Surrogacy Australia Conversations

Tyson and Daniel from Melbourne became Dads to their daughter (London) in December 2021. London was carried by their surrogate Beth who was previously a stranger. Tyson has supported many Intended Parents who are at the beginning of their journey. He is also the author of the Surrogacy Process Chart and video interviewing 3 surrogates in the style of 'you can't ask that' - he’s clearly a contribut...

Mel birthed as a surrogate in Wollongong in January 2022 for a couple whom she knew through the brother of one of her friends. They had a little boy, Jetson, through a home birth. The two dads, Warwick and Jason, live in Sydney. Mel went on to be a surrogate again for this couple, and she once again birthed at home in May 2024 - a little boy Jasper.  Mel’s journey with expressing breast milk is qu...

Warwick and Jason, from Sydney, became parents to their son (Jetson) in January 2022. Jetson was carried by their surrogate Mel who already had a connection before surrogacy, as a friend of Warwick's sister. They navigated a journey with some distance (Sydney to Wollongong) and were able to stay near and with Mel in the weeks before and after birth. And since then, they have gone on to have anothe...

Marian is a mum through surrogacy three times! Marian and David, from Adelaide, became parents to a boy, Hugo, in September 2016 and a girl, Matilda, in June 2018. Those children were carried by surrogate Rachel, who lives in QLD, and was previously a stranger. Their second daughter, Sophia, was born in March 2021 by a different surrogate who lives in Adelaide and was also initially a stranger and...

This is a really common question that Intended Parents (we abbreviate that to IPs) have at the beginning of their journey.  Yes is the answer - let me unpack that for you.  Check out the full episode show notes: https://www.surrogacyaustralia.org/podcast/episode-81-were-you-at-the-birth/ Looking to find a surrogate in Australia? Consider joining SASS . Looking for an overview of surrogacy? Join us...

Bec from Bacchus Marsh is a single mum to 5 and has been a surrogate twice. She birthed a girl in 2016 and a boy in 2024 - for 2 different sets of IPs, each who were previously strangers. She is an admin for the national facebook group and organises catch ups locally in Melbourne. Hear from Bec about her observations from her nearly 10 years in the surrogacy community - what it promises and what i...

Shane and his partner Clinton near Newcastle, NSW became parents to their son Easton in February 2024. Their surrogate, Jennie, who lives nearby, is a friend of Shane's sister. Their egg donor, Teneale, is Clint's sister so there's a whole village involved! They started their surrogacy journey in late 2021 with a previous surrogate that Shane met through the gym. They went down the traditional sur...

This series of episodes springs from my work with SASS (Surrogacy Australia’s Support Service). When Intended Parents (IPs) have completed their profile and are in the pool of IPs waiting to connect with a surrogate, I do monthly check-ins to make sure they’re still active and waiting. I like to give some guidance and support along the way because the waiting game can be hard. This series of episo...

Samm birthed as a surrogate in Port Hedland, WA in May 2022 for a couple who were initially strangers and are now life long friends. She had a little boy, Joshua, for his parents Lisa and Jared in Adelaide, SA. Samm and her family are now in Perth, however it was a long journey with COVID restrictions limiting in person catch ups during the pregnancy.  These podcasts were recorded as part of the f...

This episode was done in partnership with Australian Surrogacy and Donor Week. It was the inaugural year of that event, and the plan is to continue that partnership into the future. Keep an eye on their website at asdw.au and join us in their national facebook group for ongoing support, named Australian Surrogacy and Donation You can find Katrina Hale at katrinahalepsychology.com.au if you’d like...

Matt, from Adelaide, and his husband, Aldo, met their surrogate, Rachel from Melbourne, in October 2020. Following their first embryo transfer in January 2022, they welcomed their son, Ari, in September of that year.  You can hear from his surrogate, Rachel, in episode 48 . ASC - Australian Surrogacy Community   EDA - Egg Donation Australia These podcasts were recorded as part of the free webinar...

Lindsay's SASS team is one that we have supported from their introduction through to birth and now beyond for a year. Lindsay and her husband, Antony, from Brisbane became parents to their son in February 2024. He was carried by surrogate Kim, who lives in Perth, WA. A journey of over a decade to parenthood due to Lindsay's complex health issues including multiple surgeries and liver transplant. T...

Kim's journey started in March 2020 when she first joined SASS. After joining, Kim and her family were fortunate enough to meet two couples through the surrogacy community, however both IP (Intended Parents) couples decided to pursue other options to start a family, After taking some time out to regroup, in March 2022 Kim accessed the SASS database and asked to be introduced to Lindsay and Antony...

Three parents through surrogacy share their own thoughts on this question. If you’re looking to explore these ideas in more depth, in episode 15 I share thoughts from other surrogates on the question “Do you get to see the baby”, and episode 18 “what if the relationship dissolves post birth”.  If you’d prefer to see 3 surrogates talk about it in video format, google search for Interview with a sur...

Tim and Sasha joined SASS in January 2022 having attended the Rainbow Families Seminar and the Growing Families Conference in 2021. In May 2022, I introduced them to their surrogate Lizzy as part of SASS and began surro-dating as complete strangers. Tim and Sasha met their IVF doctor during the Growing Families Conference. They later created their embryos with their IVF clinic in Los Angeles with...

Guests: Clarity, Cooper and Eleanor Hear from 3 teenagers whose mums have been surrogates in Australia. * How did you get to know the IPs (Intended Parents)? * What were your first thoughts when she brought up the idea of being a surrogate? Were you worried, and why? * Did you siblings feel the same/different about surrogacy? * How did your extended family react? * How do you explain surrogacy to...

​Counselling for surrogacy happens at a variety of different times and for different reasons. All types of counselling are appropriate for surrogates and IPs (Intended Parents). The four main stages are 🌟pre-surrogacy 🌟mandatory 🌟ongoing (while pregnant) 🌟ongoing (after birth) Check out the full episode show notes: https://www.surrogacyaustralia.org/podcast/episode-69-surrogacy-counselling Wan...

Bonnie, who lives near Hervey Bay, was a traditional surrogate for Andrew and Sam who live in Canberra. She birthed their daughter Paige in December 2020 and son Cole in February 2023. The births were total opposites with Paige needing to be in the NICU for 7 weeks but Cole was a homebirth.  You can hear from one of the dads she carried for, Andrew, in previous episode 38 . These podcasts were rec...

Brendan and Matt, from Adelaide, became Dads to their son, Baker, in September 2020. Their son was carried by their surrogate (previously a stranger) Anna (me!) who lives in SA too. Brendan has been a mentor with SASS and has supported many new gay Intended Dads who are at the beginning of their journey. You can find them on instagram @the_real_dads_of_adelaide These podcasts were recorded as part...

Candice and her partner, Robert, from Adelaide became parents to their daughter (Abigail) in December 2023. Abby was carried by surrogate Laura who was previously a stranger. At 4 years old, Candice was diagnosed with cancer: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Due to the radiation therapy and multiple cases of pneumonia she now has only 30% lung capacity and doctors advised her that she would need a surrogat...

Laura and husband, Justin, live in Adelaide with their 3 children and she birthed a little girl, Abigail, as a surrogate in December 2023. The parents, Candice and Robert, were previously strangers whom they met through the facebook communities. Laura expressed milk for 5.5 months and even continued to do some direct feeds until 4.5 months. Their team had roadblocks along the way so it took them a...

Three parents through surrogacy share their own thoughts on this question. Check out the full episode show notes: https://www.surrogacyaustralia.org/podcast/episode-65-how-do-you-repay-someone-for-the-gift-of-life Looking to find a surrogate in Australia? Consider joining SASS . Looking for an overview of surrogacy? Join us in a free, fortnightly Wednesday night webinar . Looking to chat with othe...

What do the dynamics of your surrogacy team look like and how can that be nurtured to ensure a healthy journey during and beyond birth. It is best to see this episode on our youtube channel to see the graph that Katrina has created to explain this concept. These podcasts were recorded as part of the free webinar series run by Surrogacy Australia. If you would like to attend one, head to our websit...

Sam is a trail blazer as one of the first men to become a single dad through surrogacy in Melbourne. His daughter, Hazel, was born in January 2024. It was traditional surrogacy, meaning his surrogate was also the egg donor. They were previously strangers but met through friends of friends during the first lockdown break of 2020 - now friends for life! These podcasts were recorded as part of the fr...

In case you're wondering, it's never by having intercourse with the Intended Father 😉. Check out the full episode show notes: https://www.surrogacyaustralia.org/podcast/episode-61-how-do-you-get-pregnant-as-a-surrogate Looking to find a surrogate in Australia? Consider joining SASS . Looking for an overview of surrogacy? Join us in a free, fortnightly Wednesday night webinar . Looking to chat wit...