Are Gestational Carriers at Increased Risk of Pregnancy Complications?
As a physician, clinical research, and intended gay dad, I am thrilled whenever there is a new study on gestational carriers (GCs). However, sometimes news articles sensationalize medical results, taking the conclusions out of context. In this article, I want to review a recent study on medical complications in GC pregnancies to highlight what the study results are actually showing, and what we can learn from this research.
Struggling to Showcase Ourselves to Potential Gestational Carriers
It is time for our journey to move to the next stage: Matching with a gestational carrier (GC). A key part of this process involves us writing a letter to potential GCs, explaining who we are and what we are looking for in a relationship. It’s really just a first impression, but it has implications for our journey as well as our child for the rest of his/her/their life. No pressure :)
BabyMoon Family Stories: Rachelle Myers-Nelson’s Surrogacy Journeys with Gay Men and Building Her Chosen Family
Welcome to BabyMoon Family Stories, where I interview someone and discuss their experience with assisted reproductive technology (ART). In this first article, I interview Rachelle Myers-Nelson, who has been a gestational carrier (GC) for four journeys, two of which were for twins. Rachelle has always worked with gay intended fathers, and read more to learn about why she chose this path and how she has expanded her ‘chosen family’ through gestational surrogacy.
Science Says: International Gestational Surrogacy in the United States is Increasing
In this third installment of the BabyMoon Family Journal Club, we review a recently published study on the trend of international intended parents (IPs) working with gestational carriers (GCs) in the United States between 2014 and 2020. What are the demographics of these international IPs? What does their journey look like compared to domestic IPs? What countries are they coming from? These are some of the interesting questions that are answered and discussed in this manuscript review.
The ‘People’s Pontiff’ is Out of Touch with the People Regarding Surrogacy
I am a gay physician who is pursuing surrogacy with my husband, and I was also raised Catholic. The Pope’s condemnation of surrogacy for assisted reproduction this week affected me more than I would have expected. In this article, I discuss the Church’s historic antagonism with science, the Church’s focus on reproductive technology, and how far removed the Pope’s statements are from the reality of surrogacy in the United States.
Science Says: Being a GC During the Pandemic was Very Hard
This continuation of the BabyMoon Family journal club explores the largest sample of gestational carriers (GCs) and investigates their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. What was it like to be a GC during the pandemic, and what can be done to improve the experience going forward? This article discusses the results and implications of this first-of-its-kind study.
A Gestational Carrier is the Healthy, Perfect Needle in a Haystack
Gestational carriers (GCs) are the limiting factor for any surrogacy journey. They are incredible, and they are also incredibly rare. What are the qualifications required to become a GC? And, using these criteria, about how many American women would qualify to become a GC? We go through the numbers in this article to come up with a general rough estimate of the number of women who would qualify and want to be a GC.
Why Do Women Become Gestational Carriers?
Gestational carriers (GCs) are incredible. However, who are the women who do this? This article attempts to describe the persona and motivations for these amazing women to become GCs. Queer men would not be able to become biological parents without them, and so we are forever indebted to their partnership on this journey.