Show Notes
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 and processes before the baby was on the way. Unfortunately, as they came to discover, the child protection system and the legal system had some different ideas about the arrangement. It was almost two years after the birth that the legal process was finalised, granting Anne parental responsibility for her daughter.
Anne and I shared this story in the hope that we could educate intended parents and surrogates about the consequences of entering 'off-grid' arrangements, and the importance of following the processes so as to get the Parentage Order for the child. Anne was granted a court order, but it was not a Parentage Order, it was a Parenting Order. And the order she was granted came at great legal expense and a huge emotional toll for her and the birth parents.
More from The Australian Surrogacy Podcast
Episode 3 SJ Conversations - the surrogate's experience of birth and beyond by Sarah Jefford
Episode 2 SJ Conversations - Surrogacy Pregnancy & Birth by Sarah Jefford
Episode 1 SJ Conversations - Preparing for Surrogacy by Sarah Jefford
The Surrogacy Podcast Episode 100: Mike, Nate and Sarah. We made it to 100 episodes of the Podcast! And it seems only fitting that we revisit the earlier episodes, and in particular my interview with my intended parents, Mike and Nate. When we recorded those first episodes, we were very early in the fourth trimester and and finding our feet as new parents and (old) surrogate. Almost three years later, with a toddler running around and the benefit of hindsight and reflection, we got to chat about our relationships with each other, with Darcey and my children, and what we've learned in the past three years. We also got to chat about Mike and Nate's experience of parenting post-surrogacy, in a two-dad family.
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 99: Reflections on surrogacy with Sarah Jefford. I was lucky enough to sit down with Miranda Crowther-Jones, writer, and mother through egg donation and surrogacy, and talk about the last 3 years and my book, More Than Just a Baby. You might remember Miranda from her own episode on the Podcast, and also from her guest blog post she wrote about parenting with a chronic illness.