Welcome to Conversations, the podcast with Surrogacy Australia.
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Join Anna McKie in conversation with surrogates and parents who have navigated Australian altruistic surrogacy. Anna is a gestational surrogate, high school Math teacher and surrogacy educator working with Surrogacy Australia and running SASS (Surrogacy Australia’s Support Service).
These podcasts were recorded as part of our free, fortnightly webinar series. If you would like to attend one, check out our dates and registration links. The recordings can also be found on our YouTube channel so you can see the photos that are described in the recordings.
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Recent episodes
Episode 174 – Mahesh – gay dad
Mahesh and Phil, from Sydney, are parents through surrogacy – TWICE! Their surrogate Meigan, who lives in QLD, was previously a stranger and now a life long friend. Their sons are Isaiah (aged 4) and Jordan (nearly 1). Mahesh is a Mentor with SASS and has supported many new gay Intended Dads who are at the beginning of their journey.
Episode 173 – Conflict in Surrogacy – Dr Julian-Pascal Saadi
Guest: Dr Julian-Pascal Saadi (Psychologist / Psychotherapist)
We hear from Julian as he explores:
❤️ What is unique about the IP–surrogate relationship?
🧡 What are the hidden feelings?
💛 The structure of conflict
💚 The cycle of conflict
💙 Relational templates
💜 Where did your template come from?
Episode 172 – Education – Ideas for IPs in waiting
There are many ways for IPs (Intended Parents) to support their surrogate (and her family) and they will depend on the different stages of your journey, her wants/needs, how far away from you she lives, did you know each other before surrogacy and the communication style of all team members.
In Australia we do altruistic surrogacy. So the payment for a surrogate is not a financial one made with the currency of money. Rather it’s an emotional payment and the currency is Time, Friendship and love.
Episode 170 – Kate – when surrogacy doesn’t work
This webinar episode is an example of a surrogacy story that didn’t end with a baby. Intended Parents (IPs), Kate and her husband James, were already parents to Harriet, whom Kate was able to carry. However, due to an emergency hysterectomy after Harriet’s birth, they needed a surrogate for a sibling. James’ sister, Jess, offered to be their surrogate. They went through the counselling, legals and had some embryo transfers, however none resulted in a viable pregnancy.
Rin gave birth to little Jack as a surrogate in March 2026. Jack’s two dads, Dan and Stu, originally from the UK but living in Sydney, were initially strangers. Rin and her partner Aeron live with their two children near Wollongong. They have been a SASS supported, self matched team for their journey. Despite Jack arriving early and some post birth complications, their team and friendship is strong.
Kate and Col became parents to their daughter (Alison) in June 2020. Alison was carried by their surrogate Jodie who already had a friendship with Kate before surrogacy. They navigated COVID towards the end of their pregnancy, so it was quite a journey!