Those of you who are close to me already know, those of you that don't know are about to know if you keep on reading and then everyone will be on the same page (no pun intended, hehe, ya, I know.. I am corny!).
It's been about 5 minutes since I typed that last period, and I am still wondering how to start this off so I guess I'll just have to ramble it all out....
For several years now I have really been interested in infertility and surrogacy - I don't remember where I first heard about it, but ever since I can remember, I've been intrigued - I researched, I read articles, I joined forums. I talked to others, I asked questions, and I read, read and read some more. I heard about it in a movie (Baby Mama), and you hear about it in the news (good and bad) and it seems more and more celebrities are using surrogates these days (Michael Jackson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Elton John, Angela Basset, Nicole Kidman/Keith Urban, Neil Patrick Harris, Elizabeth Banks, Ricky Martin, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Quaid, Katey Sagal, Laurie Metcalf, and so on and so on!). I just thought it was something I would like do.. especially since I absolutely loved being pregnant, but I absolutely do not want another child for myself. Plus my husband and I personally know people who suffer from infertility. The simple thought of helping to provide the gift of life to another family just amazed me. These are all reasons that made me realize surrogacy is something for me, even if it's not something for everyone!
Ok.. let me back up a bit - What is "surrogacy" google says: "the action or state of being a surrogate."- ok.. now you're wondering "what the heck is a surrogate?" well, I asked google again and the answer issssssssss.. "a substitute, esp. a person deputizing for another in a specific role or office"
I'm sorry to disappoint all my fans, followers and supporters, but I am not, I repeat, am not running for office - No way Jose (poor Jose, what does he even have to do with this?!) but if you wish to know any of my political opinions, I'd be happy to share.
So if I am not running for office, what the heck AM I doing, you ask? Well simple, sort of. I am planning to be a surrogate mother, a 'substitute' mother! Just as a substitute teacher takes over when the real teacher cannot teach, I will be a substitute for a mother during the pregnancy stage since the real mother is unable to carry a child.. in simpler terms.. ideally, if all goes as planned, I will allow my womb be a temporary home for someone else's baby for 9 months - cool, right?! Thanks, I thought so, too!
So why would someone need surrogacy? More than 10 million Americans are affected by fertility issues - that translates to 1 in 6 couples! I know you're already thinking of 5 of your friends (and their lovers)... wondering which one of you will need extra assistance. And by extra assistance, I don't just mean researching new positions or monitoring ovulation.. It is way more than that.. and it usually takes a lot of time, many doctor appointments, numerous funds, extreme strength and support. It's no jog in the park, it's more like crawling through a battle field - there's lots of forks in the road and deadends and often heartbreak - but once you get there, to the end, it's the best feeling in the world.
Not everyone needs a surrogate though - there's IUI, IVF, ZIFT to name a just a few. There is also egg donation - A woman donates her eggs to someone that doesn't have their own or their's are not healthy enough (i.e. someone who has had a complete hysterectomy, someone who is or close to menopausal, a gay male couple and even single men and so on) and that person can either have the donated egg put into herself, or they find a surrogate to carry for them. There is sperm donation, we've all heard of sperm banks. Then there's surrogacy - Traditional Surrogacy (using the surrogate's egg, the child would be the surrogate's biological child) and Gestational Surrogacy for women who've had partial hysterectomies, cancer, multiple miscarriages, are disabled, high risk, or who have a "broken" uterus, etc.. - these women cannot carry a child no matter what they try but they are either still capable of producing eggs, had a chance to freeze eggs, or found a separate egg donor.
Gestational Surrogacy is want I want to do!
Hmm.. have I bored you yet?!
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