Surrogacy isn't always sunshine and roses. Sometimes, it can go wrong. Even when it is good, the relationships are complex and challenging and sometimes really hard. I am often asked for examples of surrogacy-gone-wrong. Intended parents and surrogates want to [...]
If you're expecting a baby through an Australian surrogacy arrangement, you'll be keen to make sure you have done everything to prepare for the Parentage Order application after the birth. Firstly, if you are not sure what I'm talking about, [...]
How do I connect with a surrogate? It's one thing to ask - how do I find a surrogate - and then follow all the advice given to put yourself in places where surrogates hang out. But it's another thing [...]
The original post was written in March 2020. It has since been updated in late April 2020. A free webinar, exploring the issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on surrogacy teams, happened on 28 April 2020. You [...]
We Need a Surrogate: What's Next? Now that you've decided to pursue surrogacy, you're probably wondering what to do next. Whether it's in Australia or overseas, with a donor or your own gametes, this chart shows you all the steps [...]
Surrogacy Laws Australia Are you exploring your options for growing your family through surrogacy? Below is an overview of Australian surrogacy laws as they stand today. If you are new to surrogacy, you can read more about how to find [...]
The Surrogacy Process in Australia is similar in all States, and applies to all arrangements regardless of how the parties know each other or their relationship with each other. Before proceeding past step one, you should find out if you [...]
International Surrogacy Options for Australians When you're considering surrogacy in Australia or overseas, you're likely to become overwhelmed with the options and processes and getting to grips with the laws surrounding international surrogacy. I cannot recommend a particular option or [...]
Can I be a surrogate? Many women who consider becoming a surrogate assume they will be eligible, often because they consider themselves fertile and have had smooth pregnancies and births of their own babies. But it's worth considering whether you [...]
Surrogacy Counselling - what should we expect? Intended parents and surrogates are always keen to know what they can expect from the surrogacy counselling. Perhaps you've never had counselling and are expecting to open Pandora's Box on all your private [...]
Is it harder, to give up a genetics, as a traditional surrogate? If you know me well , you'll know that I often get on my high horse when I hear misinformation spread about IVF, donor conception or surrogacy. Traditional [...]
Parenting and Chronic Illness- Parenting Beyond the Exhaustion. This is a guest blog from Miranda Hill. Miranda is a parent through egg donation and surrogacy, a heart transplant recipient, writer and motivational speaker. You can find more of Miranda's writing [...]
Surrogacy & Fertility Bulletin - March 2020 Looking for updates for all things surrogacy and fertility, in Australia and overseas? Consider this your one-stop-shop with all your news. Melbourne couple Tim and Celeste opened up about the challenges and pressures [...]
Looking for updates for all things surrogacy and fertility, in Australia and overseas? Consider this your one-stop-shop with all your news. In Victoria, new Assisted Reproductive Treatment Regulations came in effect on 13 December, allowing surrogate mothers to claim loss [...]
Are we all created equal, when it comes to surrogacy? Are all intended parents equally entitled to pursue surrogacy? Are all women who want to be surrogates, good candidates for surrogacy? Maybe this post is really just a big bunch [...]
How does it feel, to give away a baby? Good question, and probably the most common question I've received since I gave birth. And usually the follow up comment is "I could never give away a baby." Don't worry, I [...]
Registering the Birth of a Surrogacy Baby Congratulations! The baby has arrived! After the birth, registering the birth is the responsibility of the birth parents. As the birth parents, the surrogate and her partner must be listed as the baby’s [...]
A surrogacy arrangement necessarily involves people sharing experiences with each other that would otherwise be reserved for the most intimate of relationships. Besides discussion about your views on pregnancy termination and whether the surrogate will drink alcohol during pregnancy, there’s [...]
Surrogacy and Social Media You might be surprised to discover that something as simple as social media can cause a rift in surrogacy teams, particularly if the expectations and rules are not established early on. Many intended parents want to [...]
Surrogate Bodily Autonomy. What exactly do we mean when we talk about the surrogate having bodily autonomy? A surrogate is just like any other person, and can make decisions about her body just as any other person can. This is [...]
Importing and Exporting Embryos and Gametes If you are considering surrogacy and fertility treatment options in Australia and overseas, you need to consider where the embryo creation will take place and whether that will have an impact on your plans. [...]
Surrogacy Information for Healthcare Providers If you are an intended parent or future surrogate and need to visit your healthcare provider to talk about surrogacy, you may find that they have not dealt with many surrogacy cases in their careers. [...]
Supporting Your Surrogate and Family Intended parents carry the pressure of wanting to be appreciative, supportive and caring for their surrogate and her family, and not wanting to be intrusive or overbearing. With that in mind, there are a few [...]
Care Package Ideas for Surrogates and Egg Donors During a recent egg donation cycle, my lovely friend and recipient gave me an enormous box labelled 'Sarah's Donor Cycle Care Package.' Thinking it was probably a box of chocolates and a [...]
Sperm Donor Agreements Are you considering growing your family with the help of a sperm donor? There are a number of options, and it is important to obtain legal advice about the implications, your rights and responsibilities and the consequences [...]
Surrogacy, Medicare and Centrelink Big questions for birth parents and intended parents - who is eligible for Centrelink's Paid Parental Leave, and will the parents be able to access Medicare benefits for the baby? As with all things bureaucratic, there [...]
Single Parent Surrogacy Are you a single intended parent considering surrogacy to grow your family? The good news is that mostly, there are no barriers to single intended parents entering into a surrogacy arrangement in Australia or overseas. What's the [...]
Surrogacy Lawyer Townsville Sarah Jefford is a surrogacy lawyer, assisting people in Townsville, across north Queensland and around Australia. Sarah was an IVF mum and later became an egg donor and a surrogate, delivering a baby for two dads in [...]
Surrogacy sometimes ends up as a headline such as in 2019 when Foreign Correspondent covered surrogacy in the Ukraine. Unfortunately, rarely when it is a headline is it a positive story, and my heart broke for the women, babies and [...]
Pursuing surrogacy as a gay dad. Are you considering surrogacy as a single or partnered gay dad? Gay dads are growing in numbers around Australia as they pursue surrogacy to grow their families. Last year, the media was buzzing with [...]
One Year On - January 2019 Surro-baby, Darcey, turned one last weekend. Her dads threw her a party, of course, and like all first birthdays, it was more of an anniversary for the parents than it was a party for [...]
Surrogacy arrangements in Australia are regulated in each State, which means there are no uniform laws that cover surrogacy across the country. Surrogacy laws in all Australian States and the ACT follow the same basic principles: The Intended Parents must [...]
Surrogacy South Australia - Law Reform Update, June 2020 South Australia has reviewed its surrogacy laws and now enacted the Surrogacy Act 2019. The Act comes into effect from 1 September 2020. This is the first time that South Australia [...]
Do Surrogates Get Paid in Australia? The number one question that every surrogate is asked is "how much do you get paid?" And whilst we expect the question, and can even understand why someone may ask, the question itself can [...]
International Surrogacy Arrangements Are you considering surrogacy options overseas? You need to do your research and consider the laws, options and processes. Be prepared to take your time and research, research, research! What are the laws about surrogacy? There are [...]
The Final Report of the Independent Review of Assisted Reproductive Treatment in Victoria has been released, after a 12-month review of the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008. The Review was conducted by Michael Gorton AM, Senior Partner at Russell Kennedy [...]
Do I need a surrogacy broker? Or a surrogacy consultant, or third party to be your concierge? Surrogacy is bit like Project Management. In fact, by the time you’re home with your baby, you’ll feel like you deserve a PhD [...]
After a baby is born through an Australian surrogacy arrangement, a Parentage Order is required to transfer parentage from the surrogate and her partner to the intended parents. If you are nearing the end of the surrogacy pregnancy, you will [...]
Why are surrogacy agreements not like contracts? How can we write our own? A surrogacy agreement is not the same as a commercial contract. The elements of a basic contract include (1) an offer, (2) acceptance, (3) consideration (usually money) and (4) [...]
Surrogacy Lawyer Australia Sarah Jefford is a surrogacy and fertility lawyer assisting people across Australia. Sarah was an IVF mum, and later became an egg donor and a surrogate, delivering a baby for two dads in 2018. If you are [...]
Is Surrogacy Legal in Australia? Altruistic surrogacy is legal across Australia. Commercial surrogacy, which involves payment of a fee to the surrogate, is illegal. Both gestational and traditional surrogacy are legal in Australia. Gestational surrogacy is where the child is [...]
Surrogacy in New South Wales is regulated by the Surrogacy Act 2010. If you are an intended parent living in NSW, then the surrogacy laws that apply to you are those of New South Wales. This is the case, even [...]
In the Northern Territory, surrogacy is neither legal or illegal. This is because there are no surrogacy laws in the Northern Territory at all. All the States and the ACT have their own surrogacy laws, but the NT has none. [...]
Surrogacy Lawyer Sydney Sarah Jefford is a surrogacy lawyer assisting people in Sydney and across Australia. Sarah was an IVF mum, egg donor and a surrogate, and delivered a baby for two dads in 2018. If you are entering into [...]
Surrogacy in South Australia. If you are an intended parent living in South Australia or a surrogate carrying for South Australian intended parents, the new Surrogacy Bill 2019 applies to you and will come into effect from 1 September 2020. The [...]
If you are an intended parent living in Tasmania or a surrogate carrying for Tasmanian intended parents, the Surrogacy Act 2012 applies to you. The criteria for surrogacy in Tasmania includes: That the intended parents have a social or medical [...]
Surrogacy Lawyer Sarah Jefford Sarah Jefford is a surrogacy lawyer assisting people across Australia. Sarah was an IVF mum, an egg donor and a surrogate, delivering a baby for two dads in in 2018. Sarah advocates for best practice surrogacy [...]
Surrogacy Lawyer Melbourne Sarah Jefford is a family and surrogacy lawyer in Melbourne, practising across Australia. Sarah was an IVF mum, egg donor and a surrogate, and delivered a baby for two dads in 2018. If you are entering into a [...]
There is a thriving surrogacy community of intended parents and surrogates in Melbourne and surrounds, and regular catch ups and support available for people who have been through the process before. Surrogacy is legal in Victoria, and every State in [...]
I'm a law nerd really, so the idea of law reform and particularly those laws that affect me, is pretty exciting. The Victorian Review of the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act, has finally concluded, and the Report released this week. Recommendations [...]
Surrogacy in Western Australia If you are an intended parent living in Western Australia or a surrogate carrying for Western Australia intended parents, the Surrogacy Act 2008 applies to you. The criteria for surrogacy in WA includes: That the intended [...]
Surrogacy Lawyer Perth Sarah Jefford is a surrogacy lawyer assisting people in Perth and practising across Australia. Sarah was an IVF mum, and became an egg donor and a surrogate, delivering a baby for two dads in 2018. If you [...]
Conception, Consent and Death I've been thinking a lot about death lately. A few things have led to this - watching Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds on the ABC, and donating my eggs again. Life, death, and taxes [...]
Altruistic surrogacy is one of the most complex and amazing journeys you'll ever take, regardless of whether you're the surrogate team or the intended parent team. Even when things go right, they can still be difficult, and every team faces [...]
When travelling down the surrogacy path, the most important part is the relationship between the surrogate (and her partner, if she has one) and the intended parents. It is important that we spend time setting expectations before going on our [...]
Gift Giving in Surrogacy Arrangements One of the first questions asked by surrogates and intended parents, is whether the intended parents can give gifts to their surrogate, or her family members, without compromising the surrogacy agreement or the Parentage Order [...]
Are you a single man or in a same-sex male relationship and wanting to know your options for surrogacy? Surrogacy is an arrangement between the intended parents and the birth parents, whereby a woman carries a baby with the intention [...]
There are such a low number of surrogacy births in Australia each year (somewhere between 60 and 80 in total), that it is no surprise that many hospitals will only rarely come across a surrogacy birth. Some hospital surrogacy policies [...]
Finding Happiness Beyond Surrogacy Surrogacy can be all-consuming - for the intended parents, and the surrogate family. Relationship-building takes time (particularly if we want to get it right) and so does the process. Medical appointments, counselling, legal advice, blood tests, [...]
Who owns an embryo? Is an embryo treated like a child in a parenting dispute? Or is it like property in a divorce? The truth is, it’s not treated like either a child or property, but in a category by [...]
In this first episode of The Australian Surrogacy Podcast, you'll hear from me, Sarah Jefford, and about why I decided to make a surrogacy podcast. I am a surrogate and a surrogacy lawyer living in Melbourne with my family. I've [...]
In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing my intended parents, Mike and Nate, about their surrogacy journey and becoming gay dads to baby Darcey. Mike and Nate started talking about having children on their second date, and they [...]
In this episode of The Australian Surrogacy Podcast, I interviewed my husband, Troy, about his experience as a surrogate's partner. I was often asked what Troy thought of me being a surrogate, so this week I thought it would be [...]
In this episode, I speak with Bec, a gestational surrogate who gave birth to Holly in 2016, for an interstate couple. Bec speaks with candour and humour about her journey and has lots of insights for intended parents and surrogates [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Epsiode 5: Rhiannon In this episode you'll hear from the sensational Rhiannon, who was a gestational surrogate for her brother and his partner not once, but twice - and is planning on doing it again! Listen [...]
This is Part 1 of my interview with Felicity, a parent through surrogacy in America. Felicity and her partner suffered with infertility, miscarriage and the loss of her baby daughter Lily, before eventually having a child through surrogacy in the [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 6 (Part2): Felicity. This is Part 2 of my interview with Felicity. Felicity is an intended parent and pursued surrogacy in the US after suffering infertility and loss. Make sure to listen to Part 1 [...]
Traditional surrogacy is not as common as gestational surrogacy. This is Part 2 of my interview with Carla. Carla talked about her journey as an egg donor in Part 1; in Part 2 she tells us how she leaped from [...]
Mike and Glenn are gay dads that pursued surrogacy overseas, but after hitting roadblocks and ultimately not having any success, they turned to Australian surrogacy - and are now eagerly awaiting the birth of their daughter, with the help of [...]
Hillary is a cancer survivor, having suffered with cancer as a single mother, and when she met her prince charming years later, they decided to grow their family through surrogacy. I am always inspired and humbled when I hear stories [...]
Kate is a gestational surrogate for a gay couple, Mike & Glenn (listen to their story at Episode 10). Kate is due to give birth any day now, and in this episode you'll hear all about her plans for a [...]
Marnie is a cancer survivor and is now considering surrogacy as an option to grow her family. Marnie has some great insights for people considering surrogacy and leaning on the friendships you can build in the community. [...]
Henry and Lisa suffered with infertility and turned to surrogacy to grow their family. Henry & Lisa are well-known in the surrogacy community, both for their support of other intended parents and surrogates, but also for their senses of humour. [...]
Sarah Jefford sat down and chatted with Sheridon Byrne, a Melbourne-based Doula, to talk about Sarah's surrogacy journey. Sheridon provides Doula services to the queer community, and we talked about how surrogacy can be an option to grow a family. [...]
Steve is a father through surrogacy, and he and his wife Jen welcomed baby Holly in 2016. I interviewed Steve and Jen's surrogate, Bec, earlier in the podcast. Steve reflects on his journey as an intended father, and managing the [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 23 - Part 3. This is Part 3 of a 3-part episode with Rachel - make sure to listen to Part 1 and Part 2 before jumping to this episode. In Part 3, we hear [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 26 (Part 1): Renee. Renee tells us the story of her first surrogacy journey, including the ups and downs that eventually resulted in the birth of Ethan for his intended parents. This is Part 1 [...]
Jessica gave birth as a surrogate for her friend Bec, who suffered with cystic fibrosis, and Bec's partner Gareth. You might like to listen to Gareth's episode, which tells the story of how Bec sadly passed away whilst Jess was [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 45: Simone. Sometimes it takes a village to create a child, and in this case it took a cast of 10 people. Simone delivered a baby as a surrogate for intended parents in Adelaide, South [...]
This is episode 48 of the Australian Surrogacy Podcast - the Khale Series. Katrina Hale is a surrogacy counsellor, and in this episode we talked about Managing our Fears in our surrogacy journeys. Surrogates and intended parents have some predictable [...]
Traditional Surrogacy - Episode 49 of the Surrogacy Podcast, another Khale Series episode with Katrina Hale. You might think traditional surrogacy is just a cheaper and easier method than gestational surrogacy, but the truth is that it is more potentially [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 52: Sam. Sam is a Queensland mother of 5, who found her Victorian intended parents through an article posted online about the couples' struggles with infertility. Sam, huge-hearted and generous, reached out to the couple [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 55: Ella. Ella is an IVF mum with a background in the pharmaceutical industry and has worked in the Australian surrogacy industry for a number of years. Ella now works for the Fertility Center of [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 59: Marian is an intended parent and became a mum to Hugo in 2017. You might recall hearing about Hugo in Episode 23, where his surrogate Rachel told her story (in three parts - start [...]
Dr Lynn Burmeister of No. 1 Fertility. Dr Lynn was gracious enough to talk to me about fertility and infertility, and what we can expect from surrogacy fertility treatments. She also gave a few pointers for people trying to conceive, [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 62: The Third Trimester with Katrina Hale. The third trimester, or 'the pointy end' of pregnancy, is hormone-fuelled and can be raw, emotional, challenging and overwhelming. When you throw in surrogacy, the third trimester becomes [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 64: Birth Planning with Katrina Hale. In this episode, Katrina and I spoke about the importance of planning ahead with your surrogacy birth. You might think it's a matter of deciding if the surrogate will [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 66: The Fourth Trimester with Katrina Hale. You might like to listen to our episodes on the Third Trimester and Birth Planning. In this episode, Katrina and I talked about the fourth trimester in a [...]
You may remember Henry and Lisa from episode 14, when they were patiently waiting on the birth of their son via surrogate, Emmy (episode 31). Now, in a 'where are they now?' retrospective, we're checking in with Henry and Lisa [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 71: Ric. Ric is a single man pursuing surrogacy in Western Australia to grow his family. Unfortunately, the surrogacy laws in Western Australia prohibit single men and same sex male couples from pursuing surrogacy within [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 72: Amber, Jake and Aaron. This team broke new ground, becoming the first team to proceed with a surrogacy arrangement for gay intended dads in South Australia. You might be surprised that this was a [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 74: Tim. Tim is an intended parent, and with his husband Jason is pursuing surrogacy in Melbourne. In this episode, we talked about the challenges and pitfalls of looking for a surrogate or intended parents [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 76: Liz. Liz and her partner have been wanting and trying to grow their family for many years, and eventually it led them down the surrogacy path. They researched many options, and finally landed on [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 78: Anne. Anne (not her real name) became a mother through an unconventional arrangement with her neighbours. It was similar to surrogacy - and similar to adoption. The team didn't know anything about surrogacy laws [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 79: Pat. This story explores infertility and pregnancy loss. This episode of the Podcast is part of the Stories Series, which recognises the power of storytelling and sharing our experiences that brought us to surrogacy. [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 80: Ashlee and Chris are intended parents living in Brisbane, Queensland and they're sharing their story as part of the Stories Series of the Surrogacy Podcast. Ashlee and Chris consider themselves 'crazy cat people' and [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 81: Helder and Mark. Helder and Mark live in NSW and love travelling and experiencing other cultures.They're now settled in Sydney, NSW and hoping to grow their family through surrogacy. Helder is an agriculturalist, originally [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 82: Ben and Matt are intended parents and are sharing their story as part of the Stories Series of the Podcast. What we know about Ben is that he's a magician and entertainer! And Matt [...]
Our Surrogacy Sisterhood Day was held on 1 June in Melbourne, running alongside the Surrogacy Conference. This is the second year the Sisterhood Day has run as it's own event, and the fourth year where we've had a gathering [...]
