Episode 110 – I’m nervous about surrogacy

00:06
It’s very normal to be nervous about surrogacy, both as an intended parent, IPs, and as potential surrogate. There are others who have gone before you, as well as experienced counselors who can help you navigate through those feelings. As an IP, you might be nervous about things like, will the surrogate want to keep the baby? Will I be the legal parent of my child? How much does it cost and how long will it take? Should I do surrogacy in Australia or overseas? How do we decide which sperm to use?

00:36
How do you repay someone for the gift of life? As a surrogate, you might be nervous about things like, have other surrogates struggled to hand over the baby? How will I explain surrogacy to my own kids? My partner is worried about the impact it will have on us. Am I too crazy? Do I weigh too much? Is my uterus good enough? Most of these I address in our free fortnightly Wednesday night webinars. So head to the Surrogacy Australia website for registration dates and links.

01:03
That’s a great place to start for a crash course into surrogacy. I have done podcast episodes on many of those questions I’ve just posed. So scroll back to episodes like three, six, 33, 57, 64, and 86. These education episodes are shorter in length, just like this one, with an image with a black background. If you are looking to connect with a peer, we also have a mentor program as part of SAS, which is Surrogacy Australia’s support service.

01:31
That mentor program allows you to have your questions answered in a one-on-one setting by someone who has been in your shoes a few years before. SASS is free for surrogates to join and there is a fee for IPs. SASS is an option for those people looking to create a team and those who already have a team. If you’re looking for that peer support in our mentor program, we like to think we have the recipe for surrogacy.

01:55
SAS has been modeled on the journeys of people who have gone before us. So let us draw on the collective wisdom of those teams and help you if you’re at the beginning. To discuss some of those surrogacy nerves, consider some pre-surrogacy counseling with an experienced surrogacy psychologist. There are psychologists who specialize in surrogacy. So you can talk to someone who understands the complexities of this journey. Some of them have been guests on this podcast series. So check out Narelle Dickinson.

02:22
Episode 55, Sarah Jane Duryea, Episode 7, and Katrina Hale, Episode 14. There are also Facebook groups you can join for support. Each state has a group and one of the supportive national groups to join is ASD, which is Australian Surrogacy and Donation. If you’re looking for more support from me one-on-one, register for SASS at surrogacyaustralia.org and think of me as your Siri for Surrogacy or your chat GPT.

02:49
If you are enjoying this podcast, I kindly ask that you share it with others or leave a rating or a review wherever you listen to the show. Until next time, welcome to the village.