Could you/would you be a surrogate?

[trishalishous]

I would be a surrogate, even for a stranger. My only concern would be that I think it would be hard not to bond with the baby, even knowing its not yours.

Hope your friends get their miracle baby!

Me too! Id do it in a second, if I were a 'high risk' mummy.

[tattoo_mama]

I could do it but only for a stranger. Is that weird? I think if I saw the child often eg if I carried it for a friend or my sister that would cut me up too much, also as selfish as it sounds and I think it's illegal here but I would want to be paid...

[dusty]

I personally couldn't do it. When doing our egg donor journey with my sister she also made it clear that while she was happy to donate her eggs she couldn't be a surrogate. I have a friend who couldn't consider donating her eggs to me but was happy to be my surrogate. It's such a personal thing.
You don't have to have completed your family or even had a child before to be a surrogate although I think there are some legal differences from state to state if the surrogacy is being undertaken formally. Traditionally surrogacy uses the surrogate's eggs (either private turkey baster style or through ivf clinic) but gestational surrogacy is also now more possible (using intended parents embryos) with legal changes allowing it in most states I think (QLD most recently).
If anyone is interested in considering surrogacy or even egg donation check out Aussie Egg Donors forum (private one you need to apply to) where people have done both types of surrogacy.

ETA I also know people who do surrogacy using donor eggs. Your friend is on the older side for IVF so it may be an option they could consider too if they wanted to do gestational surrogacy.

[smiles4u]

i couldn't donate my eggs even if i could but that's just me ... but for my younger sister i would consider surrogancy even at my age purely cause she has no children and she is almost 40 and added bonus i love being pregnant, but of course i would make sure i met the heath requirements at my age.

[~Hestia~]

Have been thinking about this thread and egg donation. Is there a reason why they want you to have completed your family?

[CharlieBrownGirl]

Have been thinking about this thread and egg donation. Is there a reason why they want you to have completed your family?

At some stage if my Sisters health permits I'll be donating egg(s) for her as she doesn't produce them. However, with that is the pressure to have my family sooner than later.

I think the reasoning for completing a family could be due to any complications that could occur. But I haven't read/researched the reason. I just know I have to be under a certain age and completed my family. Tho, my ovarian reserve is low for my age, so another factor thrown into the mix for donating to my Sister :rollseyes:

[nickle730]

CheezelMonster, I have a close friend who donated her eggs anonymously in 2008 and 2009. It was explained to her that she had to have completed her family to avoid possible psychological and emotional complications of someone else having a baby conceived with her eggs if she still wanted more babies. The counselor suggested that if my friend were unable to conceive more children (had she NOT completed her family) it would be emotionally difficult to accept that someone else had conceived a child with her eggs. My friend (who has finished her family and whose DH had a vasectomy a few years ago) very much saw her eggs as tissue and not a baby so perhaps wanting the baby conceived with the eggs would never have been an issue anyway?? I guess it is just a safeguard to try to protect everyone involved.

Happily, my friends egg donations have resulted in the births of three healthy bubs!

Thank you to everyone who has replied to this thread, I've really enjoyed reading your responses and it has been very thought-provoking!

[Riss10]

I've actually discussed this issue with my husband. There is a good chance that one of my close friends will never be able to conceive, and it breaks my heart. If I had finished my family I would be happy to be a surrogate.