumatize surrounding blastomeres and compromise the embryo. While nothing is more important than expertise (which requires a degree of experience and dexterity that is often lacking), the level of expertise needed to perform an atraumatic single blastomere biopsy for CGH is far less. The reason is that CGH targets DNA and unlike with FISH does not require that the chromosomes be maintained intact. Thus the removal of a single cell for PGD/CGH requires less dexterity and there is a lesser potential for causing trauma to the embryo.

2. FISH does not assess all 23 chromosome pairs for numerical chromosomal abnormalities (aneuploidy): Commercially available FISH, while capable of targeting no more than 12 chromosome pairs, usually only evaluates 8-9 pairs. Moreover, even 12-probe FISH fails to assess several chromosome pairs commonly associated with lethal aneuploidy. CGH on the other hand, accesses all chromosome pairs (i.e. full karyotyping).

Humans have an inordinately high incidence of egg aneuploidy which occurs primarily during meiosis which takes place in the hours leading up to ovulation or egg retrieval. Our own studies where CGH was performed on the first polar body (PB-1) of the mature egg (MII) have shown that in women <35Y, about 2/3 of the eggs are aneuploid (often complex aneuploid, i.e involving >1 chromosome pair). Preliminary data where PB-1 biopsy (with CGH) was performed on the eggs of older women suggests that the incidence of aneuploidy increased progressively as women age beyond 35Y such that at 40Y about 4/5 eggs are aneuploid and at 45Y the incidence of post-meiotic egg aneuploidy might even be as high as 9/10. In addition we have observed that the complexity of the oocyte aneuploidy increases (involving a greater number of chromosome pairs (i.e. chaotic aneuploidy with advancing maternal age.

It has been shown that when 9-probe PGD/FISH performed on embryos derived from the eggs of young women (<35Y) indicates no evidence of aneuploidy, there remains a 47% chance that aneuploidy resides in the untested chromosomes. The comparable error rate in women over 40Y is greater than 55%. This serves to explain why PGD with FISH in order to diagnose embryo aneuploidy, becomes progressively less reliable with advancing maternal age..

3. Performance of PGD when there are few Embryos available is both redundant and unnecessary. The following facts suggest the need for discretion when it comes to PGD/CGH performed to fully karyotype embryos so as to select the best one’s for transfer to the uterus:

· We have already shown that while achieving the blastocyst stage does not exclude embryo aneuploidy, failure to reach blastocyst means that such embryos were almost certainly aneuploid and unworthy of transfer or preservation. Taking embryos to the blastocyst stage automatically culls out many severely aneuploid embryos in the process. Because of the inevitability of an age-related increase in the incidence of egg aneuploidy, women with advancing age beyond 39Y are far less likely to have multiple pregnancies and the likelihood of high order multiple pregnancy (triplets or greater) is negligible beyond the age of 40Y regardless of the number of (unselected) embryos transferred. It follows that where fewer than 6 biopsiable day 3 embryos (i.e 6-9 cells) are obtained from women over 35Y it is probably wiser (in most cases) to allow them to develop to blastocyst and in the process cull out many obviously aneuploid embryos… whereupon those reaching the blastocyst stage can be transferred.

We wish a very merry Christmas and a Very Happy Holidays to each and every Family this Christmas Season. Simple Surrogacy and Simple Donations will be taking our customary Christmas and Holiday break beginning Monday so that our staff can spend the Holidays with their Families. We plan to reopen for regular business on January 6th. As we are in the business of helping people to achieve their dreams of family, it is only appropriate that we focus on the very valuable time that we give our employees over the holidays to spend with their Families.

Of course, all current clients have the direct contact numbers of their coordinators, should an urgent need arise over the Holidays. Our coordinators and urgent staff will be checking their emails over the break as they feel necessary. And all Surrogates and Donors currently in cycle should be assured that they will still be able to reach everyone involved in their surrogacy and donation, and that all payments will be processed as promised.

We look forward to helping our new clients and prospective clients in the new year, and to creating many more happy families in 2014. A Very merry Christmas and a very Happy Holidays to you and your family.

There is great news out of Israel this week. Same-Sex couples will be extended the same rights as hetero sexual couples in Israel once a new bill passes. This is encouraging news for Israeli couples, and will also hopefully make surrogacy in the United States more accessable to them as well.

Surrogacy rights to be extended to same-sex couples

Pending the passing of new legislation, same-sex couples will be allowed the option of paid surrogacy, putting them on par with heterosexual couples on the issue, Health Minister Yael German announced on Wednesday.

German also plans to control compensation for surrogate mothers, currently ranging from 200,000 to 250,000 shekels ($57,000 to $71,200), to prevent prices from rising even further due to high demand. The new bill is set to be presented for approval on Jan. 15.

“This is a revolution that will dramatically change the lives of people who, until now, have been unable to realize their right to become a mother or a father, to hold a baby in their hands and to enjoy him as he grows up. Just because a man does not have a womb, it does not mean that he cannot fulfill his longing to become a father and raise a child,” said German.

German accepted the recommendations given by a committee of experts headed by National Insurance Institute Director-General Professor Shlomo Mor-Yosef, one of which would allow same-sex couples to pay surrogates the way heterosexual couples do, rather than be forced to find a voluntary surrogate mother. The law on egg donation will also change to allow for homosexual couples to become parents this way.

Recent figures show that 58 babies were born to surrogate mothers in 2011 and 49 were born in 2012. About 100 requests for surrogacy are processed in Israel each year. Ninety-three babies were born to surrogates outside Israel, and adoption procedures were initiated by their Israeli parents.

Michael (name changed), who along with his partner is in the midst of the surrogacy process in India, said: “The total cost, before flights and board abroad, is more than 230,000 shekels [$65,500]. There is a lot of uncertainty in the process and we are very concerned.”

MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) called on German to advance the bill even without coalition support.

“The rights to parenting and family life are fundamental rights and everyone deserves them,” Horowitz said. “These important rights should not fall victim to the power struggle between parties.”

Israel’s National Association of GLBT (gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders) said in a statement: “We are talking about a significant landmark in equal rights for the GLBT community in the fields of parenthood and relationships.”

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!