# surrogacy in Russia



## jcsmom (Sep 3, 2005)

hello
This is my first posting on these boards.  I had a hysterectomy after the birth of my first child last year due to medical negligence and am very interested in surrogacy.  As the waiting list in the UK is indefinite and surrogacy is not available in Ireland where I live, I decided to look at surrogacy abroad.  A lot of people on the IVF boards seemed to have a lot of good things to say about clinics in Eastern Europe, that they were clean, professional, successful and friendly.  I contacted some of them regarding surrogacy and I sent off a completed questionnaire about my medical history etc... to a clinic in Russia.  The cost of the medical side of things is fine.  The catch is with the legal agency.  They are the ones who deal with all the non-medical issues, placing you with a surrogate, contracts, birth cert etc. and for this they charge a whopping EUR25k.  This is Russia, that is an exorbitant sum.  Apparantly the surrogate gets monthly payments.  I don't understand this.  Firstly what would she need these for apart from scans, medical bills, maternity clothes etc... I was so upset when I got the email back from the agency with this fee.  I mean I am in a desperate situation here and desperate people do desperate things.  I don't have that money.  And it is heartbreaking not to be able to find a surrogate and then reading posts on this site with people wanting to be surrogates.  I just want to shout out.  I'm HERE, pick ME!  Lets go to Russia on a holiday, get the treatment on the cheap and live happily ever after.....  Are there fairy tale endings in life.  I don't think so.


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## Danuna (Apr 27, 2005)

Hello jcsmom

Very sorry to hear about the problem's you've had after the birth of your child. Have you seen http://www.a-little-wish.org.uk/ ? It seems that hysterectomy due to negligence happens far too often.

I don't know about the surrogacy laws in Ireland (I assume you mean Southern Ireland). As you know, to get a parental order in the UK you have to be an 'habitual resident' whatever that means; as well as meeting many other conditions. The new Adoption Act also places restrictions on people who want to obtain parental responsibility in the UK, but want to take the child out side of the UK for adoption.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2002/20020038.htm#aofs.

There is no "waiting list" for surrogacy as such. It depends on meeting someone that you get along with, lives close enough for an arrangement to be practical and with whom you can form a deep and lasting friendship. I met my IPs through Surrogacy UK - we got talking on the message board and via e-mail. They have become very dear friends of mine and my family think they are great as well.

In the UK, it is illegal to advertise for a surrogate, or to advertise yourself as a surrogate. Some people find each other quickly, some people may never find someone to work with. It's so unfair on the IPs who don't find a surrogate, as if they haven't had enough grief. I really wish that more women who had completed their families would give something back by at least _considering_ surrogacy or egg donation.

Please don't take anything that I say as legal advice, I've only picked up little snippits of information on my own journey.

You're so right about there being no fairytale endings. Life is not like a film or a book where everything has a significance or a meaning. In an ideal world, there would be no such thing as illness, infertility or surrogacy, but guess who does not live in an ideal world?

All the best


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