One often wonders how intended parents deal with the emotions associated with their surrogate suffering a miscarriage. Not only do they have to deal with their own grief and feelings of helplessness but they also have to deal with the surrogate and her feelings of...

Surrogacy relationships require excellent communication and empathy on both sides. The intended parents need empathy for the woman entering surrogate motherhood, but naturally have a lot of worries and questions regarding the pregnancy. The surrogate has to understand...

In what’s used to be a well-kept secret, some women have used surrogates for more social reasons, not for reasons relating to infertility.*“I call these cases designer surrogacy,” says Lori Arnold, MD, a northern San Diego fertility doctor. She says...

Inducing lactation refers to the process of making milk without pregnancy and birth.  In a typical breastfeeding situation, the hormones of pregnancy and the changes that these hormones undergo at birth cause a woman's breasts to start producing milk.  When...

"I breastfed both of my kids until they were almost 3, but I really don't want to breastfeed my surrobabies. I do think colostrum is super important and I am happy to pump & provide at least that initial milk. However, I want the babies to bond to their parents,...

Shared Conception will listen to you, the intended parents, as we work together to help complete your family. Of course, we will immediately refer you to the best and most appropriate physician as we navigate  our way to you all becoming parents.  Your...

Momma cats and dogs do it. Expectant birds do it. And, if you’re like many human moms-to-be, you’re doing it. What are we talking about? Nesting--preparing your "nest" for your soon-to-arrive baby! The difference here is that you are the surrogate mom and so you will...

So you are an intended parent and your family and friends are excited about throwing you a fun-filled and festive baby shower.  Sounds great but for you, there is only one hiccup   Your surrogate mother happens to live relatively close by, you all have...

It's always neat and inspirational to hear about siblings who wholeheartedly support each other through thick and thin. Here's a true story about two sisters who shared childhood memories, family and yes, even a baby.... all through the gift of surrogacy. *My sister...

It has been said that you start your own life, not wait for someone to start it for you. Many single males are doing just that, jump-starting their own lives and not waiting for "Mrs Right" to appear before starting a family. Many of these men go to  a surrogacy...

Everyone dislikes uncomfortable situations. Yet, they seem to occur far too frequently when it comes to having a baby. Sometimes, it just seems that privacy goes out the window once you decide to start a family. However, there are times when it’s extremely important...

What do you think, would you carry a stranger’s baby? How about your sister’s child? Over the last few years, surrogacy has entered our society  with celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Sarah Jessica Parker using surrogates to complete their families. But yet,...

Let's envision that  you all, the intended parents, and the surrogate mom have met, entered into a contractual relationship and developed a mutual respect for each other. Now it's almost time for the birth! Let's talk about the pre-birth and hospital...

First things first-out of 15,000 surrogacy arrangements that were reported through 2002, only 88 resulted in any dispute between parties. (That's an overall dispute rate of only approximately one-half of one percent, or .005.) The surprising part of this statistic is...

'Tis the season for formally celebrating our mothers and fathers and most of us look forward to being appreciated for our parenting prowess and/or loving on our parents more than we normally do. However, there are those who dread these celebrations as they are...

You know, here at Shared Conceptions, we strive to share as much expert information as possible about being a surrogate or an intended parent. However, sometimes the best  information comes first-hand from someone who is actually "living" the role. To follow is a...

As our surrogacy agency, Shared Conception, journeys through the surrogacy process with our families and surrogates, we thought it neat to share a different perspective of the birth. These observations  comes from a friend of the surrogate mother immediately...

Over the past decade the number of births involving surrogacy with donor eggs and sperm has surged. What, experts wondered, does this mean for the mental and emotional health of the growing number of kids who may or may not know the truth about their distinctive...