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Sharon Lamothe - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
Sharon LaMothe is the Co-Founder of Infertility Answers, Inc., the Creator of the blogs Surrogacy 101 and The Third Party and is owner of LaMothe Services, LLC, a Reproductive Industry Consulting Company, and writes about starting and maintaining an Infertility Industry Business in the blog 'The Agency Angle'.
Sharon co-owned and operated Surrogacy Consultants of Florida, LLC, the first successful independent surrogacy agency in Florida. Sharon's responsibilities as an agency owner included interviewing new ... [More]
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Sharon Lamothe Email Alerts
- The Third Party- Surrogacy and Postpartum Depression
[Health-and-Fitness:Depression] The causes of Postpartum Depression are the same in everyone who has just given birth...it can happen in a surrogate situation, to a birth mother who has given her child up for adoption or a mother who has planned her pregnancy. As hormones play a huge role in Postpartum Depression with levels of cortisol, estrogen, and progesterone decreasing significantly within 48 hours after delivery, some women can be very sensitive to these changes.
- Preserving Fertility - Egg Freezing 'Just in Case'
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] I am wondering about this trend to have young women, albeit those who have the financial wherewithal, freeze their eggs way before they are even thinking of becoming mothers. I am all for getting the word out there to the girls and young women regarding the biological clock and educating everyone on what can affect fertility in general, however, I am uncertain of the push to freeze eggs for 'just in case'.
- Surrogacy - When Intended Parents Can't Pay
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] Of course that question is coming from the angle that these surrogates are only 'doing it for the money' and now that there isn't any what will happen? Will they keep the babies until there is payment? Will they abort? What happens when Intended Parents can't pay?
- The Search For a Surrogate
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] Needless to say you are reading this because you have exhausted all hope of carrying your own baby and have decided to explore the possibility of surrogacy. It is a daunting task, searching for a woman who is going to carry the most priceless human being to you and your family. Just the thought of releasing control over to a person who you may not even have met under normal circumstances is a terrifying thought. But doing your research and talking to people who have been through the surrogacy process before will help calm your fears and assist you in this roller coaster ride of completing your family.
- Surrogacy and Health Insurance - Why is This Required?
[Insurance:Health] How to find health insurance? This is the question that may people are asking now that Insurance Companies are adding surrogacy exclusions to their policies. Even 2nd and 3rd time surrogates are finding that their policies have changed from one pregnancy to the next.
- Surrogacy and Life Insurance - Why is This Needed?
[Insurance:Life-Annuities] For Stay at Home Moms the common life insurance policy that is recommended is for $200,000-$250,000. A term policy may be less then $300.00 per year. Not so much for a piece of mind.
- Loss of Reproductive Organs and the Surrogacy Contract
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] Most of these organ threatening situations are rare but they do happen. Many agencies and clinics will ask the woman wanting to be a surrogate if she feels satisfied with her family as it stands at that moment. Would she regret it if she couldn't add to her own family in the future? If so, is that a risk she is willing to take? And lets be honest, no amount of money is going to placate a woman for her loss of fertility.
- The Surrogacy Base Fee - How Does it Work?
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] Let me illuminate you on the "base fee factors". In general, a base fee is to cover the 9 months or 40 weeks your surrogate will be pregnant with your child/children. It is very rare for any of the base fee monies to be distributed before you see a heart beat on the ultra sound screen. The base fee is commonly broken down into monthly payments, however these are not equal monthly installments.
- Why is an Escrow Agent or Account a Good Idea For Your Surrogacy Relationship?
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] Escrow accounts. Some swear by them. Some hate the idea. But I am here to give you MY 'professional' opinion and hopefully you will see the beauty in the simplicity of the reason behind an Escrow account.
- Friend - I Will Be Your Surrogate! - IP - Ah No, Thank You!
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] "I'm uncomfortable.... she seems to think this is her purpose in life, she wants very badly to do this for us and I'm afraid that I'll have to spend the rest of my life being... overly grateful. And since we have common friends and our moms are friends, how long before I get labeled as an ingrate? Since we talk about once every 3 months now, I think she will expect that will change to daily/weekly forever & if it doesn't then there will be problems. And I don't want her second guessing every parenting decision we make for the rest of our lives. Other comments that gave me pause were 1. "If I have triplets you're going to have to name one of them after me." And 2. "What happens after delivery? You just take the baby and leave?"
- Are Some Women Having a Miscarriage Every Month?
[News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] I have to get right into this...jump in with both feet so to speak. There are people who insist that an embryo equals a baby. A boy or girl. A human being with rights.
- Surrogacy Agency Misconceptions - Why Some Women "Go Independent"
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] The question I had to women who want to be surrogates but don't want to go through an agency is WHY NOT? What is wrong with agencies? I know why some Intended Parents don't want to hire an agency and #1 is money but why do surrogates avoid agencies? Here are some of the top reasons women 'go independent'
- Should I Hire a Professional Surrogacy Agency?
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] Intended Parents who have never gone through a surrogacy situation before have no idea what the relationship with a stranger (who is about to carry a baby for them) should be like. Some may think, at first, that they want a business type relationship. Others may envision a close, personal bond where they can snuggle up to their pregnant surrogate and lay their hands on her bare belly and feel their own unborn child turning summersaults inside this strangers body. All IP's hope that she, their chosen one, their surrogate, falls pregnant on the first attempt and stays healthy and mishap free during each trimester until the delivery date.
- The Traditional Surrogacy and In-home Inseminations - Should it Be Done?
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] It is correct that intrauterine inseminations (IUI) are less expensive then In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) however it NEVER should be recommended that these inseminations be preformed at home! (or in a hotel room!) All parties involved should be medically evaluated and tested. There are no guarantees that the sperm quality or count is adequate for an IUI procedure and should be first tested by a doctor. STD's and HIV should also be tested for or else the surrogate is risking her own health. Before ANY IVF or IUI's are even considered, a proper legal contract needs to be drawn up between all parties.
- Embryo Implantation Offers Insight
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] "Implantation relies on a set of closely coordinated events occurring between a very early stage embryo and the lining of the womb. The embryo must initially attach to and form a contact with the lining. Then cells from the embryo begin to invade the womb lining, eventually connecting with the mother's blood vessels and forming the placenta."
- Using Two Surrogate Mothers at One Time - is This a Good Idea?
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] Here is a question that I hear once in a great while: "I am considering using two surrogates at the same time instead of just one. I think that it will increase my chances of a pregnancy through surrogacy plus I only have to go through the egg retrieval once for two fresh cycles. Are there any reasons why this might not be a good idea? My husband and I are fine if there are multiples involved and are prepared to accept any babies that would be born out of this arrangement! Has this even been done before? What if I were to also carry at the same time? So many questions!"
- Surrogate Mothers - Under the Poverty Level
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] Aren't you sick and tired of listening to the opinions of people who refer to surrogate women as those who 'are living under the poverty level' or ' are carrying other women's babies for the money' or better yet 'low-life trailer trash that can't do anything else but have babies'? I would think that not only the women who volunteer to become surrogate mothers or gestational carriers would be highly insulted but so would the Intended Parents who are trusting these women with the most valuable dream that they have...their very own child!
- Risky Behavior - What Does This Mean in Regards to a Surrogacy Agreement?
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] Yes....Risky Behavior is a hot topic...and just what does it mean. Well, in the context of a surrogate and her contract, its a large gray area. I am not an attorney but I do know from my vast experience that its hard to control someone else's behavior and what one person considers 'risky' another may think of as normal. A contract between Intended Parents and their Surrogate may have an entire laundry list of situations that they want their surrogate to avoid while pregnant.
- What to Do With Leftover Embryos in Fertility Clinics
[Health-and-Fitness] This is a question that is often in the news...and right now, will probably be brought up in some political debate. I personally am FOR stem cell research and I don't believe that a frozen embryo is a "baby", or even a "fetus" or for that matter a "person". (Which is a question that some states are putting on their ballots in November; is an embryo a person and if so shouldn't it have rights?)
- Social Surrogacy - Should Healthy Fertile People Be Able to Use Surrogacy Services
[Home-and-Family:Parenting] I found an interesting blurb regarding "social surrogacy" and I have a lot to say about this topic! The question at the bottom of the article is: Should surrogacy be limited only to those with medical issues that preclude carrying a pregnancy to term (or men, without female partners, seeking to become parents)? My answer is Hell! Yes!
- Hemorrhoid Banding
[Health-and-Fitness] Now here's a topic you usually don't discuss over the dinner table...even if you are having trouble just sitting down to eat! Hemorrhoids! And if you have had a baby or two...or six....these little guys can be, well, a HUGE pain in the butt! If the creams and gels and 'medicated' wipes don't seem to be working for you, you might consider Hemorrhoid Banding (Hemorrhoid Ligation).
- Q & A - Can a 'Failed Transfer' Be the Surrogate's Fault?
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] So if you are asking if your surrogate made a mistake and the transfer failed then the answer might be yes. I say 'might be' because it depends on the mistake and why it was made. You have to remember that there are so many players in this game. Lets assume that you are asking if she made a mistake regarding her medications.
- Is There a Difference? Carrying a Baby For Yourself Or Someone Else
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] Here is a question that I find easy to answer...because there IS a difference...between having a child for yourself and having a baby for another couple, one that is not biologically related to you. A baby that is not expected to inherit your genetics. A little life that won't have your eyes or your husbands toes or share a siblings crooked grin. It is TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
- Maternity Clothes - What Do You Need?
[Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Fashion-Style] Why past maternity clothes may not work for the current pregnancy: Out of Season/Style Clothing: You may have clothes that are only suitable for Fall and Winter and you may need clothing for Spring and Summer. Not to mention special occasions like Christmas or a wedding and if you are a professional then work clothes are in order.
- Life Support - Does This Belong in Your Surrogacy Contract?
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] A scenario needling Life Support might look like this: Suzy Surrogate is 7 months pregnant and is involved in a car accident. Although the baby seems unharmed Suzy is unresponsive and is put on Life Support. Suzy's family is torn and despondent. The Intended Parents are focused on their unborn child.... what should be done?
- What Not to Say to Your Wife When She is Pregnant, With Another Couple's Baby
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] Four comments to avoid when your wife is pregnant with someone else's baby: 1. When your wife, who is a surrogate mother,is praying to the porcelain god at 3 months pregnant you DON'T say..." You volunteered for this!"
- Las Vegas - A Family Vacation? Yes!
[Travel-and-Leisure:Destination-Tips] Bring a 12 year old to Vegas you ask?! YES! There is so much for families to do in Las Vegas that even Erika stated, on day 2, that there was more to do then Disney World and I have to agree.
- Why Do Surrogates Need an Attorney?
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] Most IP's only provide enough money for the contract review. (between $600 and $1,000) This means that you have a attorney (hopefully one who knows Assisted Reproductive Law) review the proposed contract with you. Your attorney would explain to you what you are agreeing to, what issues can be enforced, what the risks are if you change your mind, what will happen if you breech your contract and on and on and on.
- IVF Virgins
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] There you have it. Sounds simple enough...and it really is anti-climatic! Seriously. After the all the drama and build up to the embryo transfer, the actual procedure, which takes place at the clinic, is over in five minutes and you are on your way to the two week wait (more commonly seen as the 2ww).
- Vancouver, BC - A Great Weekend Trip From Seattle
[Travel-and-Leisure:Destination-Tips] Now THAT's a Vacation! We packed up and by 11:30 we were out the door and on our way North through Vancouver to Capilano. I highly recommend a visit to the Capilano Suspension Bridge | Explore the Park. It is beautiful! And well worth the price. We had only thought that the Suspension bridge would be the best thing about it but we loved the bridges in the tree tops as well as the cliffhanger walk.
- Anonymous Surrogacy
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] Is there such an animal as a surrogacy arrangement where you never meet the Intended Parents? OR the Intended Parents never meet their Surrogate? (same question, really, but I couldn't resist!) Maybe the better question is should there be Anonymous Surrogacy offered at all?
- Never Been Pregnant? - Then Being a Surrogate is NOT For You!
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] There has been a rumor going around (along with a book on how to make money at home...be a surrogate... or some such nonsense) that you don't have to ever have been pregnant to become a surrogate mother. That comment is the most uninformed statement I have heard in a LONG time! Can you tell that I am a bit peeved? I feel pretty strongly about this subject not only as an agency owner matching IP's but as a past surrogate.
- Co-Pay Babies and Other Phrases
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] I also gave birth to four, let me get this right, Beta Babies: children conceived through fertility treatment. In other words, their parents (and surrogates) know their first and second beta numbers....and sometimes third! Maybe some of us become surrogates because we feel guilty for the ability to have the Co-Pay Babies and we search high and low through the "land of infertility" for a person or couple who will allow us to help them and make all their "secret hope stories" come true.
- Surrogacy - The Question of Contact
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] When the decision to work together within the realm of surrogacy was reached, the conversation regarding contact after the birth should have taken place. And no matter what the agreed consensus was at that time, hopefully as the pregnancy progressed, the topic was discussed again.
- I Am Going to Be a Surrogate! Now How Do I Tell My Kids?
[Home-and-Family:Parenting] Now, as a mother and a potential carrier, it's important that everyone is on board in your household regarding your surrogacy. You may have children who are to young to even understand what a pregnancy is...a 2 or 3 year old may just need to know the bare minimum....and except it as the norm.
- I Am Registered on the International Bone Marrow Donor List, Are YOU?
[Health-and-Fitness] The reason I've decided to share this story with you is two fold. I think that it's an interesting experience to be put in the middle of bringing a life or two into this world as a surrogate and being asked to save the life of someone who is already living.
- Carrying Twins - The First C-Section
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] Having carried 2 sets of twins and giving birth to them consecutively in 2000 and 2005, I never thought that I would be sitting here today reliving each and every painful memory of the 34 1/2 weeks and 37 weeks of pregnancy. (how many years is that?) How did this HAPPEN??? Two sets of TWINS! Well...that's IVF for you.
- Selective Reduction - Are You Sure?
[Health-and-Fitness:Womens-Issues] You know, I never heard of selective reduction until my Intended Parents and I started talking about contract issues. I could understand that carrying more then twins would be difficult on me as the surrogate mother and on the parents who would be raising them and lastly on the babies themselves...potential health issues that could make life a challenge for one or all. But the choices: How many to embryos to transfer, how many to carry....and the reduction medical procedure, IF needed...how is that done and when in the pregnancy and what happens to the ones (embryos) who are left behind?
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