Episode 122 – Where can I find support?

Are you looking for support while learning about or navigating surrogacy, let me tell you some of your options. One of the main Facebook groups in Australia for surrogacy is called Australian Surrogacy and Donation, or that abbreviates to ASD. It is open to intended parents, IPs, and surrogates who live in Australia and who are navigating either domestic or overseas surrogacy. It is a growing group with 600 plus members. If you’re looking for a smaller group,

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There are state-based Facebook groups. I’ll list these in the show notes, but I’ll also mention each of them for each state-based group. So we have Surrogacy in South Australia, Victorian Surrogacy Group, Sydney Surrogacy Catch-Ups, Queensland Surrogacy Community, North Queensland Surrogacy, Western Australia Surrogacy Group, Canberra Surrogacy Australia, Tasmanian Surrogacy Group, and Surrogacy Northern Territory.

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If you’re looking for support in a one-on-one connection, SASS that I run, Surrogacy Australia’s support service, we have a buddy system that we call our mentor program. Every IP and surrogate who joins SASS is connected with a mentor in their state. In every state, I have surrogates, mums and gay dads in most capital cities, so you can catch up in person and talk to someone who understands what you’re going through. If you’d like to read more about that, check out our website, surrogacyaustralia.org.

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There is also more formalized support through psychologists who specialize in surrogacy. There are counselors across Australia who offer virtual and in-person sessions who have extensive experience supporting surrogates and IPs on this unique journey. Do consider having a session with one of them as it’s a great opportunity to meet a psychologist that you might engage with for the mandatory counseling which comes later. You don’t need to navigate surrogacy alone.

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Why would you when it’s one of the most significant journeys you will go on in your lifetime? There is plenty of support in the Village if you go looking for it. I hope these groups point you in the direction of the support that you’re looking for. You can also find support through the Surrogacy Australia account and you can find us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and of course our website surrogacyaustralia.org. If you are finding these discussions useful,

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I would love it if you could leave a review wherever you listen to this show and find out more information on our website. If you’re looking for more guidance on how to navigate surrogacy in Australia, please check out SASS so you can have me as your navigation tool on this journey. Some people are even calling me the chat GPT of surrogacy. Until next time, welcome to the village.