#How to make surrogacy affordable

[surrogacycare]

What Has Made Gay Surrogacy Popular Around the World?

For LGBTQ+ couples, especially homosexual men looking for biological children, surrogacy has grown to be a somewhat popular family-building choice in recent years. On the other side, for many couples worldwide, gay surrogacy has become a practical path to parenthood as social attitudes change, legal systems develop, and reproductive technology evolve. But what has made surrogacy so increasingly popular for homosexual couples all around? Let's investigate the main elements behind this change and look at how nations including the UK, Cyprus, and Colombia have joined this trend.

Changing Perceptions around LGBTQ+ Families

 The change in society perceptions of LGBTQ+ families is among the main reasons for the increase in surrogacy among gay couples. Same-sex couples' right to begin a family is becoming more and more accepted in many countries. Beyond conventional definitions, the idea of "family" has opened room for several family configurations, including those created via surrogacy.

Countries like the UK have particularly clearly seen this change. That said, the UK has made major progress in acknowledging and helping LGBTQ+ families over the last twenty years. Growing social acceptance and legalization of same-sex marriage have made it simpler for gay couples to seek surrogacy as a means of family creation. With many agencies and clinics meeting the particular needs of same-sex couples, this has resulted in a growth in surrogacy for homosexual couples in the UK. 

Legal Developments in Surrogacy Laws 

Surrogacy's availability for gay couples has been much enhanced by legal developments. Demand from same-sex couples wishing to expand their family has surged in nations with well defined surrogacy laws and protections for all parties engaged. For instance, the legal structure for surrogacy has grown more inclusive in countries including the UK, Cyprus, and Colombia, enabling gay couples to negotiate the procedure with more assurance. 

Under specific criteria, the law in the UK lets gay couples engage in surrogacy. Legal parenthood rules and protections for surrogates have made it easier for gay couples to prove their parental rights even if the legal process can still be very difficult. This is a far cry from other nations where LGBTQ+ people find their laws either vague or outright forbade for surrogacy. Likewise, the changing legal environment of Cyprus has made surrogacy for gay couples more easily available. 

With many intended parents—including gay couples—choosing Cyprus for its reasonably priced medical treatments and liberal legal framework, it has become a major destination for international surrogacy. 

Developments in Reproductive Technology 

The development of reproductive technologies is another main reason surrogacy is becoming more and more popular among gay couples. Gay men can now have biological children via surrogacy thanks in part to methods such egg donation and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Knowing they can have a genetic relationship to their kid, this technique has enabled many LGBTQ+ couples to seek surrogacy with assurance. 

Furthermore, improvements in medical treatment for surrogates have raised the success rates of surrogacy pregnancies, therefore strengthening the dependability and attractiveness of the procedure to future parents. Countries like Colombia have embraced these technical developments and started to be attractive surrogacy locations for same-sex couples. Given Colombia's established fertility clinics and progressive legal environment, surrogacy for homosexual couples there is especially appealing. 

Offering premium medical treatment at a more reasonable cost than many Western nations, Colombia has positioned itself as a friendly place for international surrogacy.

Affordable options with International Surrogacy

Although surrogacy might be a costly procedure, certain nations provide more reasonably priced alternatives, which has helped surrogacy for homosexual couples increase all around. For example, surrogacy in Cyprus and Colombia is sometimes more reasonably priced than in nations like the United States, where many couples find the expenses to be exorbitant. For LGBT couples in Cyprus, surrogacy provides legal safeguards and top-notional medical treatment together with a more reasonably priced path. 

Moreover, m any LGBT couples from Europe and beyond have chosen surrogacy in Cyprus since it is so affordable. Similarly, whilst still providing first-rate hospital facilities and legal support, surrogacy for homosexual couples in Colombia is considered as a financially sensible alternative with less total expenditures than North America or Western Europe. 

Increasing Desire for Biological Children 

Fundamentally, the desire for biological children is the main reason surrogacy is becoming so popular among gay couples. Although adoption is still a great choice, many same-sex couples are drawn to surrogacy since it lets at least one partner have a genetic relationship to their child. 

For gay couples, surrogacy offers a special opportunity to create a family that honors their mutual devotion as well as biological background. Surrogacy gives many homosexual men a sense of empowerment so they may seize their reproductive future and enjoy the pleasures of motherhood. 

Also, the prospect of a biological kid is a strong incentive whether it comes from domestic surrogacy initiatives or outside choices like surrogacy for homosexual couples in Colombia or Cyprus. 

Final words 

Globally, the popularity of surrogacy for gay couples is evident of shifting social attitudes, legal progress, reproductive technologies, and the yearning for biological child. Offering supportive legal systems and reasonably priced medical treatment for LGBTQ+ couples, nations such the UK, Cyprus, and Colombia have grown to be major participants in the surrogacy scene. The technique will probably become increasingly more accepted and accessible as more homosexual couples choose surrogacy as a path to parenthood, therefore enabling a society whereby everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, has the chance to establish the family of their desires. From surrogacy for homosexual couples in the UK, Cyprus, or Colombia, the future of LGBTQ+ parenthood is brighter than it has ever been.

Source: https://surrogacycare.blogspot.com/2024/10/what-has-made-gay-surrogacy-popular.html

[gatheringbones]

[“People are attracted to the concept of a Nordic-style law that criminalises only the sex buyer, and not the prostitute – but any campaign or policy that aims to reduce business for sex workers will force them to absorb the deficit, whether in their wallets or in their working conditions. As a sex worker in the Industrial Workers of the World observes,

I find that how easy, safe, and enjoyable I can make my work is directly related to whether I can survive on what I’m currently making … I might be safer if I refused any clients who make their disrespect for me clear immediately, but I know exactly where I can afford to set the bar on what I need to tolerate. If I haven’t been paid in weeks, I need to accept clients who sound more dangerous than I’d usually be willing to risk.

When sex workers speak to this, we are often seemingly misheard as defending some kind of ‘right’ for men to pay for sex. In fact, as Wages For Housework articulated in the 1970s, naming something as work is a crucial first step in refusing to do it – on your own terms. Marxist-feminist theorist Silvia Federici wrote in 1975 that ‘to demand wages for housework does not mean to say that if we are paid we will continue to do it. It means precisely the opposite. To say that we want money for housework is the first step towards refusing to do it, because the demand for a wage makes our work visible, which is the most indispensable condition to begin to struggle against it.’ Naming work as work has been a key feminist strategy beyond Wages For Housework. From sociologist Arlie Hochschild’s term ‘emotional labour’, to journalist Susan Maushart’s term ‘wife-work’, to Sophie Lewis’s theorising around surrogacy and ‘gestational labour’, naming otherwise invisible or ‘natural’ structures of gendered labour is central to beginning to think about how, collectively, to resist or reorder such work.

Just because a job is bad does not mean it’s not a ‘real job’. When sex workers assert that sex work is work, we are saying that we need rights. We are not saying that work is good or fun, or even harmless, nor that it has fundamental value. Likewise, situating what we do within a workers’ rights framework does not constitute an unconditional endorsement of work itself. It is not an endorsement of capitalism or of a bigger, more profitable sex industry. ‘People think the point of our organisation is [to] expand prostitution in Bolivia’, says ONAEM activist Yuly Perez. ‘In fact, we want the opposite. Our ideal world is one free of the economic desperation that forces women into this business.’

It is not the task of sex workers to apologise for what prostitution is. Sex workers should not have to defend the sex industry to argue that we deserve the ability to earn a living without punishment. People should not have to demonstrate that their work has intrinsic value to society to deserve safety at work. Moving towards a better society – one in which more people’s work does have wider value, one in which resources are shared on the basis of need – cannot come about through criminalisation. Nor can it come about through treating marginalised people’s material needs and survival strategies as trivial. Sex workers ask to be credited with the capacity to struggle with work – even to hate it – and still be considered workers. You don’t have to like your job to want to keep it.”]

molly smith, juno mac, from revolting prostitutes: the fight for sex workers’ rights, 2018

[centrally-unplanned]

Serious question: How much do you think exowombs would actually improve fertility rates? I think they would help at the margins, but I suspect that disinclination to carry (more) children to term only makes up a moderate portion of the decline in fertility and all the other factors driving that change would continue unabated.

This depends on what you mean, right? The "conservative" assumption is you invent exowomb technology and it is just IVF+, a new way for individual parents to have families (but not too conservative, in real life people would have moral issues around the tech, we are gonna ignore those here). I think this would make a more than marginal difference! It has some very direct benefits; people absolutely do not have kids because of issues like:

Unwillingness to take the full time off work because it impacts careers

Health risks for pregnancy, particularly later in life

Actual infertility issues, again particularly as one ages

"Going through it again" once you have had 1-2 kids

That exowomb tech directly addresses. Some of these are huge parts of the fertility decline! I would bet fully safe/mature exowomb technology boosting the median "ready to have kids" family unit by half a kid, and it could be more.

There are deeper issues around this, for example. So I have done direct conversations with "adult, stable & childless" people, and something I hear a ton are statements like "the medical risk to me is too high", despite ofc pregnancy being the safest it has ever been. That doesn't mean that is wrong! Just that pregnancy isn't getting safer - people's risk profiles have just changed. Other statements include things like "pregnancy literally sounds like body torture, it would alienate me from my physical sense of self" (some hip amoung you might say body dysphoria). Conceptions of self-identity have changed, people value stability and self-image more, and tbh anxiety levels are higher so we are less risk-happy. These deeper culture shifts *could* also be addressed by exowomb tech; though it is far more vague how that would all play out.

And ofc surrogacy is currently a thing! Lots of people currently pay for exowombs - it is just very expensive ($100k+) and very "invasive". When costs go down, demand goes up, simple as right? And even in the most basic case, lots of single men want kids and don't have a partner.

Now there are many things that aren't addressed by exowomb tech - the high-demand parenting styles of modernity, rising minimum *expectations* around the cost of raising a kid, focuses on careers, etc. You won't get people back to wanting 10 children family. So the shift could be notable, but it won't be huge.

With the *conservative* assumptions we just gave. So let's loosen those - most people don't want 10 kids. But some people do! That is just quite hard to do right now, most women don't wanna do that and most men can't afford a harem of mother-wives or 18 surrogates. But with radically lower costs those barriers vanish. I think you would get a far larger "tail" of fertility - you would be surprised how many people would have the dream of that kind of family if it was on the table for them.

And then institutions enter the picture - organizations promoting families, or the state actively pursuing it. Which to be clear is already happening - fertility decline is real and a serious problem, states are getting very interested in reversing it. Once you open the door to "state orphanages hitting TFR targets" than any discussion of "margins" is asinine. Your fertility is what you will it.

Which might sound dsytopian! And it could be - my stance tends to be living is good and orphans that are well provided for are actually perfectly happy (turns out parents aren't that necessary!). But I admit to the other side of the case here - my point is that you aren't going to have a choice. I am betting the answer without such tech isn't going to be pretty

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️

🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼

⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

shannon stories + buddie kid(!!!) 💗 💗 💗

ah yay thank you!

45 for 🧟‍♂️:

---

“She was trying to organize a group of women to keep each other safe. So men wouldn’t… You know. Take advantage of vulnerable survivors.”

Eddie feels a little sick. And more than a little stupid. He hadn’t even thought about that. That that would be a pressing fear on Shannon’s mind. Of course it would be. Look at how skeptical of him Maddie was when she met him on the road? 

“And… You’re okay?” Eddie asks. 

She looks okay. Looks healthy. 

Shannon nods. “I am. Thanks to her. We banded together. Took up residence in a solar powered home out here. And we help women when we can.”

“That’s… Well, that’s pretty cool, actually,” Eddie admits. “I’m glad you found her.”

“Me, too,” Shannon says. “She’s just stubborn enough to survive all this. And she’s a good friend.”

Fine. Eddie will hate her less, then. 

“Will you… Will you come see Chris?” He asks. “He knows I’m looking for you.”

Shannon’s eyes widen. “God, of course. Of course I will.”

Eddie exhales heavily, relieved. “Good. I, uh… I’m really glad you’re alive, Shannon.”

She wipes her eyes. “You, too.”

“We can… I mean, we can figure everything else out, right?” He asks her.

---

45 for 🔼:

---

“Maybe… Maybe he’s just anxious about you bleeding out on the job,” Shannon says. 

“He let Chimney come back from getting rebar through his brain after less than two months, Shannon.” 

Oh. Well… That’s not good. That does seem sort of unfair. Shannon isn’t a medical professional, but something through the skull seems pretty serious.

“Yeah, I can see why that must hurt.”

“I have to get my job back, Shannon. No matter what it takes.”

“The fire marshal position isn’t going well?” 

“It’s not bad, it’s just… Not where I belong. It’s not where I’m… I can’t explain it.” 

“Try,” Shannon says. “Please.”

She hears Buck exhale heavily. 

“I never mattered before this job, Shannon. I was fucking around the country, figuratively and… Well, literally. I was nobody. I have only ever liked who I am as a firefighter. I can’t lose that.” 

“But Buck, you’re still you,” she says. “Your job isn’t who you are.”

Or Shannon is rather sad, really. 

“Maybe not for everyone, but… It’s different for me.”

“Why?” Shannon asks. 

He doesn’t answer. 

“Look, I have to go, okay? My lawyer is calling.”

“Buck, come on… Don’t-”

“Sorry, Shannon. Bye.”

He ends the call. 

Shannon sighs. She thinks there might be something really wrong there. She just doesn’t know what to do about it. 

---

Not quite 60 for ⚡️ because the chapter is ALMOST done:

---

“So…” Eddie says. “So, you’re okay with this, right? I mean, I’m okay with this.”

Buck nods eagerly. “I’m very okay with this. I… Eddie, this is really going to happen for us. Isn’t it?”

Eddie smiles. “I think it really is.”

☆☆☆

Eddie and Buck meet with Connor and Kameron. They come to an agreement. They make plans. Everything is good to go, all they have to do is draft up a surrogacy agreement and have it notarized. The only compensation she’s asking for is coverage of her expenses, which is more than fair and hugely generous. 

Which means they can afford all of this. Now. They don’t have to wait. 

The thing is, Eddie would have waited. He’s committed to this. But the more time between this child and Christopher, the less they’ll grow up together. There’s already so little time before Chris is an adult. Something that horrifies Eddie. The sooner they do this, the better he feels about it. It’s not like he and Buck need more time or whatever. They’ve been parenting together in one way or another for years. 

By late June, while Ravi and Adriana are away, Eddie is feeling entirely confident in their direction once again. That feeling of being fated has never seemed so real. Buck can be smug about it all he wants, Eddie is just enjoying the easy excitement and comfort about the future.

Until, one afternoon, when Pepa calls him.

[surrogate-fawn]

Quartz and Sea Glass

((Drabble/Short story based on the backstory a rp with @mittysins of Fawn's first step into the world of surrogacy.))

{This drabble is a sequel to "The First Goodbye" and is Part Two of a planned series based on the rp between Mitty and I. This drabble will not make sense without the context of Part One.}

TW: Mentioned miscarriage/stillbirth, infertility, family abandonment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't put me on a pedestal for what I decided to do with my life. I ain't a saint.

I'll fully admit that I became a surrogate for selfish reasons. When I discovered there was a market out there of couples who needed a healthy body to carry their baby, I did not give a single shit about helping them -- all I cared about was the money.

I was twenty years old and homeless, still living off minimum wage. Can 'ya really blame me?

Lord only knows how that little worm of an idea got into my brain. Maybe it was during a mindless re-watch of season four of Friends. Maybe it was seeing something on the news. Or maybe it was during one of those three-in-the-morning anxiety attacks -- the ones that had me scribbling down as many outlandish solutions to my life as could fit on a napkin.

Not a lot of good ideas came about that way.

However it got there, one day I found myself seated at a library computer searching up as much information as I could find about surrogacy. As soon as I saw the rates some of these couples were willing to pay, I was sold. Fifty to sixty grand -- paid over the span of months. That sure as hell beat $7.25 an hour! The fact I could be eligible for certain state benefits on top of that money didn't hurt, either.

Best part? The one obstacle that could've been in my way had been crashed down a year ago: at least one healthy and successful prior pregnancy.

This was it. This was my way out!

But I hesitated.

As I sat there, staring at the Google search results that led me down the rabbit hole, I wondered if I was really capable of going through it all again. Not so much the physical symptoms, those all passed as soon as the pregnancy was over.

I was wondering if I could handle saying goodbye again.

My son's first birthday had just passed. I'd put a candle in a cupcake and blown it out for him the day of, alone in my room and still in my UDF uniform after work. I'd wished I'd known what name they gave him. The "Happy Birthday" song is a 'lil hard to sing without a name. I'd just called him "my baby" in the song. At least it fit. He would always be my baby, wherever he was and whatever he was called.

I blinked at the blue-tinted monitor. The screen was getting fuzzy and my eyes were stinging. I force-closed the dozens of tabs I had open, shut the computer off, and began my walk back to the women's shelter.

No, I couldn't. Money or no money, I couldn't go through it again. I never...never wanted to go through it again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week later, I made another trip to the library to borrow some time at the computer. I couldn't afford a laptop or smartphone, so it was a trip I usually made every other day; but work had been leaving me too tired to swing by.

I found an email waiting for me in my inbox, from a surrogate agency site I remembered looking up. In my mad scrolling, I must have signed up for their mailing list without thinking about it. It was from the highest-rated site I'd found, so at least I didn't have to worry about it being a phishing scam or tied to some baby black market or whatever.

I almost deleted it out of reflex, but the subject line read: "The Basics of Surrogacy, Free Information Guide". A brochure? Not an ad pressuring me to join so they could start taking a cut of my pay? Sure, I'd take a brochure.

So, that was the moment I made the best decision of my life: I opened that email.

I'll spare you the business side of things, but once I got in touch with the agency it all started falling into place. The whole process was much more voluntary than I realized. I spoke with several surrogate mothers who had been matched with clients through the site, and they all stood firm that nothing was done unless both the surrogate and the parents agreed to it. I would have a say in who I matched with. I would have a say in how much I was to be paid. I would even have a say in what the birthing experience would be like!

What finally sealed the deal for me, though, was the fact this company only dealt with what I learned were called "gestational surrogacies" -- meaning none of their surrogates were the biological parents of the babies they carried. I'd have someone else's egg inside me -- I would essentially be a walking incubator. That sounds kinda weird when you think about it, but it solved the biggest issue I had with tapping into this gold mine.

Not my baby? Not my DNA? Fine by me. I decided I'd gladly get paid fifty grand to sit around and grow someone else's kid. Sounded like the easiest job in the world.

I sent my application in two days later.

Two months, a psychiatric assessment, and dozens of medical tests later, I was in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Tariqs weren't the first couple who asked to meet with me. There were two other couples I had a first meeting with, but neither of them clicked with me the way Ray and Tess did.

We met for the first time at a park situated alongside the Tennessee River, bundled in jackets to keep out the early-autumn chill. There just so happened to be a food truck parked by the entrance we agreed to meet at, and Tess declared we should get to know each other over lunch. Seeing as I had skipped breakfast to make it to work on time, I didn't mind the idea.

I was standing off to the side while the Tariqs ordered from the truck, counting out the amount of cash I had on me, when suddenly I heard Tess call me over.

"Which one 'ya want, shug?" she asked, pointing to the menu plastered on the truck's side.

They bought me a chicken panini and a hot hazelnut macchiato, insisting it was their treat. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have needed the rest of that interview -- I had already chosen to be their surrogate in my head.

Buying me food is a fantastic way to get to get me to like you.

We sat at a picnic table beneath the golden oak trees and got to talking. Raymond (or Ray, as he preferred to be called) was a second-generation Indian immigrant and Tess, his wife, was a born-and-bred Knoxville gal. They lived on the rural side of Knoxville, just barely inside the city limits, in a 1960's farmhouse they'd refurbished themselves. Both were in their mid-thirties by the time they sought out surrogacy; up until that point, they'd been though quite a battle with infertility:

They'd been trying throughout their four years of marriage, but Tess could never carry to term. The few times her pregnancy tests would come up positive, she'd bleed a few weeks later. Although they weren't opposed to modern medicine, they'd preferred to try more "natural" methods to solve their fertility issue before going to a doctor. Such methods included the Kama Sutra, meditation, crystals, herbal blends and -- of course -- prayer.

Just the year prior, it seemed their home remedies had worked when Tess finally made it into the second trimester with a baby boy.

They'd lost him in a stillbirth days before the third trimester milestone.

Piled onto that tragedy, the hospital discovered Tess had a defective uterus -- it was physically impossible for her to carry to term. So, that's where I came in.

As I told them about myself, they were delighted to know I came from a household that had rather New Age ideas about life. I didn't mention that I no longer lived by those ideas -- it would've opened too many questions.

However, I certainly understood the good home remedies could do! I was more than happy to trade my recipes for salves for Ray's tips on where to buy the best beeswax in Knoxville. So happy, in fact, that I got carried away.

"My mom makes beeswax candles," I said, hurrying to swallow the bite of panini I had in my mouth. "She used to scent 'em with oils from her flowers, but the oil would seep right outta the wax once it got warm." I chuckled, feeling my nose crinkle in the embarrassing way it does when I laugh. "Sometimes, at dinner, we'd light one of her candles at the table. We'd blink and suddenly there'd be a puddle of rose oil dripping onto the beans and cornbread!"

"Maybe I can help her out with that," Ray said with a grin. He took a quick sip of his coffee. "My grandparents keep bees over in India. My family has a lot of tips on how to melt and mix the wax."

I almost choked on my food when I realized I'd brought up my family. Shit...now I had to be careful.

"Maybe," I said with a causal shrug. "She's back home in West Viginia with everyone else. It's a little hard to make time to see 'em."

"Oh, I'm sure," Tess nodded. "It's the same with my daddy's side of the family. We're just so far apart we forget 'ta check up on each other as often as we should." She finished off the last of her bagel. "And with you, Fawn, you work full time with a little 'un at home. I'm sure 'ya family understands."

I didn't blink for a while. I just stared at the river until the cold breeze dried my eyes out. "Oh, well..." I cleared my throat, "I don't have a little one at home."

Tess looked confused. Ray looked mortified.

"But it says on 'ya file you were pregnant last year?" Tess half-asked, half-stated. I could tell from her tone that there was no malice in her. She'd clearly read my profile and made assumptions.

I smiled, maybe showing a little too much teeth. "Yeah, I was. Very healthy pregnancy, very healthy baby boy, but I don't have a little one at home."

Ray put his hand over his wife's wrist, his sea glass bracelet quietly clattering on the wooden table. Tess went pale and her look of confusion faded into a silent scream.

"Oh. I'm...I'm sorry," she stammered. "I didn't mean 'ta-."

"No, no! I don't mind bringing him up!" I said, a nervous laugh jittering my lungs. "I never get the chance to talk about my son, but I think about him all the time!"

I surprised myself when the expected sorrow didn't come. Instead, excitement filled its place -- an odd sense of relief that I could let out some of the thoughts that had been haunting me.

I proceeded to word-vomit about how wonderful it was to be pregnant with my son, and how angelic his parents were to me, and how I knew he would be okay -- even if I missed him -- and so forth and so on. I honestly don't think I stopped for breath.

I saw Ray and Tess glance at each other from the corners of their eyes as I rambled, a pair of knowing grins on their faces.

I'm no mind reader, but I think that's when the Tariqs made their final decision.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tess was with me for the embryo transfer, her ring-laden hand resting on my arm as everything was prepped. I was bloated as a water balloon from the multiple fertility drugs I'd been plunging into my veins -- every day, might I add -- for the past month. I sure was hoping those suckers worked, because being in a permanent state of PMS was ass. Total ass.

I reclined on the exam table, legs up in those familiar stirrups and my hips covered by a thin sheet of paper. I inhaled through my nose as the doctor inserted a long, thin tube of plastic through the ring of my cervix -- the end of which was attached to a syringe full of clear fluid. Somewhere in that syringe, three little embryos floated around -- and one of them was hopefully about to nestle into its new home.

I watched the fuzzy grey blurs on the ultrasound screen as the doctor angled the wand to see what he was doing. As I watched each of the three tiny balls leave the tube...I just hoped those fertility drugs didn't work too well.

Tess grinned down at me once it was over, her blonde braid falling over her shoulder. "We got three good un's in there," she said. I noticed she was clutching the quartz pendant around her neck like a string of prayer beads. "I'm sure one of 'em will like 'ya enough 'ta stick around."

I think she was just as worried as I was. Tess's egg retrieval, the test tube fertilization, the freezing, and my daily injections all combined into almost three months of prep work just for this ten-minute procedure.

And if it failed, we'd have to do it all over again. And if that failed, we'd do it again. And again.

"Yeah," I sighed, lowering my legs from the stirrups, "I hope you're right, Tess. 'Cause if not, I swear to God I'm gonna have-."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A girl!" Tess screeched to the high heavens, throwing herself against Ray in an attack hug. She jumped for joy while hanging from his neck, almost pulling the poor man to the floor. "It's a girl, Ray! We're havin' a girl!"

Ray laughed, backing up from the table so his wife didn't mule kick the ultrasound technician. "I don't know, Fawn," he said, looking my way with a huge smile and a raised eyebrow. "Do you think it's a girl?"

"Not sure," I said, my nose crinkling in a snicker, "but I think Tess said something about it being a girl."

"Shuddup you two," Tess giggled, sniffling as tears began falling down her cheeks.

Ray held his wife's face in his hands and gave her a kiss deep enough to explore the sea floor. The technician and I decided to focus on the ultrasound images to give the couple some privacy.

I craned my neck to look up at the screen. What had been a microscopic ball four months ago was now an apple-sized baby girl with wiggling arms and legs, and -- thank God -- there was only her in there. The other two embryos had never taken, but this rowdy little girl had held tight. I smiled as I watched the rapid flutter of her heart beating, amazed at the sight. I remembered being just as amazed by my son's heartbeat, what few times I'd gotten to see it.

"Look how active she is!" the technician said, pointing to the baby's constant wiggling. "You should be feeling those little dance moves of hers very soon."

Ray and Tess returned to admire the fuzzy images on the screen. Tess was drying her eyes on her sleeves, and Ray's smile may as well have been glowing. He had his arm around Tess's shoulders as they watched the miniature dance party going on inside me. The sea glass bracelet rattled as his hand came to rest over his heart.

"That's our daughter, Tess," he said. His voice broke a bit as he repeated: "That's our daughter."

"Yep," Tess sniffled, hugging her husband's torso and resting her head on his shoulder, "that's her."

I watched them hold each other like that until the technician turned off the wand and wiped the gel from my slightly rounded belly.

The Tariqs had already begun the steady payment plan we'd agreed to. Even after the agency took its cut each month, it was still more than I'd ever made in my life. That had been why I'd agreed to do this for them, after all.

That ultrasound appointment is what changed my outlook on what I was doing.

These two people. These two amazing people, so overcome with joy because I was carrying the baby that they could not.

I wasn't an incubator anymore. I felt more like a nanny, protecting their baby for them until she was strong enough to come out. They'd wanted this baby for so, so long -- and I was the one making that dream of theirs come true.

I knew what it was like to desperately want to hold a baby you were unable to have. I may not have been able to heal my own hurt, but here I was...healing theirs.

I wasn't doing it for the money after that.

I never did it for the money again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Five days after my twenty-first birthday, I woke up to a rather nasty surprise at one in the morning. I'd gotten kicked in the bladder, and my bedsheets and pajama bottoms were damp and sticking to my skin in the humid July air. Fantastic. Not again.

With a groan, I rolled out of bed and started shuffling my way to my door. I held the weight of my belly in my arms as I made my way to the upstairs communal bathroom, hoping to take the pressure off my hips.

I blinked against the harsh florescent light as it sputtered to life over the toilet. With a gruff sigh, I shut and locked the door.

"Suri, you gotta stop doing this," I slurred, my mouth too tired to move. "I'm letting you use my uterus as a bed and breakfast. The least you could do is not try to pop my bladder every night."

Surinder. Her name was Surinder, but we'd been calling her Suri for short. Ray picked it out. He liked it because it was based on the name of a Hindu god and also sounded like the word 'surrender' in English. Tess had fallen in love with the name. Me? I would've just stuck with 'Suri'. I knew exactly what kind of teasing she was in for at school with a name like 'Surinder'.

You can't exactly walk into public school with a name like 'Fawn' and not get laughed into oblivion.

At least the nickname gave her an extra name to fall back on. If that didn't work, she also had her middle name to use: Elora. I would've done the same back in high school -- I did have three to pick from -- but 'Aspen', 'Coriander', and 'Medulla' wouldn't have made the teasing any better.

I'd gone in at age eighteen and erased two of those names. It was just "Fawn Coriander Sequioa" now. Still not a normal name by any means. I often thought about going back into the records and legally changing my last name, just like my parents had done when they'd joined the commune before I was born.

I didn't need my last name. My family didn't want me anymore.

Alexander may have opened up a whole new world for me, but he made sure I burned every bridge behind me as I crossed it. I was already beginning to question my parents' worldview by the time I started dating him, but he took that little spark of doubt -- a spark that, if left alone, would've grown into a steady burn-away of my old ideals -- and fanned those embers into an uncontrollable hatred.

"They're a cult, babe," he'd told me. "Why can't you see that? I can take you away from that bullshit that says you gotta fuck other guys to be happy. I only want what's best for you, and for us."

After months of letting my teenaged angst and frustration boil over, it happened. An argument started between Mom and I over something asinine, and the geyser fucking exploded.

I parroted everything Alexander had been telling me. I told my parents they were nothing but sexual perverts who wanted me to be a whore all my life. I told them how their "woo-woo" medicine got kids killed all over the country, and that blood was on their hands. I told them how much they'd fucked up in raising me.

I told them I hated them.

I told Dad I hoped the next woman who sucked his dick bit it off.

I told Mom that if it was her, I hoped she died choking on it.

The last time I saw Dad, he was throwing everything I owned out of my bedroom window until I was on the sidewalk surrounded by broken furniture and muddy clothes.

The last time I saw Mom, she was sobbing face-down on the couch and refusing to look at me.

Even now, I would be willing sell my soul -- to lay down and die -- just to undo what I did that day.

I didn't give a shit at the time, though. I picked up what I could carry off the front lawn and walked to the nearest payphone to call Alex. I had to tell him I was finally free.

Free.

Right.

What a fucking joke.

I splashed some cold water on my face to wash off the nighttime sweat. Suri rolled one of her feet against the top of my belly, causing a little moving bump that I playfully poked with my finger.

"I'm going to bill you for all those crazy dance parties you're having in there, missy," I said with a grin, a lot less frustrated with her than I was a second ago.

I grabbed a washcloth to start cleaning myself off, but the realization dawned on me and I stopped cold. That was her foot. Her foot was at the top of my belly...which meant her head was angled down...which meant there was no way she'd kicked my bladder.

As I stood at the sink trying to solve that puzzle, I found the missing piece. My belly clamped down hard enough to pitch me forward. I grabbed onto the sides of the sink with a small gasp, feeling the muscles of my torso all tighten and shrink in the direction of my uterus. As it did, a little more dampness spread across my pajama pants.

Oh fuck.

Oh, holy fuck!

I left the bathroom in as much of a jog as I could manage, rushing back into my room and to the brand-new cell phone charging by the window. I had no idea how to save numbers on that thing, so I manually dialed Ray's number. His was the only one I could remember.

The other side of the call rang for a solid thirty seconds before Ray's sleep-drunk voice picked up:

"Hello?" he grumbled. "Who is this?"

Oh, right. He probably didn't have my new number saved, either.

"Ray, it's Fawn," I said, noticing too late that my voice was trembling. "You and Tess need to come pick me up...like right now!"

I heard a rustle on the other end, and suddenly Ray sounded very much awake. "Fawn? Fawn, what's wrong?!" I thought I heard Tess say something nearby, probably on the other side of their bed. "Why do you need us to get you?! Suri isn't due for another two weeks!"

"She...she had other plans," I said, taking a deep breath to steel my nerves. "My water just broke."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ray's face was illuminated by the highway streetlights as he glanced back at Tess and I in the backseat of the car. "How's it going back there?" he asked, flicking his gaze between us and the road.

"Aughh!" I groaned in response as a contraction stole my ability to speak. I tried to lift my hips off the leather seat as more fluid leaked from me, but the seatbelt held me down. I was already sitting in a small puddle of it, and I was worried I was ruining their upholstery. I was still dressed in my pajamas, but I considered them a lost cause.

"We're doin' fine," Tess said, slipping her hand into mine so I could squeeze it -- which I did. "Focus on the road, Ray."

Tess had buckled herself into the middle seat of the minivan, giving her enough room to tend to me while I was strapped in the window seat. I sat with my legs as far apart as the seatbelt would allow. I could already feel the baby pressing through my cervix, and I recognized the pounding pressure that came with it.

The contraction lasted about forty seconds, and it left me reeling and panting. I had no idea when to expect the next one. "Why is this happening so fast?!" I asked, my voice shrill with anxiety. "I was in labor for over a day last time!"

"It's probably not happenin' as fast as 'ya think, doll," Tess assured me, giving my hand a pat. "You could'a slept through most of early labor. Second baby always comes faster than the first, 'ya know."

No. No, I did not know!

"Tessie, how close did the doula say she was?" Ray asked, obeying his wife and not taking his eyes off the road that time.

Tess's face was bathed in white light as she quickly checked her phone. "Ten minutes," she said. "She'll be waiting outside the house when we get there."

Just before she put her phone away, I saw her clutching the quartz pendant again.

Just as promised, the doula was parked outside the Tariqs' farmhouse when we got there. She climbed out of her car as soon as our headlights lit up the gravel driveway. Ray parked the minivan with a lurch and jumped out to start helping her carry things into the house.

Tess helped me out of the car, letting me use her as a crutch as we hobbled up the front steps.

"You ready 'ta do this, Fawn?" she asked.

"Are you ready to do this?" I rebutted.

Tess paused for a second, and then rubbed my lower back as we reached the porch. "Not really," she said, "but no one ever is."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Turns out, I wasn't as deep into active labor as I thought I was. In fact, I'd barely started it. The doula told me I was six centimeters dilated, and that I'd likely been in labor for close to twelve hours at that point.

"No, that's not possible," I protested from my reclined position on the sofa. "I wasn't having contractions until now."

"Trust me, you were," the doula grinned from her place between my knees. She slipped off her blue latex gloves and tossed them in the trash as she stood up. "I'm willing to bet they were just really mild up until you started leaking."

It was a relief to know my water breaking didn't mean I was going to deliver right there and then; but it also sucked knowing I was still in for a long ride.

I spent the rest of that night laboring around the farmhouse. It was so nice to not be stuck in a hospital room that time. I was free to do as I pleased, which Ray and Tess were sure to make clear.

Ray opened a few of the windows to let the sounds of crickets and frogs in, as well as the sweet-smelling breeze of the countryside. Meanwhile, Tess made it her life's mission to make me as cozy as possible -- no matter where I ended up. Thanks to her, pillows followed me from the sofa to the floor, from the floor to the recliner, and then back to the sofa.

Eventually, I got too restless to sit still and I needed to be upright. I was on my feet for the rest of active labor, hanging from the edges of furniture or leaning on either Tess or Ray for support during the contractions. Neither of them minded a bit.

It didn't hurt any less than the first time I went into labor. At times, I was so overcome by the increasing horrible sensations that I began screaming. Each time that happened, either Tess or Ray (whichever I was currently clinging to) would wrap their arms around me and the other would redirect my focus.

"Look at me, doll," Tess said, taking my face in her hands while Ray held me upright.

I was hyperventilating and sobbing my way through a nasty contraction and had forgotten how to use my legs.

"Look at me," she repeated gently. "Focus on my face. See my eyes? My nose? My mouth?" she pointed to each feature as she listed them. "Just think about what'cha see. Think about every detail 'ya can."

It was a technique that sounded stupid on paper, but in practice it was very effective at keeping me grounded. If I counted each of Tess's eyelashes or tried to trace the shape of her mouth in my mind's eye, then I didn't focus on the pain.

I could do it. I knew I could. I'd done this whole song and dance before without painkillers. I could do it again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At ten in the morning, eight hours after arriving at the house, I finally felt the shift that told me I was almost done with this.

I was kneeling on the hardwood floor of the living room, my thighs supported by the shallow birthing stool the doula had brought. Beneath me was an absorbent blue pad. Based on the design of the packaging it was pulled it from, it was supposed to be for potty training puppies. Weird...but if it worked, it worked -- and it was certainly needed. The head was descending quicky, and a few bloody strands of cervical mucus were dripping from me as the last of it gave way.

I'd shed the damp pajamas I came in, but the sweat rolling down my back made me shiver each time an outdoor breeze came through. Tess draped a thin blanket over my shoulders and stayed at my back, her hands never leaving my upper arms as I bowed my head and wailed through a transition contraction.

Ray knelt a few feet in front of me, the doula at his side. He looked a strange mixture of nauseous and excited -- we had decided he would be the one to catch the baby, and the doula was talking him through the process ahead of time. I noticed he was holding a hand to his heart as he listened to her, the sea glass bracelet hanging from his wrist.

We all knew it was about to happen.

When the head finally lodged itself into my birth canal, I said nothing. I just acted. I gripped the front edges of the foot-tall birthing stool and let out a feral growl as I started to push. A chorus of encouragement came from the people around me:

"That's it, doll! C'mon!"

"Go with the urge, Fawn. You've got this!"

"Very good, that's what we like to see."

Having gravity on my side this time made pushing feel much less like a chore. I could feel Suri working her way down each push I gave, and she usually stayed where she was once I let up. Kneeling on the stool seemed to be easing her down exactly where she needed to go.

I let out a yelp -- of surprise more than pain -- as I suddenly felt her head pressing against the skin of my perineum. The pressure opened my lips up like a flower, and the doula shined a flashlight underneath me to confirm her head was visible just inside the bulge of my lips, sitting there ready to crown with the next push.

And holy fuck, did she crown! The burn started the second her scalp met the outside air.

"Oww! God-fucking-damn it!" I white-knuckled the wooden stool, a strangled scream leaving my throat as I felt the head bulge out further, peeling my vagina apart like some demented fruit.

Ray scooted closer, rubbing alcohol up and down his arms in preparation to catch. With the doula watching over his shoulder and aiming a flashlight down so he could see, Ray slipped his hands beneath me. I felt his fingers prodding the skin around the head.

"Just like that, yes," the doula told him. "Help her open, this baby seems to be eager."

"No shit!" I roared, my arms trembling as another push sent the head rushing downward. "Fuck!"

I felt Ray's fingers trace the circumference of his daughter's head as more of it emerged, heard the quiet squelching of the afterbirth coating his fingers. When I no longer had the contraction to help me, I let up. Ray kept trying to massage my vagina open, even as I was trying to rest.

"Stop!" I snapped, and he withdrew.

Tess was hiding behind me, her hands on my shoulders the only reminder she was there. She peeked over my shoulder at her husband during the brief lull in my screaming.

"How far is she out?" she asked, unable to see for herself.

The doula craned her neck. "Almost fully crowned."

"She has so much hair," Ray said with a breathy laugh.

"She does," the doula agreed with a grin. "Her daddy's hair, too. Very dark."

I tilted my head to the side, panting heavily but morbidly curious. "Can...can I feel?" I asked.

The doula took my hand and lead it below my belly. I gasped in awe when I touched the hot, gooey ball of hair sticking out from my body.

"Woah..." I muttered, not sure what to else to say.

My fingertips wandered between my legs for a few seconds, and it was both fascinating and horrifying how my anatomy felt nothing like my own body. Everything was stretched and moved around, and it didn't feel like I was touching anything resembling a human body part -- save for the head sitting where a head shouldn't be. Frightened, I pulled my hand back just in time to bear down against a new contraction.

"Hands out, Ray," the doula gently encouraged. "Here she comes."

I felt Tess press her forehead into my upper back. I think she was feeling faint.

"Ah!" A sharp cry, almost a bark, shot from me as the head reached a full crown for a few terrible seconds. Then, with a wet slip, her whole head came free.

"Holy Mother Gaia..." Ray marveled in a half-whisper. His hands cupped the head hanging under me with the most attentive care in the world.

He didn't have much time to admire the view, I wasn't done pushing. I screamed through closed lips as I felt the ring of flesh just behind my skin get stretched wider than it had ever been. I knew something was wrong as soon as that stabbing, tearing burn began. Suri was two weeks early, but she suddenly felt bigger than my son had been.

"Pull her out!" I begged, remembering what the doctor had done. "Just pull her out!"

"Can't," the doula said. "Her hands are up by her ears, there's nowhere for us to grab."

"Take it slow, Fawn," Ray offered. "I've got her, there's no reason to rush."

I took a few quick pants and rested, hoping the stabbing burn would lessen if I let myself stretch out. It's no wonder it hurt so bad delivering her shoulders, she was making this part more difficult than it needed to be.

Tess's hands lightly squeezed my arms and I felt her hiding her face in the blanket draped over my back. Yeah, she was definitely on the verge of passing out.

Gravity was pulling on Suri even as I was trying to let myself stretch, and the shifting pressure triggered me to push without the aid of a contraction.

"Aughh, Suri come on!" I begged, pushing so hard my vision was going double.

Maybe saying her name was intimidating enough to get her to move, because with that push I felt her arms pop free. Ray gasped, and I felt his hands shift to support her upper body as the rest of her slipped out of me. I heard fluid splash and splatter onto the puppy pad, and just a second later, Ray lifted a small blue baby up from under me.

"Get her breathing," the doula urgently instructed. "Turn her over and rub her back. Support her head."

Ray obeyed, gently flipping Suri over on his lap and rubbing his large hand over her back. Her head hung disturbingly limp on her neck as he jostled her around, but I knew that's what it was supposed to be like. It still looked scary.

Suri splayed her arms out, as if she's been surprised, and let out a gurgling wail as her first breath.

"There she is," Ray sighed with releif, turning her back over to hold her in his arms. The doula whipped out a small towel and draped it over her body to keep her warm.

Tess came back to life and rushed to be beside her husband the instant she heard the baby cry. The moment she saw Suri in her daddy's hands, she dropped to her knees and covered her mouth. Her eyes spilled over, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Oh, Ray!" she cried, her voice shaky and breaking. She reached out and pet her daughter's wet mop of black hair. "Ray, she's beautiful!"

Ray couldn't answer, he was too choked on tears of his own. Both parents held their daughter between their bodies, too joyful for words to express. Their tears and shared kisses told the story, though.

As for me, I wasn't too sure what to make of the situation. She was out, she was healthy, and her parents would be taking it from here. My job was done; but it did feel a bit...abrupt.

"Fawn," Tess turned to me, uselessly trying to dry her eyes, "do you want to hold her?"

I didn't think, I just spoke: "Yes. I've never held a baby before."

Ray and Tess lifted Suri up to me. Ray adjusted my hold so I could support the places that needed it, and Tess made sure the bloodied towel was in place so Suri wouldn't get cold. Within seconds, there I was with a minute-old baby in my arms, sitting against my bare chest.

I stared down silently at the tiny person who had been living inside me the last nine months. She was screaming her head off, but her lungs were sounding clearer each time her mouth opened. Her pink, toothless gums reminded me of a fish's mouth.

"Hey, Suri," I said, my voice sounding far away. "Must feel better out here, huh?" Suri wailed again, unhappily flailing her arms and legs around. "Or not."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I rested on the sofa, extra puppy pads beneath me, as the doula and the parents did the 'lotus ceremony' on the other side of the room. I'd had to sit on that stool for an extra twenty minutes until the placenta passed -- Ray and Tess wanted to have a lotus birth, where the cord was burned through only after the afterbirth was delivered.

I didn't want to know what they planned to do with the placenta itself.

Ray had offered to drive back to the women's shelter later that day to grab my duffel bag for me. In my panic, I'd completely forgotten the overnight bag I'd packed. So, for the time being, I was naked and covered only by the thin blanket Tess had given me.

The lotus ceremony finished up, and Ray and Tess pulled up some chairs to sit beside me. Tess had gone topless and had laid a sleeping Suri carefully across her chest, doing skin-to-skin so they could establish the proper mother-baby bond. Her eyes were red and raw, and fresh tears were falling from them.

"Fawn," she began, "you'll never know how much this means 'ta us."

"You're welcome," I said, offering the couple a tired smile. "She was a rowdy tenant, but I'd gladly do it again to give you guys the family you want. You'll be an amazing mom, Tess."

Tess let out a small sob that turned into a chuckle. "Thank 'ya."

Ray rubbed his wife's back, his own fresh tears falling. "We have something very special to give you, Fawn. It's...the closest thing we have to fully repaying you."

Tess nodded. "Money ain't enough. It would never be enough."

In sync, both couples removed the pieces of jewelry I'd never seen them without: Tess, her quartz pendant; Ray, his sea glass bracelet. Without a word, both new parents bestowed the items on me as if it were a coronation. Tess slipped the pendant around my neck and flipped my hair out from under the chain it hung on. Ray carefully slid the band of clattering sea-green beads over my hand until it came to rest softly on my wrist.

I looked at the new gifts with a grateful smile. "Something to remember you guys by?"

The couple gave each other one of their classic knowing grins.

"No," Tess said. "We chose these items months ago. They were always intended for who our surrogate would be."

I tilted my head to the side like a confused dog -- I guess the puppy pads were appropriate after all. "What?"

"From the day we met you, we've been praying over them," Ray explained, repeating the hand-over-heart motion I'd frequently seen him do with the hand that had worn the bracelet. "Each milestone we reached, we made sure our joy in the moment was stored in the crystals."

"Quartz is best to channel the energy of a mother, for Mother Gaia," Tess explained. "Glass shaped by the sea is best for a father's energy, for all life was fathered by the sea."

We were silent for a while, just staring at each other. The only sound was the soft cooing Surinder made in her sleep.

"We want you 'ta be a part of this family, Fawn," Tess said. "We've put a part of our essence into these crystals. Our joy, our love, our gratitude. So, whenever 'ya wear 'em, we'll be with 'ya."

Now I was crying. I opened my jaw to say something, but nothing came.

"We've talked about it, and..." Ray said with a smile. "...if you would like to, we'd be more than happy to have you stay here with us until you get back on your feet."

"Livin' out here has been much less of a headache than in the city," Tess continued. "We could help you find a nice 'lil place of your own sometime soon, a home where you can make a life for 'yaself."

There was another pause. I let tears fall silently down my bewildered face.

"You don't talk much about 'ya family," Tess said. "You don't owe us no explanation, but...Ray and I figured...you might need someone in 'ya corner."

That was it. That was the killing blow.

I jumped forward and threw my arms over Ray, collapsing into sobs I hadn't experienced in months. I would've grabbed both of them, but Tess had the baby. I didn't actually say anything to them, but I think they got the message.

Maybe there was something to those New Age ideas of theirs. As I sat there sobbing, I swear I could feel the warmth of Tess and Ray's love seeping into my skin through those minerals.

It seeped through my blood and sinew, and even though bone. It settled into the bleeding wound in my soul that refused to heal, the one that had been torn open the first time I called my family after the fallout:

My own mother, the one who promised to love me no matter what life threw, plunged the knife in and twisted it. The last words she ever spoke to me...were a threat to kill me if I ever tried to come back home.

The warmth of Ray and Tess's gift poured into that wound like warm honey -- not healing it, but soothing it for the first time in three years.

Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe the heat in the jewelry was just from their body heat.

But I was sure about one thing:

I wasn't alone anymore.

~ END ~

[coochiequeens]

No one is entitled to biological offspring and how can they include surrogacy in the Act without implying that couples are entitled to women to be surrogates?

A trio of Democratic senators are introducing a "Right to IVF Act" that would, among other things, force private health insurance plans to cover assisted reproduction treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), egg freezing, and gestational surrogacy.

The measure provides no exception or accommodations for religious objections, all but ensuring massive legal battles over the mandate should it pass.

The "sweeping legislative package" (as the senators describe it) combines several existing pieces of legislation, including the Access to Family Building Act and the Family Building Federal Employees Health Benefit Fairness Act sponsored by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D–Ill.), the Veteran Families Health Services Act from Sen. Patty Murray (D–Wash.), and the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act from Sen. Cory Booker (D–N.J.).

Booker's contribution here is probably the most controversial. It requires coverage for assisted reproduction from any health care plan that covers obstetric services.

A Reverse Contraception Mandate

Remember the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate, which required private health insurance plans to cover birth control (allegedly) at no cost to plan participants? It spawned some big legal battles over the rights of religious employers and institutions not to offer staff health plans that included birth control coverage.

Booker's Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act is a lot like the Obamacare contraception mandate, except instead of requiring health care plans to cover the costs of avoiding pregnancy it would require them to cover treatments to help people become pregnant.

The bill states that all group health plans or health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance must cover assisted reproduction and fertility preservation treatments if they cover any obstetric services. It defines assisted reproductive technology as "treatments or procedures that involve the handling of human egg, sperm, and embryo outside of the body with the intent of facilitating a pregnancy, including in vitro fertilization, egg, embryo, or sperm cryopreservation, egg or embryo donation, and gestational surrogacy."

Health insurance plans could only require participant cost-sharing (in the form of co-pays, deductibles, etc.) for such services to the same extent that they require cost-sharing for similar services.

What Could Go Wrong?

It seems like it should go without saying by now but there is no such thing as government-mandated healthcare savings. Authorities can order health care plans to cover IVF (or contraception or whatever) and cap point-of-service costs for plan participants, but health insurers will inevitably pass these costs on to consumers in other ways—leading to higher insurance premiums overall or other health care cost increases.

Yes, IVF and other fertility procedures are expensive. But a mandate like this could actually risk raising IVF costs.

When a lot of people are paying out of pocket for fertility treatments, medical professionals have an incentive to keep costs affordable in order to attract patients. If everyone's insurance covers IVF and patients needn't bother with comparing costs or weighing costs versus benefits, there's nothing to stop medical providers from raising prices greatly. We'll see the same cost inflation we've seen in other sectors of the U.S. healthcare marketplace—a situation that not only balloons health care spending generally (and gets passed on to consumers one way or another) but makes fertility treatments out of reach for people who don't have insurance that covers such treatments.

Raising costs isn't the only issue here, of course. There's the matter of more government intervention in private markets (something some of us are still wild-eyed enough to oppose!).

Offering employee health care plans that cover IVF could be a good selling point for recruiting potential employees or keeping existing employees happy. But there's no reason that every employer should have to do so, just because lawmakers want IVF to be more accessible.

It's unfair to employers—big or small, religious or non-religious—to say they all must take on the costs of offering health care plans that cover pricey fertility treatments. And Booker's bill contains no exceptions for small businesses or for entities with religious or ethical objections.

A lot of religious people are morally opposed to things like IVF and surrogacy. This measure would force religious employers to subsidize and tacitly condone these things if they wanted to offer employees health care plans with any obstetrics coverage at all.

As with any government intervention in free markets, there's the possibility that this fertility treatment mandate would distort incentives. IVF can certainly be an invaluable tool for folks experiencing infertility. But it's also very expensive and very taxing—emotionally and physically—for the women undergoing it, with far from universal success rates. The new mandate could encourage people who may not be good candidates for IVF to keep trying it, perhaps nudging them away from other options (like adoption) that might be better suited to their circumstances.

'Access' Vs. Whatever This Is

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, many Americans have worried that the legal regime change would pave the way for outlawing things like contraception or IVF, too. Encoding into law (or legal precedent) the idea that fertilized eggs are people could have negative implications for these things, even if many conservative politicians pledge (and demonstrate) that IVF and birth control are safe. In response, some progressive politicians—perhaps genuinely concerned, perhaps sensing political opportunity (or why not both?)—have started talking a lot about the need to protect access to IVF across the country.

As much as I agree with this goal, I think IVF's legality is better off as a state-by-state matter. That said, the "protect IVF nationwide" impulse wouldn't be so bad if "protecting access" simply meant making sure that the procedure was legal.

But as we've seen again and again over the past couple decades, Democrats tend to define health care and medicine "access" differently.

The new Right to IVF Act would establish a national right to provide or receive assisted reproduction services. In their press release, the senators say this last bit would "pre-empt any state effort to limit such access and ensur[e] no hopeful parent—or their doctors—are punished for trying to start or grow a family." OK.

But that's not all it would do. The bill's text states that "an individual has a statutory right under this Act, including without prohibition or unreasonable limitation or interference (such as due to financial cost or detriment to the individual's health, including mental health), to—(A) access assisted reproductive technology; (B) continue or complete an ongoing assisted reproductive technology treatment or procedure pursuant to a written plan or agreement with a health care provider; and (C) retain all rights regarding the use or disposition of reproductive genetic materials, including gametes."

Note that bit about financial cost. It's kind of confusingly worded and it's unclear exactly what that would mean in practice. But it could give the government leeway to directly intervene if they think IVF is broadly unaffordable or to place more demands on individual health care facilities, providers, insurance plans, etc., to help cover the costs of IVF for people whom it would otherwise be financially out of reach.

This is the distilled essence of how Democrats go too far on issues like this. They're not content to say "People shouldn't be punished for utilizing/offering IVF" or that the practice shouldn't be illegal. They look at authoritarian or overreaching possibilities from the other side (like banning or criminalizing IVF) and respond with overreaching proposals of their own.

The proble with increasing access to IVF is what happens when the couple needs a surrogate to have biological offspring? Will they beg and pester the women in their lives? Will the affordable IVF compensate surrogates fairly?

[old-school-butch]

Children and unpaid labor

I'm hearing more concern about the potential for global population to peak and fall by 2080. All of the analysis points to:

a. medical management of fertility becoming increasingly available, so women/families can make choices about how many kids to have.

b. better medical care and life expectancy, so women don't need to have 5 kids just for 2 to reach adulthood.

b. industrialization leading to high cost of living, so it's harder to afford the cost of raising children.

And then there's a ton of hand-wringing about the coming economic meltdown.

What's unspoken (why? we know why...)

a. When women have a choice to not have kids, we often have fewer.

b. When women have no financial incentive to have kids, we often have fewer

c. When women have to work in the paid labour force to make ends meet, we don't have time to do the unpaid labour of raising the next generation.

How this gets resolved, by patriarchal viewpoints, is to remove the access to abortion and contraception and give families cash payments for having a lot of kids.

How this gets resolved, by feminist perspective, is to recognize that raising the next generation involves work and resources. Women have known for eons (it's literally viewed as the reason we are such social creatures) that cooperation in child-rearing is massively productive. One woman will be exhausted caring for 3-4 young children, but 10 women working together can care for 100 children. Free public schooling removed a big chunk of that cost for families, but in commercialized societies it's still to costly for most families. For once, we need to discuss socializing the real costs of child-rearing rather than acting like it's a private, vanity project that women need to interrupt their careers to take a ten year break to create the next generation. We drive on publicly funded roads to get to a workplace that has no childcare. Women drop out of the labor force to care for children, but that loss of productivity and increase in costs affects only them. That transportation is not more fundamental to society than raising children, it's time women demanded more from society for our work.

We already see this commercialization happening with surrogacy, public schooling, private childcare, domestic servants and prepared food. These things are not necessarily bad, but these changes are happening in a capitalist setting, however, not a feminist one and has no guardrails on exploitation.

Investing in children, for real, means freeing women from the last gendered role that still burdens us. The future of motherhood is about nurturing and guiding our children in a socialized system that supports our role and 'women's work' as thoroughly as it supports fatherhood. We must guard against privatized and commercialized 'solutions' based on economic perspectives that ignore the financial burdens of the 'second shift' that mothers are already working.

[0rbularb0ys]

Life With Levael: First Date

Took a bit longer than I wanted it to, but here’s the next chapter! Once again, a special thanks to @sacred-dragonair/ @brushbrulee on twitter for being my beta reader!

Ever since Renyr had asked him out on a date, Levael had been anxiously waiting for the moment he would see the dark elf again. He’d agonized over what clothes he would wear, whether or not he should use any perfumes, if it would be appropriate to bring flowers on a first date, and more. Mother and Father had told him to always put his best foot forward after all, but he didn’t want to come on too strong. He’d just have to try and act casual and wing it.

Looking at his reflection in the cafe’s window, Levael saw a mortal staring back at him, and he sighed. He felt bad lying about his demon nature, but what other option did he really have? Mortals didn’t much care for demons, to say the least. The war between demons and… well, everyone else may have been millennia upon millennia upon millennia ago, but in all that time the demons were living apart from mortals for their own safety. Down in the seven spheres of the underworld, right where the angels trapped them, they kept to themselves even after they discovered a way to reach the world of mortals. No one had ever asked for the demons’ side of the story. Not when the angels had already written the history books. So demonkind was largely condemned to being the villains of history, and if Levael was to live in the mortal world then he had no choice but to hide his true nature.

And yet, even if Levael had no choice in the matter, he felt bad about lying. It’s hardly the foundation of a healthy relationship after all. Maybe Renyr would understand once it was explained to him. He would have to cross his fingers on that one.

“Hey!” Called a voice, and Levael whipped his head about to see his date hurrying down the sidewalk and up to him. “Sorry, bus had to take a detour.” Renyr asked, breathing heavier than usual. “Were you waiting long?”

Unaware of just how long he had been waiting, Levael checked his wristwatch. The dark elven man had only arrived a bit under ten minutes after their agreed upon meeting time, but in his excitement for their date the disguised demon had arrived about twenty minutes early. “Oh no, not long.” Levael said, smiling to his date. 

Smiling, Renyr held out his arm for Levael to hold, which the demon did with a smile and a blush. “Get whatever you want, I’m insisting on paying.” He said as the pair joined the line of customers.

“Oh no, that’s not-”

“I insist.” Renyr’s voice was friendly, but firm enough to make clear that this was non-negotiable. 

“Well, if you’re going to insist so strongly, I suppose it would be rude to refuse.” The pregnant demon relented.

After getting their drinks, the two men took a seat by the window. The people of the city were coming and going just on the other side of the glass as they sipped their tea and coffee.

 “So,” Renyr said, putting his coffee cup down, “You said you worked nights yesterday. What do you do for a living?”

“I work as a singer at this uptown lounge, Velours Rouge.” Levael said. He was careful in the way he handled his tea, very particular and proper. Centuries of etiquette lessons from his parents had deeply ingrained the habit into him, and he had to consciously tell himself to behave more casually. 

“Sounds swanky.” Renyr said with a low whistle. “Swanky and expensive.”

“Oh yes. It’s the sort of place you don’t really visit unless you have money or you’re looking to impress someone.”

“Hopefully ‘swanky’ means ‘pays well’.”

“Mmm, I make enough to live comfortably. I’m not swimming in money, and I certainly can’t afford any sports cars. But my apartment is nice, I have money to buy what I need and give myself some treats, and my bank account is healthy.”

“I see that’s not the only healthy thing.” The dark elf smiled, looking at the shifting of the infants in his date’s womb. “What about the money you make from surrogacy?”

Levael gulped. Of course he would ask that. Obviously he couldn’t say that he was a demon built for breeding, so what explanation would work? “Not a lot, truth be told. I work privately, and my clients are typically those who can’t afford to go through an agency. They’re very expensive, you know.”

“So you do it almost as a charity?”

“I’ve never really thought of it that way. I suppose you could say so, but I’ve always just believed that everyone should get a chance to have a family. Well, if they’re suitable for the role, that is. But some people have trouble conceiving, and they don’t have the money that large agencies would ask of them. So that’s where I come in.”

Nodding, Renyr sipped his coffee. “That’s very generous of you. Pregnancy’s a lot to go through, and for not much money? Damn.” He placed his cup down and looked again at the other man’s visibly shifting belly. “So, how far along are you?”

Oh crap. 

For as often as Levael was asked this question, he was never sure what the answer should be. Mortals gestate their children for so much less time than demons, what number should he give to not raise any suspicion? He certainly couldn’t tell him the truth.

Thank you for asking, potential boyfriend. I’m currently nine months pregnant and I have approximately six months left. After that I have to go out and get pregnant again so I can help my race survive.

Yeah, there was no way THAT wouldn’t raise questions.

He would just have to rely on his old fallback non-answer and hope Renyr would be too polite to ask for further details. “I have a hereditary condition which lengthens the duration of my pregnancies, and induction doesn’t work on me. I would prefer not to talk about it.”

Renyr’s eyes widened. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ask anything too personal.” He said quickly, desperately trying to avoid the blowback of whatever landmine he’d stepped on. The sincerity of his apology was evident on his face and in his eyes.

He didn’t need to be tortured over thinking he made some horrible mistake, so Levael shook his head and offered a smile. “It’s fine. Goodness knows I get asked this question too much to be offended by it anymore. But enough about me,” He said, placing his teacup on his belly and leaning back in his seat, caressing his bump, “tell me about you. What do you do for work?”

It took a second for Renyr to register the question, his eyes lingering on his date’s tummy. “Hm? Oh!” He snapped out of his trance and refocused on Levael, clearing his throat. “I work as a freelance graphic designer. I’ve been doing it since college, which means about a century and a half or so. I’m no millionaire or anything, but I live comfortably and I like to think that I’m fairly well-known in the industry by this point. At least here in Bohemia. That’s what I like to tell myself.”

“Trying to live off your art, huh?”

With a deep sigh, the sort that suggested this subject had been an issue for a while, Renyr nodded. “Yep. Nobody’s noticed my original stuff yet, so this’ll have to do.”

“How does someone get noticed in the world of art anyway?”

The elven man made a noise of frustration in the back of his throat. “For the most part? Have enough money to aim the spotlight on your work. Or have a name that’s already known beforehand. Or hire someone else to make it for you.” He grumbled, running his fingers through his hair. “Me, I can only rent out space at the gallery.”

“I knew that the gallery gave space to local artists, but what’s the process of your work being on display?”

“Easy. Talk to one of the curators, and you tell them what it is you want to put on display. The price is different based on what it is, like paintings are cheaper than statues, smaller statues are cheaper than larger statues, and so on. You figure out how much it’d cost for you to keep your piece up in the gallery for however many days, you pay, and boom. Your art’s on display for the amount of days you paid for.”

“I see. I hope their prices are at least reasonable, if people buying their recognition is truly a problem."

"It's fair, I'd say." Renyr looked into his coffee cup and smiled. "The gallery's actually pretty cool for smaller artists. They've got a ton of spaces in the back that you can rent out to work on your stuff. Painting, sculpting, making really weird and elaborate pieces, they'll let you make whatever once you're there. And if you can't finish your piece in one session, they'll hang onto it until you come back at no extra cost."

"So you rent out a space for a week and your work stays there waiting for you?

Renyr shook his head. "No, you typically rent by the hour. I'll usually rent for about four or five hours, for instance. Then when my time's up, they clean up after me and it's someone else's turn. You can pay for extra time, but renting for a week? You'd need some serious cash to do that."

Levael nodded, brushing a lock of hair behind his ear. "I see. It sounds like they really care about giving lesser known artists a chance to shine." 

"Yeah." Renyr took a sip of his coffee and looked at his date with a smile. "Okay, back to you. Where are you from?"

Hoping to stall for time, Levael took a few drawn-out sips of his tea. Getting-to-know-you type questions were the worst. As usual, he’d have to fall back on old lies. “My family moved around a lot. I’ve lived in so many places, I don’t think I can say I’m really from anywhere.”

“I get that. Which place would you say was most important, though? Or which one did you enjoy living in the most?”

Well shit, Levael thought to himself. What now? “Oh, it was so long ago, I can barely even remember.” He said with a laugh he dearly hoped didn’t sound forced. “It was this little town in the far north with the sort of name you’d never be able to pronounce and could never hope to spell on your own. I’ve certainly forgotten, anyway. I really only remember it because I always loved watching the northern lights, or the Light River, as the giants call it.”

“I’ve always wanted to see the northern lights.” Renyr said, smiling at the image of lights across the sky. “I’m from the Undercity myself, so as you can imagine the sky is kind of a big deal for me.”

“Yes, the Undercity is the home of dark elves, isn’t it? What’s it like?” Levael asked as he removed his cup of tea from his belly and leaned leaning forward, resting his chin in his hands.

Judging by Renyr’s frown, however, he wasn’t as interested in the topic as his date. “You know, I never liked the term ‘dark elf’. It makes it sound like surface elves are the norm and we’re the aberration.” 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend,” Levael said, moving to place his hand on Renyr’s forearm before thinking better of it, “I wasn’t aware that was a touchy subject.”

Renyr just sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, clearly unsure what to say. “I mean, I think it might just be a me thing? I dunno. Whatever, it’s fine. You’re hardly the first person to refer to us that way.” He took a deep breath and slumped back in his seat. “So, the Undercity. When I was growing up, we were still sealed underground, right? Thanks to the surface elves,” He grumbled, “And we didn’t have any of… of this.” He said, gesturing around the cafe, gesturing to the city on the other side of their window. “No electricity, no fresh air, no indoor plumbing… Basically just imagine how cavemen lived and you’ve got a pretty accurate idea.”

“Oh dear. But that’s not the case anymore, right? I mean, it’s been almost two centuries since the Undercity was unsealed.”

Renyr pursed his lips and shook his head. “But that’s not very long at all for an elf. Imagine living for centuries knowing only the underground. No sky, no sunshine or starlight. Just darkness, cold stone, and stagnant air. All you know of what’s above ground is that there are elves who are like you but different and they have it better, and their ancestors are the reason you’re stuck underground because your ancestors wanted to avoid conflict with orcs. And you only know that because you heard it from your grandparents, who only know it because they heard it from their grandparents, stretching back to who knows how long.”

“Then one day, everything opens up. After a life of never seeing the sun aside from the occasional crack in the cave ceiling and having every reason to think you never will, it’s suddenly just there. And not only that, but there’s also more people than just those surface elves and orcs your grandparents told you about. There’s dwarves, giants, vampires, werewolves, faeries, all of them speaking languages you can’t understand. And as if that wasn’t enough, it turns out that while you and yours were painting on walls and fighting off cave monsters and trying to grow food in a place with no sunlight, they were all developing electricity, automobiles, the radio, the television, freakin’ airplanes.”

The disguised demon was listening with rapt attention, fascinated to learn how the dark elves live. “That sounds like a lot to take in all at once.”

“It was. It still is. And that’s why it’s taking so long for us to catch up to the rest of the world.”

“Because they’re scared.”

“Exactly. I guess the dwarves see something of themselves in us, what with how we both come from underground, because they’ve been helping renovate the Undercity to catch up with the modern world. Been quite a while since I’ve been back there, but I understand we have plumbing now. They’re taking it slow, giving everyone time to adjust. But that’s just another way of saying it’s going to be a good long while until we’ve caught up with everyone else.”

“I see. Maybe I’ll visit at some point.”

“Ehh, I wouldn’t really recommend it.”

“Because it’s so low-tech?”

“No, because you’re too tall for the cave ceilings.” Renyr said with a charming, lopsided grin.

Levael chuckled despite how lame the joke was. “That was terrible.”

“Then why are you laughing?”

The disguised demon snorted and laughed a little harder, but was interrupted when he felt a sharp kick inside his womb. With a small yelp, his hands flew to his belly, rubbing the spot he’d been attacked. “Excuse you, we’re having a conversation here.” He said to his swollen middle. “If my laughter is bothering you, then I’m afraid you’ll just have to suck it up.” Patting his belly, he looked up and caught Renyr looking rather intently at his belly, his eyes betraying fascination with a hunger simmering just beneath the surface. Levael felt himself beginning to blush at the attention he was prompting from his date. “Would you like to feel?”

Renyr snapped his head up and looked at Levael, his eyes a touch wider than the elven man probably would have preferred. “Uh, yeah sure!” He placed his hands on his date’s belly, his touch gentle. Softly, as though going out of his way not to inconvenience the pregnant man, he rubbed the bump offered to him. “It’s soft, but firm too.” 

“Pregnant bellies tend to be like that.” Levael said with a small giggle. 

A sudden kick made Renyr jump and pull his hands away in surprise. “Whoa! Did you feel that? I mean, you must have since it’s your belly they’re in, but still! They’re strong little guys.” He said, replacing his hands on his date’s belly and gently patting the spot where the kick had been aimed.

“Yeah… I’m proud of them.” Levael cooed, stroking the underside of his bump.

The two men stayed that way for a time, with Renyr rubbing and patting the pregnant tummy before him and Levael enjoying the attention. The demon was blushing slightly as he watched the other man’s fascination with his swollen womb and trying desperately to shoo away thoughts of having his belly rubbed while they were both shirtless. 

I can’t think like that, this is only our first date!

Eventually, Renyr managed to pull his attention away from the magnificent belly in front of him to look at the clock. "Oh hell, is that the time already?" He groaned, clearly not wanting the date to end just yet. "Sorry Levi, I gotta get going. I've got a work meeting in a little bit and I need to go home and get ready." Reluctantly, he pulled his hands away from Levael’s pregnant swell, leaving the disguised demon quietly wishing he could follow his date and continue receiving belly pats and rubs.

"Ah, it's fine. This was hardly going to be an all day affair, after all.” Levael said with a reassuring wave of his hand. On the inside, though, he was a bit disappointed that their date had to end already. The clock said it had been a couple of hours, but it felt like time had gone by much faster than that. Still, he didn’t want to make Renyr feel bad when the matter was out of his control, so he put on a smile instead. “I had fun today.”

Renyr returned Levael’s smile, reaching into his pocket as he did. “I did too. Here, let me just…” He snatched a napkin and quickly wrote something on it, passing it to his date with a wink that sent a shiver down the demon’s spine and to the tip of his tail, causing it to spasm as it was wrapped around his leg, hidden down the leg of his pants. Looking at the napkin, he saw that Renyr had given him his phone number. Levael felt himself begin to heat up as his heart raced, further riling up the little ones inside of him.

Be still, my kicking babies.

“Could I borrow that pen for a second?” Levael asked, one hand desperately gripping his chair to try and keep himself centered. Renyr nodded and handed him the pen. Levael quickly grabbed a napkin and scribbled his own number on it, then passed it back to his date. “You’ll have to excuse my handwriting. I don’t think anyone writes well on a napkin.” He said with a small, nervous laugh, trying to ignore how his voice had cracked at the last second. 

“You’re pretty cute, you know that?” Renyr asked.

At this, Levael became so flustered that he almost completely lost the ability to speak, only just managing to squeak out a small “Thank you.”

The elven man picked up his coffee cup along with Levael’s teacup. “I’ll take care of these on my way out. I’ll call you!” He said over his shoulder as he walked away, leaving behind a flustered and frozen demon in disguise. 

When Levael finally, FINALLY snapped out of his stupor, the biggest, dumbest smile crossed his face as he snatched up the napkin Renyr had written his number on. Holding it like some kind of precious treasure, he went as fast as he could (or as fast as the bus would drive) back to his apartment, at which point he jumped onto his bed, clutched his pillow, and began squealing with excitement like a giddy teenage girl. He kept looking back at the napkin as if trying to reaffirm that he wasn’t dreaming, and he really had gotten the phone number of a cute guy. Every time he saw the number again, he’d start shrieking into his pillow with delight all over again. His heart was fluttering away, and it felt as though there was an entire swarm of butterflies in his stomach. That or the babies were kicking again, but he couldn’t care less. The rest of the world melted away and the pregnant man was alone. Suddenly he was an infatuated teenager all over again, on the phone with his bestie and squealing with delight over fantasies of being asked to prom by his crush. Though instead of prom, it was being asked out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. The sort with candles setting the mood, musicians providing a romantic ambiance, Renyr in a dapper suit and Levael dressed in a beautiful gown, all eyes in the building on the most beautiful couple as they took their seats…

It was a while before Levael was able to calm himself down, excited as he was. He just couldn’t stop thinking about Renyr. Thinking back on what he had been told about the gallery, he realized that he had no idea how long it had been since he’d last sat down and painted something. Suddenly he began to miss the feeling of brush against canvas and the satisfaction of transforming something blank and empty into something colorful and beautiful. He missed the pride he felt in knowing he had given shape to something only he could dream up. Ever since he’d gotten a job as a lounge singer, his creative pursuits had become limited to music (and knitting, but that was beside the point). Levael loved singing and playing instruments just fine, but he had put aside visual art for too long. Then and there, Levael made a promise to himself that he would visit the gallery and finally paint.

[brandwhorestarscream]

the tfa au with the decepticons being able to have sparklings and the autobots can't. can you share what you have come up with.

Sure! So, first of all, the governance: I'm imagining it being like, autobots and decepticons essentially living in different "countries". The decepticon occupied citystates essentially forming one, and the autobot occupied ones forming another. There's a peace treaty that says autobots may not encroach on decepticon territory uninvited and without proper paperwork, kinda like how irl you need an approved passport or visa to enter ither countries you do not have citizenship or residence in

Widely the general populations aren't supposed to mingle freely; the autobots still have mountains of prejudice against decepticons and war frames in general, and the decepticons are ofc still very sour toward their ex-oppressors. Most of the interactions are state sponsored and carefully monitored, and the autobot council is working around the clock to keep their nervous population from having a breakdown or staging an uprising. Turns out finding out you're on the brink of extinction and the only means of saving yourselves lies with the very people you've been pushing propaganda against for 4 million years doesn't exactly inspire confidence or peace of mind. Who could have predicted?

The first sparklings born on Cybertron are a worldwide news story. Some of the first are Starscream's, sired by Jazz, his triplet seekerlings and little grounder Blues. Next There's Lockdown and Prowl's little one, who comes out with their carrier's white and their sire's gold. Most of the autobot population has never even seen a sparkling before, and at first are very offput by them. These tiny bots are so useless! They're so clumsy and are always tripping over themselves, they can't even speak! They babble endless nonsense and cry at the slighest inconvenience! What's wrong with them?

But the more people start interacting with them they realize just how lovable and precious sparklings are--they're complete blank slates that are totally clueless about the world, with such capacity for learning and compassion and wonder. The world is a blank slate in a baby's optics, endless possibilities to explore, countless adventures to be had. They know nothing of war or prejudice or hate, only joy and love. And they quickly become a sensation: suddenly, everyone wants one.

Now, the decepticons are the only ones capable of creating them. So there's 2 options:

1. Cloning of reproductive arrays and then bestowing them on mecha via organ transplants

2. Using decepticon surrogates and carefully extracted spark-energy to fertilize and implant a baby created by a sire who physically can't sexually reproduce

Megatron immediately denies the proposal of the first option. If the autobots start breeding their newly-achieved peace will be put in jeopardy. The war frames ability to foster newsparks is their greatest bargaining chip. They can't afford to lose it. So, the first drafts of the surrogacy program starts

It's entirely decepticon controlled, first of all. They're the ones who will have to do all of the work, they get full control of their bodies, no exceptions. Surrogates can approve or deny any potential sires on a whim, it's completely at their own discretion. Parenting rights are to be decided on a case by case basis, depending on what the carrier wants and their appointed lawyer(s) help them write into their contract. And surrogacy isn't free: a surrogate is free to set their own fee however they wish.

And, most importantly, not just anyone can become a sire. These chucklefucks have never even seen a baby before; the cons don't want just anyone handling an innocent newspark. Every prospective sire gets put through intensive training classes, throwing every possible exhausting, messy, terrifying, maddening situation being a parent could possibly throw at them. Making sure they can actually handle the pressure and understand what it means to be responsible for the life of another that will be totally dependent on them for care. They have to teach them proper communication, about child development, the importance of routine and love and sparksharing, anything and everything under the sun. There's probably even part of the program that requires the sire and sparkling stay under watch for awhile after the birth, just to ensure they're actually able to take good care of the little one.

While the so called "sire education and preparation program" (aka "daddy school" as Bumblebee so aptly put it) definitely weeded out all of the ones who were just caught up in the craze, there's still a large number of civilians who want to pursue parenthood. There's a cap limit on how many can be born to the surrogacy program in a certain amount of time, and there's not infinite surrogates, so there's a waitlist a mile long for those who want to be parents. And I'm sure you guys will never guess who's one of the first to sign up (Optimus. It's Optimus. Change my mind)

[surrogacycentre-india]

What is IVF Treatment, and How Much Does It Cost?

When couples face difficulties in conceiving naturally, modern medical science offers hope through advanced reproductive treatments like IVF. In-vitro fertilization (IVF) has transformed the journey to parenthood for many, helping them realize their dream of having a baby. Let’s explore what IVF treatment involves and how much it costs, especially in a trusted IVF clinic in Delhi like Surrogacy Centre India.

What is IVF Treatment?

In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is a widely used assisted reproductive technology (ART) where an egg and sperm are fertilized outside the body, in a laboratory. Once the embryo is formed, it is carefully transferred into the uterus to achieve pregnancy. IVF is often recommended for:

Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes

Male infertility issues

Ovulation disorders

Endometriosis

Unexplained infertility

Failed IUI cycles or other treatments

The IVF process includes several steps: ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilization, embryo culture, and embryo transfer. With advancements in technology and medical expertise, IVF success rates have significantly improved.

Why Choose Surrogacy Centre India?

Surrogacy Centre India, a leading IVF treatment centre in Delhi, offers personalized and compassionate fertility care. Headed by renowned fertility expert Dr. Shivani Sachdev Gour, the hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and a team of experienced specialists. SCI IVF is known for its high success rates, ethical practices, and patient-centric approach, making it a preferred choice for IVF treatment in Delhi and beyond.

How Much Does IVF Cost in Delhi?

The cost of IVF treatment can vary depending on several factors, including:

Patient’s age and medical history

Need for additional procedures (ICSI, embryo freezing, etc.)

Number of IVF cycles required

Medication and hormone injections

Use of donor sperm or eggs (if applicable)

At Surrogacy Centre India, the cost of a basic IVF cycle typically ranges between ₹90,000 to ₹1,50,000. However, a detailed consultation is essential to provide an accurate cost estimate tailored to the patient's unique fertility needs.

Conclusion

IVF has opened new doors for couples struggling with infertility. If you're considering IVF and looking for a reliable IVF clinic in Delhi, Surrogacy Centre India stands out for its expertise, affordable care, and empathetic support throughout your fertility journey. Book a consultation today and take the first step toward parenthood with confidence.

[medfertility]

Surrogacy Cost in Georgia: Everything You Need to Know

Surrogacy has become an increasingly popular choice for couples and individuals looking to expand their families. Among the many international destinations offering affordable and legally secure options, Georgia stands out for its well-regulated surrogacy programs, experienced professionals, and comparatively lower costs. If you’re considering this route, understanding the Surrogacy Cost in Georgia is crucial for financial and emotional planning.

Why Choose Surrogacy in Georgia?

Georgia, a country located at the intersection of Europe and Asia, has become a sought-after destination for international intended parents due to its favorable laws, well-established medical infrastructure, and ethical practices in assisted reproduction. Unlike some countries where surrogacy is either banned or heavily restricted, Georgia permits gestational surrogacy for heterosexual married couples, offering a clear legal framework that ensures the rights of the intended parents.

In addition to legal safety, Georgia offers access to highly qualified fertility specialists and modern clinics, all at a fraction of the cost compared to countries like the United States, Canada, or the UK.

What is Included in the Surrogacy Cost in Georgia?

The Surrogacy Cost in Georgia typically includes several essential services, such as:

Medical Procedures: This includes IVF treatment, embryo transfer, and prenatal care.

Surrogate Compensation: A fixed amount paid to the surrogate for her time, effort, and commitment.

Legal Fees: Costs related to contracts, parental rights, and other documentation.

Screenings and Medications: Psychological and medical evaluations, as well as medication for both the egg donor (if needed) and surrogate.

Accommodation and Travel: For international couples, packages may include local support, translator services, accommodation, and airport transfers.

Maternity Care and Delivery: Hospital delivery charges, neonatal care (if necessary), and postnatal support for the baby.

For detailed consultation and a personalized quote for your surrogacy journey, Contact Us:- +91–701669315 Email us:- info@medfertility.com

How Much Does Surrogacy Cost in Georgia?

On average, the total Surrogacy Cost in Georgia ranges between $35,000 and $50,000, depending on the clinic, package inclusions, surrogate availability, and any additional medical needs that may arise during the process. This makes Georgia one of the most cost-effective options for surrogacy worldwide.

Looking for a Reliable Partner in Your Surrogacy Journey?

When choosing a surrogacy program, partnering with experienced professionals is key. Our team is dedicated to providing transparent, ethical, and personalized services to intended parents around the globe. With a deep understanding of the process and a network of trusted fertility experts in Georgia, we ensure a smooth and legally sound experience.

Factors That Can Affect Surrogacy Cost in Georgia

Several elements can influence the overall cost of your surrogacy program:

Use of Egg Donor: If the intended mother cannot use her eggs, an egg donor will be required, which adds to the cost.

Multiple IVF Cycles: Some intended parents may need more than one IVF cycle to achieve a successful pregnancy.

Medical Complications: Unexpected medical needs for the surrogate or baby can increase the total expense.

Travel and Legal Expenses: International couples might need to account for visa, accommodation, and other logistical costs.

Insurance and Postnatal Care: Though basic care is included in most packages, comprehensive insurance may be an optional add-on.

The Legal Process in Georgia

Surrogacy laws in Georgia ensure that the intended parents are recognized as the legal parents of the child from birth. The birth certificate is issued in their names, and there’s no need for court processes or adoption procedures. This clarity significantly reduces legal complications, making the country a reliable option for surrogacy.

Final Thoughts

If you are exploring options for surrogacy abroad, Georgia provides a compelling combination of affordability, legal protection, and high medical standards. The Surrogacy Cost in Georgia offers excellent value without compromising on quality, making it a smart choice for many international couples.

Whether you are just beginning to explore the possibility or are ready to take the next step, we are here to support you. Our goal is to make your journey to parenthood as smooth, safe, and successful as possible.

For further information, support, or to start your surrogacy journey in Georgia today: Contact Us:- +91–701669315 Email us:- info@medfertility.com

[chanakyaacademych]

Top IVF Clinics in Gurgaon for Your Parenthood Journey

Introduction

Starting a family is a cherished dream for many couples. However, when natural conception becomes difficult, modern fertility treatments offer hope. Gurgaon has become a popular destination for advanced IVF treatments in India, offering world-class medical care with high success rates. In this guide, we’ll explore the top IVF clinics in Gurgaon that can support you on your path to parenthood.

If you're seeking reliable information about fertility care, check out the helpful resources at Asha IVF Gurgaon and their detailed blog on top fertility clinics.

1. Baby Joy IVF Centre

Baby Joy IVF Centre is known for its patient-first approach and transparent treatment plans. With a team of experienced doctors and a 71% success rate on the first IVF cycle, it's one of the most recommended clinics in Gurgaon.

They offer services like:

IVF & ICSI

Egg donation

Surrogacy support

Fertility preservation

Their commitment to affordable pricing with no hidden charges makes them a preferred choice for many. Learn more about Gurgaon’s top fertility options at Asha IVF’s blog.

2. Neelkanth Hospital

Neelkanth Hospital, led by Dr. Bindu Garg, has helped thousands of families through fertility treatments. As the first IVF specialist in Gurgaon to deliver an IVF baby, Dr. Garg brings over four decades of experience.

Services offered include:

IVF and IUI

ICSI

Egg and sperm freezing

The hospital is also appreciated for its flexible payment options and warm care environment. For an in-depth comparison of clinics, explore this helpful blog on Gurgaon clinics.

3. Asha IVF & Fertility Centre

Asha IVF Centre in Gurgaon has rapidly grown into one of the most trusted fertility centers. With cutting-edge technology and compassionate care, Asha IVF provides solutions to a wide range of fertility challenges.

They specialize in:

IVF and IUI treatments

Hormonal and diagnostic assessments

Advanced reproductive technologies

Their mission is to make fertility care accessible, affordable, and effective. You can read success stories and fertility guidance directly from their official blog.

4. Cloudnine Fertility Center

Cloudnine Fertility is part of a well-known chain of maternity and fertility hospitals. The Gurgaon center stands out for its high success rates and individualized patient care. Dr. Anju Devi Yadav and her team offer expert IVF and IUI services using the latest medical protocols.

Patients receive personalized plans and emotional support throughout their journey. As one of the trusted names in the region, Cloudnine also focuses on counseling and mental health. You can find Cloudnine listed in the Asha IVF blog's featured clinics.

5. BabyBloom IVF

BabyBloom IVF is recognized for its high IVF success rates, advanced labs, and skilled professionals. With services like IUI, IVF, egg freezing, and fertility diagnostics, this clinic ensures complete support from start to finish.

What sets BabyBloom apart is its impressive 80% success rate and holistic care approach. Their team ensures emotional and medical support throughout your fertility treatment.

Don’t forget to explore the full list of top fertility clinics if you’re still comparing options.

Understanding IVF Costs in Gurgaon

One of the key factors while considering IVF is cost. In Gurgaon, the cost of one IVF cycle typically ranges from INR 1,75,000 to INR 2,00,000. This includes:

Consultation

Fertility medications

Egg retrieval and embryo transfer

Lab tests and scans

Additional treatments like ICSI, PGD, or donor services may increase costs. Reputed clinics like Asha IVF Gurgaon offer budget-friendly options with no compromise on quality.

How to Choose the Right Fertility Clinic

Choosing the right IVF center can be overwhelming. Here are a few important factors to consider:

Success Rates

Look for clinics with consistently high success rates for IVF and IUI treatments.

Experienced Doctors

A good fertility doctor can make a big difference. Check credentials and years of experience.

Modern Technology

Clinics that use the latest technology are more likely to deliver successful outcomes.

Transparent Pricing

Avoid hidden charges by choosing clinics that offer all-inclusive packages and upfront pricing.

Patient Support

Emotional support is just as important as medical treatment. Opt for clinics offering counseling and care guidance.

For a deeper dive into how each clinic performs on these criteria, browse through this informative guide by Asha IVF.

Final Thoughts

Gurgaon offers some of the best IVF and fertility treatment options in India. With a combination of experienced doctors, advanced technology, and compassionate care, these clinics are helping countless couples realize their dream of parenthood.

Whether you're just beginning to explore fertility treatments or you're ready to start IVF, it's essential to choose a center that aligns with your needs and values.For trustworthy guidance, clinic comparisons, and fertility education, be sure to visit Asha IVF Gurgaon and their expert-curated blog.

[surrogacycare]

Surrogacy for HIV Patients: A Ray of Hope

Becoming a parent is a beautiful dream for many, but for HIV patients, this journey can feel challenging. The good news is that medical advancements and surrogacy for HIV patients have made it possible for them to have healthy children. Countries like Cyprus, the UK, and Argentina offer hope through safe and legal surrogacy options.

In this blog, we will explore how surrogacy for HIV patients works, the best destinations, and the steps involved in making parenthood a reality.

Understanding Surrogacy for HIV Patients

Surrogacy is a process where a woman (the surrogate) carries and delivers a baby for another person or couple. For HIV-positive individuals, surrogacy requires extra medical care to ensure the virus is not transmitted to the baby or the surrogate.

Thanks to modern medicine, HIV-positive parents can have biological children without passing on the virus. Through procedures like sperm washing and IVF (In Vitro Fertilization), doctors can use the intended father’s sperm safely. If the mother is HIV-positive, special protocols are followed to protect the surrogate and the baby.

Best Countries for Surrogacy for HIV Patients

Not all countries allow surrogacy for HIV patients, but some nations have supportive laws and advanced medical facilities. Here are the top destinations:

1. Surrogacy for HIV in Cyprus

Cyprus is becoming a popular choice for surrogacy for HIV in Cyprus due to its affordable costs and high-quality medical care. The country has fertility clinics that specialize in helping HIV-positive intended parents.

Why Cyprus?

Legal protections for intended parents

Advanced fertility treatments

Lower costs compared to the US or UK

2. Surrogacy for HIV in the UK

The UK has strict regulations, but surrogacy for HIV in the UK is possible with the right medical support. The National Health Service (NHS) provides guidance to ensure safe pregnancies for surrogates carrying babies for HIV-positive parents.

Why the UK?

Strong legal framework

High medical standards

Support from experienced fertility clinics

3. Surrogacy for HIV in Argentina

Argentina is another great option for surrogacy for HIV patients, known for its progressive laws and experienced doctors. The country allows altruistic surrogacy, where the surrogate does not receive payment beyond medical expenses.

Why Argentina?

LGBTQ+ friendly laws

Skilled fertility specialists

Transparent legal process

The Process of Surrogacy for HIV Patients

The journey of surrogacy for HIV patients involves several steps to ensure safety and success:

1. Medical Screening

Both the intended parents and the surrogate undergo thorough health checks. For HIV-positive parents, doctors confirm that their viral load is undetectable, reducing transmission risks.

2. Sperm Washing (For HIV-Positive Fathers)

This advanced technique removes HIV from sperm before IVF. The cleaned sperm is then used to fertilize the egg in a lab.

3. Egg Donation (If Needed)

If the intended mother is HIV-positive or unable to provide eggs, a donor egg can be used. The egg is fertilized with the father’s sperm in a lab.

4. Embryo Transfer

The healthy embryo is placed into the surrogate’s uterus. Doctors monitor the pregnancy closely to ensure everything progresses safely.

5. Birth and Legal Process

After the baby is born, legal steps are taken to transfer parental rights to the intended parents. This process varies by country.

Emotional and Financial Considerations

Surrogacy for HIV patients is not just a medical journey but an emotional one too. It’s important to:

Find a supportive agency that understands HIV surrogacy.

Prepare financially, as costs can vary by country.

Seek counseling to handle the emotional aspects of surrogacy.

Conclusion

Surrogacy for HIV patients is no longer an impossible dream. With countries like Cyprus, the UK, and Argentina offering safe and legal options, HIV-positive individuals can experience the joy of parenthood.

If you are considering surrogacy for HIV in Argentina, the UK or Cyprus, consult with a fertility specialist to explore the best path for your family. Every parent deserves the chance to hold their baby, and modern medicine is making that possible.

Source: https://surrogacycare.blogspot.com/2025/04/surrogacy-for-hiv-patients-ray-of-hope.html

[ivfdelhi]

Top-Rated Fertility Clinics in Delhi for Your IVF Journey

Infertility is a challenging journey for many couples, but advancements in medical science have opened new doors to parenthood. If you are seeking the best fertility centre in Delhi, look no further than Shivam IVF. With a strong reputation, cutting-edge technology, and expert medical professionals, Shivam IVF has established itself as a trusted name in the best fertility centre in Delhi.

Why Choose Shivam IVF?

1. Highly Experienced Medical Professionals

One of the key reasons behind Shivam IVF’s success is its team of highly qualified fertility specialists, embryologists, and gynecologists. Their experience and expertise ensure that each patient receives personalized care and treatment.

2. State-of-the-Art Technology

Shivam IVF is equipped with the latest medical technology to provide the best fertility treatments. From advanced IVF labs to modern diagnostic tools, they ensure the highest success rates in assisted reproductive techniques.

3. Comprehensive Fertility Services

Shivam IVF offers a wide range of fertility treatments, catering to different infertility issues. Some of the key services include:

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) – A highly successful method where eggs and sperm are combined outside the body to facilitate fertilization.

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) – A process where sperm is directly placed into the uterus to enhance conception chances.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) – A specialized IVF technique for male infertility.

Egg Freezing and Embryo Preservation - Ideal for women who want to delay pregnancy.

Surrogacy Services – A solution for couples who cannot carry a pregnancy to term.

Donor Programs – Egg and sperm donation options for those who need them.

Endoscopic Fertility Surgery – Includes laparoscopy and hysteroscopy to address reproductive issues.

4. Affordable and Transparent Pricing

Shivam IVF believes that financial constraints should not stand in the way of parenthood. They offer competitive pricing with flexible payment plans, making fertility treatments accessible to more people.

5. Patient-Centric Approach

Unlike many fertility centres, Shivam IVF prioritizes emotional well-being and medical treatment. They offer counseling sessions and support groups to help patients navigate the emotional challenges of infertility treatments.

Success Rates and Patient Testimonials

Success rates are key in choosing the best fertility centre, and Shivam IVF has an impressive record. With a high percentage of successful pregnancies, they have helped countless couples achieve their dream of parenthood.

Patient Testimonials

Anita & Rajesh: “After struggling for years, we finally conceived with the help of Shivam IVF. Their doctors are compassionate and knowledgeable, and we felt supported throughout our IVF journey.”

Priya & Sameer: “We were initially hesitant, but Shivam IVF’s transparent process and high success rate convinced us. Today, we are proud parents of a baby girl.”

Choosing the Right Fertility Treatment

Every couple’s journey is unique, and choosing the right treatment is crucial. The specialists at Shivam IVF provide individualized treatment plans based on thorough medical evaluations, ensuring the best possible outcomes.

How to Get Started?

Starting your fertility treatment at Shivam IVF is simple:

Schedule a Consultation – Book an appointment with a specialist to discuss your medical history and fertility goals.

Undergo Fertility Tests – Various tests and screenings are conducted to identify the root cause of infertility.

Receive a Personalized Treatment Plan – Based on test results, doctors will suggest the most suitable fertility treatment.

Begin the Journey – Start treatment under expert supervision and support.

Conclusion

Shivam IVF is a beacon of hope for couples struggling with infertility in Delhi. With world-class technology, a compassionate team, and high success rates, they provide the best fertility treatments. If you’re looking for a trusted and effective fertility centre, Shivam IVF is the ultimate choice.Take the first step toward parenthood today—schedule your consultation with Shivam IVF and turn your dreams into reality.

[fincrif]

Should You Take a Personal Loan for Fertility Treatments?

Fertility treatments can be life-changing but often come with a hefty price tag. For many individuals and couples, the cost of IVF, egg freezing, surrogacy, or other assisted reproductive technologies can run into thousands of dollars. If you do not have immediate savings or insurance coverage, a personal loan could be a viable financing option. However, is it the right financial decision?

This guide explores the benefits, risks, and considerations of taking a personal loan for fertility treatments and how to make an informed choice.

Understanding the Cost of Fertility Treatments

Before deciding on a personal loan, it's essential to understand the expenses involved in fertility treatments. Some common procedures and their approximate costs include:

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) – $12,000 to $25,000 per cycle

Egg Freezing – $6,000 to $15,000

Surrogacy – $90,000 to $150,000

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) – $500 to $4,000 per attempt

These costs vary based on location, medical needs, and additional services like medications or genetic testing.

Can a Personal Loan Help Cover Fertility Costs?

A personal loan is an unsecured loan that allows you to borrow money for various personal expenses, including medical treatments. Here’s how it can help with fertility expenses:

Quick Access to Funds – A personal loan provides fast financing without long waiting periods.

No Collateral Required – Unlike home or car loans, a personal loan does not require assets as security.

Fixed Interest Rates and Repayments – Predictable EMIs make budgeting easier.

Flexible Loan Amounts – You can borrow based on your fertility treatment needs.

Pros of Taking a Personal Loan for Fertility Treatments

1. Immediate Financial Relief

Since fertility treatments can be time-sensitive, a personal loan ensures you don’t have to delay procedures due to lack of funds.

2. No Need to Liquidate Savings

A personal loan allows you to preserve your emergency savings and investments while still affording fertility treatments.

3. Lower Interest Rates Compared to Credit Cards

Using a credit card for fertility treatment can lead to higher interest rates (often over 20%). A personal loan, on the other hand, typically offers interest rates between 10-15%.

4. Improves Credit Score with Timely Payments

Repaying a personal loan on time can enhance your credit history, making it easier to access future credit.

Cons of Taking a Personal Loan for Fertility Treatments

1. Debt Burden

Taking a personal loan means committing to monthly repayments, which can impact your financial stability, especially if treatments require multiple cycles.

2. Interest Costs Over Time

Even with lower interest rates, the total repayment amount can be significantly higher than the actual fertility treatment cost.

3. Approval Challenges Based on Credit Score

If your credit score is low, you may face higher interest rates or loan rejections.

4. Alternative Financing May Be Better

Some fertility clinics offer payment plans, and employer benefits or grants may help reduce out-of-pocket expenses.

Factors to Consider Before Taking a Personal Loan for Fertility Treatments

1. Compare Loan Offers

Different lenders offer varying interest rates, tenures, and loan terms. Research options from banks, credit unions, and online lenders to find the best deal.

2. Assess Your Repayment Capacity

Ensure that you can manage the loan EMIs comfortably along with your other financial commitments.

3. Check for Special Medical Loans

Some lenders provide specialized medical loans that may offer lower interest rates and flexible repayment options compared to standard personal loans.

4. Look for Grants or Employer Benefits

Certain organizations provide financial assistance or fertility treatment coverage as part of employee benefits. Check with your employer or fertility clinics for such options.

5. Emergency Fund Consideration

Before borrowing, ensure you still have an emergency fund for unforeseen expenses, including complications in treatment.

Alternatives to Personal Loans for Fertility Treatments

If a personal loan is not the right fit, consider these alternatives:

Fertility Clinic Payment Plans – Some clinics allow you to pay in installments.

Medical Credit Cards – Healthcare-specific credit cards may offer interest-free financing for a set period.

Health Savings Accounts (HSA) or Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) – These accounts allow you to use pre-tax dollars for medical expenses.

Family Assistance – If comfortable, borrowing from family could be a lower-cost option.

Grants and Nonprofit Support – Some organizations offer grants for couples struggling with infertility expenses.

Conclusion: Is a Personal Loan the Right Choice for Fertility Treatments?

A personal loan can be a practical way to finance fertility treatments, but it is essential to consider your financial health before committing. If you can afford the monthly repayments and secure a loan with a reasonable interest rate, it can help you access treatments without financial stress. However, exploring alternative financing options, such as employer benefits, payment plans, and grants, may help reduce overall debt burden.

Careful financial planning ensures that while you invest in your future family, you also maintain long-term financial stability. 

[ovumfertility]

How Many IVF Cycles Does It Take to Get Pregnant?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) has been a life-changing advancement for couples struggling with infertility. However, one of the most common questions couples have when considering IVF is: How many cycles will it take to achieve pregnancy? The answer varies depending on several factors, including age, fertility health, and medical history. Understanding the success rates and what influences them can help couples set realistic expectations as they embark on their IVF journey.

Understanding IVF Success Rates

The success of IVF depends on multiple factors, including:

Age of the Woman: Women under 35 typically have a higher chance of success per cycle compared to older women.

Egg and Sperm Quality: Healthy eggs and sperm significantly improve embryo viability.

Underlying Fertility Issues: Conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, or low ovarian reserve can impact success.

Lifestyle Factors: Smoking, obesity, and high stress levels can lower success rates.

Quality of the Fertility Clinic: The experience of fertility specialists and the use of advanced technology play a crucial role in determining success.

According to research, the average IVF success rate per cycle is around 40-50% for women under 35, but it declines with age, dropping to 15-20% for women over 40. While some couples may conceive on their first attempt, others may require multiple cycles to achieve a successful pregnancy.

How Many IVF Cycles Are Needed?

First IVF Cycle: The Learning Phase

For many couples, the first IVF cycle is a learning experience. It helps doctors understand how the body responds to medications, assess egg quality, and determine the best approach for future cycles if needed. Some lucky couples conceive on the first attempt, but for others, adjustments in treatment may be necessary.

Second and Third IVF Cycles: Higher Cumulative Success

Studies suggest that the cumulative success rate increases with additional IVF cycles. By the third cycle, most women under 35 have about a 70-80% chance of getting pregnant. Repeated cycles help fertility specialists refine their approach, increasing the likelihood of implantation.

More than Three Cycles: Exploring Alternative Options

If pregnancy hasn’t occurred after three IVF attempts, doctors may recommend:

Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT): Screening embryos for genetic abnormalities to improve success rates.

Donor Eggs or Sperm: A viable option for couples with severe egg or sperm-related infertility.

Surrogacy: When a woman cannot carry a pregnancy to term due to medical reasons.

Factors That Influence the Number of IVF Cycles Needed

1. Age and Ovarian Reserve

Younger women typically have higher-quality eggs, leading to faster success. Women over 35 may need more cycles due to reduced ovarian reserve.

2. Embryo Quality

The quality of embryos plays a major role in determining IVF success. Poor-quality embryos may not implant, leading to failed cycles.

3. Uterine Health

A healthy uterine lining is crucial for embryo implantation. Conditions like fibroids or thin endometrium can require additional treatment before a successful transfer.

4. IVF Protocol Adjustments

Sometimes, doctors need to modify protocols based on the response to previous cycles. Changes in medication, embryo freezing strategies, or embryo selection techniques can improve outcomes.

How IVF Treatment Cost Factors into Multiple Cycles

IVF is a significant financial investment, and the IVF treatment cost can vary based on the number of cycles required. The cost of a single IVF cycle includes:

Ovarian stimulation medications

Egg retrieval procedure

Laboratory fertilization and embryo culture

Embryo transfer

Additional procedures like ICSI, PGT, or embryo freezing

Couples should be financially prepared for the possibility of multiple IVF cycles. Some fertility clinics offer IVF packages or multi-cycle discounts, making treatment more affordable. Discussing IVF treatment cost upfront with your clinic can help in planning a budget for the journey.

upfront with your clinic can help in planning a budget for the journey.

How to Improve IVF Success and Reduce the Number of Cycles

If you want to maximize your chances of success in fewer cycles, consider the following tips:

Choose a High-Quality Fertility Clinic: A well-equipped clinic with experienced specialists can significantly improve your odds.

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle: Eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding smoking and alcohol can enhance fertility.

Follow Medical Advice Strictly: Adhering to prescribed medications and attending all appointments is essential.

Consider Genetic Screening: PGT can help identify the healthiest embryos for implantation, reducing the likelihood of failed cycles.

Manage Stress Levels: High stress can negatively impact fertility. Practices like yoga, meditation, and counseling can be beneficial.

Conclusion

The number of IVF cycles required to get pregnant varies for each couple. While some may achieve success in the first attempt, others may need multiple cycles. Understanding the factors influencing IVF success and preparing for the journey—both emotionally and financially—can make a significant difference. If you are planning IVF treatment, consult a trusted fertility expert to discuss your options and improve your chances of conception.

For expert guidance and a personalized fertility treatment plan, visit Ovum Fertility today!