[susmjones]

Okay, I just got an email from our old agency and they are starting a surrogacy program in Guatemala and they are "excited" about it. I understand why people use surrogates, no problem with it.....BUT is anyone else bothered by the timing of this (sort of a way to stay in business) and the possibility of women being taken advantage of in this situation?!?! Maybe I am overreacting, but I was sickened by this.

[mamaskoby]

wow, that does seem kind of strange, doesn't it???
I had looked into surrogacy early on as I know many people in CA use surrogacy, but then we decided there were so many children in this world who would need a home anyway so we started our adoption...But I can totally understand why there is a market for surrogacy (hey look at all the hollywood celebrities that choose surrogacy over adoption)
I guess we could look at it like its a way for poor women to make money they could not ever earn otherwise, but I agree, your agency's timing is a bit off!!!

[stephjoel99]

How on earth would it work? How would they get around immigration issues?

[ej-momtobe]

Wow. So, if you are one that buys into the theory that women in Guat have been getting pregnant so they can get "income" by placing the child for adoption, this would really be a natural next step. If you are in idealist who thinks that the bmoms are truely getting pregnant by accident, then there may not be many women signing up to be surrogates.

Personally, I am not any bigger fan of surrogacy than I am of women getting pregnant to sell babies...(although I understand that it most likely has been happening in Guatemala over the past few years).

Maybe the DNA test proving the foreign parents are the bio parents gets around the immigration issue, somehow.

[cmfayz]

Well, it's big business in India, so I guess they figure, why not Guatemala.

Wombs for rent: Surrogacy business booming in India

[jules17]

like cmfayz just posted, i just saw a special about this "booming business" in india.

i try very hard to keep an open mind and not judge.

[Saya]

I guess I'm not exactly sure how this would work, but be that as it may, yes, it disturbs me. It seems like even if it's done with the best of intentions it bears the risk of being exploitative in exactly the same way people are concerned about the Guatemalan adoption system.

[Bizzie]

That confuses me, would the process still take as long?

[poppy]

I, too, just saw the episode on India. Now being one who is waiting for a Mixco BC in order to get my girls legally into the US.... I wondered how they got around that fact. One surrigate said it was the couples baby not hers. So no matter who the eggs belong too or who is the biological parents, How do they get the baby to the US and thru customs? Would it be just like an adoption?

Maybe it's just my mind playing the " It's not fair and I'm tired of waiting" game. And I know.... Life isn't fair!!! Believe me I've got that lesson down well with these adoptions.

Anyhow, surrigates are all over the world...

[dspakowsky]

I think that's just terrible. Very, very sad.

[cbmstephanie]

It's an interesting topic. I wouldn't dare inject any opinions as I know very very little about the processes and procedures of surrogacy. I do however think the timing of the agency is a a little suspect.

[cjrogers]

I've been trying to look this up... but I would think - the ONLY way to get around the immigration issues is if an egg or sperm were donated by the parents who would raise the child and/or that one or both bio parents were in GT for the birth. Then the child would be born to a US Citizen.

If the surrogate was using her own egg and donated sperm (not the bio parent), I don't know how this wouldn't pass as an adoption.

I looked into surrogacy at one point... but had no clue that this was an international business....

Oh well. Interesting, thanks for posting.

[beejay]

I don't agree with it nor do I disagree. I don't know anything about it, but if we do it in the US why can't other countries?
I have two adopted babies and I have never personally even thought of this route sooo I really don't know anything about it -- other than what is on TV so don't judge me but saying-- why not??

[susmjones]

I don't have a problem with surrogacy---I am upset by the timing of this and the fact that it is advertised as a sort of cheap deal. I am just afraid that women will do this for a very low price so that they can put food on the table.

[brink]

Seems very, very exploitive to me. I think one could convince themselves that both parties would benefit, but there are other ways to help extremely poor women than to ask them to carry a baby for you, in my opinion. I believe in a poverty stricken country like Guatemala, this is walking way too close to the line of corruption that has become part of this process. It's hard for me to believe that any of us who claims to care for the women of Guatemala and our children's birth mothers as much as is voiced here would consider this helpful or ethical for these poor, very often illiterate women. And I have a very real problem with an agency promoting this in Guatemala and being "excited" about it. I hope this is not allowed and that any agency promoting this will be stopped before they can do any damage not only to the women of Guatemala, but also to the adoption process that hopefully will be allowed to continue after the dust settles. There are many great programs we can get involved with to help Guatemalan women become educated, earn a living, and NOT have to give birth only to place a child for adoption. Would we have wanted this for our own beautiful Guatemalan daughters?