Club Surrogacy

There are all kinds of clubs, and groups out there to join...There are play groups, book clubs, bowling leagues, PTA and PTO's, Girls Night Out and Mom's Night Out, there are even Tupperware and Mary Kay parties...but you rarely hear about surrogate get together's. I belonged to a play group when I decided to become a surrogate. One day we sat around while our little 3 year olds were playing and I broke the news that I was going to be a surrogate mother. There were the questions and then the "I never could have someone else's baby" comments or "My husband would NEVER let me do THAT" claims...I just shook my head and wondered WHO I could talk to about all of this?

Then I found on the Internet a website where women like me congregated. Surrogate Mothers Online (SMO) was an exciting find for me. I didn't have to explain what I was doing or why or even the how of becoming a gestational carrier and that, in itself, was a relief. These women understood already! And they were ready to support me and each other. Nineteen Ninety Nine and some of the things I learned about the surrogacy world enlightened me and some of it shocked me. For the longest time it seemed that SMO was the only place out there to chat with other women like me. I so wanted to meet REAL women, in person. And then, finally, people started to break out of the message boards and chat rooms and actually have "surrogate get together's". These gatherings happened more and more often all over the USA and I had the fun of hosting a few myself in Florida.

As an agency owner, my partner and I prided ourselves on bringing carriers together, along with their families. We had monthly lunches, holiday parties and beach picnics. It was great to be surrounded by others and not have to explain the hows and whys of surrogacy. But we did share our experiences with clinics, psychologists, the side effects of medications, and our relationships with our Intended Parents.

Supporting each other is so important while going through a surrogacy. Making friends, being a friend, sharing experiences and not feeling alone when the rest of your world may be questioning your motives or your commitment or even your own fertility, is necessary. I am well aware that there are many more groups out there now. Yahoo groups, AOL groups...look them up and see for yourself. To steal a line from a famous ad: Support Can be Beautiful! :-)
** NEW Check out Infertility Answers Online http://infertilityanswers.net/infertility_answers_online
A new message board in a simple format to offer Surrogates, Egg Donors, and Intended Parents Support and guidence!
Sharon
www.InfertilityAnswers.net