Posted on 04/10/2015 3:57:53 PM PDT by NYer
In the United Kingdom, Ellen Brown was asked by her mom, Jenny Dias, and stepdad Tony to act as surrogates so they could have a baby. In 1990, Jenny split from Ellen’s dad and met Tony two years later. She informed him that she underwent a hysterectomy and couldn’t have any more children. Jenny said, “Tony accepted it very well and wanted our relationship more than children.”
However, as their wedding day grew closer they discussed surrogacy. Jenny said, “I wanted to be genetically connected to Tony’s offspring — so I didn’t want to do it with anyone but Ellen.” Jenny told the Daily Mail more about their journey toward surrogacy. She said, ‘If it couldn’t be mine, Ellen’s eggs were the next best thing. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable adopting someone else’s baby where I didn’t know the family history. At least I would be biologically related to them this way as, genetically, they would be my grandchildren.”
At the time, Ellen was 32-years-old and already a mother to daughter, Maddie, but thought the decision to become a surrogate for her parents was easy. She said, “When mum asked me I sat in silence for two minutes, then said ‘Yes I don’t see why not’. It just felt right. I wanted to help.”
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In order to conceive, Ellen used her own eggs since Jenny’s were no longer viable, and Tony’s sperm was used to fertilize them. But after two rounds of intrauterine insemination (IUI) failed, they agreed to try in-vitro fertilization (IVF) instead. In December 2001, Ellen became pregnant with twins.
According to Jenny, the day Ellen gave birth was peaceful. She said, “The birth was so calm and relaxed. Ellen’s birthing plan was that she wouldn’t hold the babies, so the pediatrician handed them straight to me, then I took them over and showed them to Ellen. It was surreal. Suddenly, they were there. It was really happening.”
Despite the successful delivery, Jenny was worried about the toll the twins’ birth would have on Ellen. She said, “Poor Ellen was quite weak from losing a lot of blood. It just didn’t seem fair. She wasn’t keeping these babies, yet they were in the same room as her. She could smell them, see them and hear them. It did get to me, because she is my baby, too. The next night, Jenny and the twins were moved upstairs. That was lovely — just me and the babies together. But I was worried about how Ellen was feeling.”
As planned, that same week Jenny adopted the twins and named them Alex and Ruth. Ellen concluded, “I understand that a lot of people would find it very hard, but I have been through some very stressful situations in my life and I don’t tend to get very emotional about things any more. I lost my emotions a long time ago. I had to see it as an IVF pregnancy and I didn’t allow myself to get attached to the babies. Maddie adores the twins and they don’t consider themselves half-siblings, but full-siblings. The twins are also Maddie’s aunt and uncle as they are legally mum’s children. They are also my brother and sister — which is very strange!”
Unfortunately, during IVF eight of Jenny’s eggs were fertilized but only two of the “healthiest and most viable” embryos were implanted. As LifeNews previously reported, In Britain the number of destroyed in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos has risen to nearly 170,000 a year and since 1990, over two million embryos have been discarded. Embryos are usually discarded when they are no longer wanted, have passed their storage limit or carry a faulty gene that causes an inherited disease.
Naps, I don’t have a problem with a mother being a surrogate to her children’s embryos. I’d do it for my child, WITH THEIR EGGS/SPERM (or donor if needed). But to ask your young adult child to do it is morally selfish. You make her be the egg donor AND SURROGATE???? Carry her own egg child???? This was not thought through and it is unfairly confusing to all.
I am deep within the third party parenting world. I approve of it but it needs to be done with consideration and lots of psychological support. Even GAY DADS know that your surrogate is never your egg donor. It is FRAUGHT with emotional issues, maybe lifelong for child and donor, when the donor carries the child. And this stupid couple did this WITHIN their own family.
And the reason they used their daughter? 1. The stupid mom wanted her own genetics Uber alles. 2. DAUGHTER CAME CHEAP. A real surrogate would earn $50k or more. These people were selfish.
My precious daughter exists because the wonderful family who created her wanted to give those embryos a chance at life, and we wanted to, as well. An excellent way to build a family.
Whoa, that article is full of poop. Even with a fantastically producing egg donor, no one gets 20 viable embryos. First off, all reproductive endocrinologists know the dosages of fertility meds well enough to achieve 6- 20 EGGS (like the eggs you had this morning or the sperm wasted by all men, eggs are not people) for fertilization. Too many and they will be unripe follicles. Aiming for 6-10 good ripe ones is the goal. We will get to embryos later.
Ok, so I’ve been personally involved in testing the best, young 20s, proven egg donors’ eggs. on average, these paragons of fertility had only 50% euploid eggs. Eggs that were chromosomally correct in order to make a human. Aneuploid eggs pretty nearly always either don’t fertilize or fertilize and don’t grow. It’s the biggest cause of early miscarriage.
Then the eggs are fertilized with the sperm, and sometimes these eggs undergo genetic testing before implantation in the uterus. When that happens, testing will show again, 30-70% bad embryos, even from young donors or parents. The older the mom, the greater the %age of bad embryos.
It is untrue that 20 good embryos die for one IVF child to be born. Often, the couple will try a cycle of IVF, with maybe three transfers of up to two embryos, and still not get pregnant. There is a reason why they sought IVF. Often, egg quality is not good.
Also, see my previous post in this thread for a good look at an unwanted embryo! My beautiful daughter.
I know. I didn’t realize that they were killing embryos during the process. I learned that later on.
You may want to rethink your position. In order to increase the number of eggs, large doses of hormones are given. Scientists are now discovering a link between this technique and the rapid development of cancer. ref. And then there is this - 'IVF destroyed my family'
You may recall the story last year of 29 y/o Brittany Maynard, diagnosed with brain cancer, who chose to end her life. What the mainstream media failed to share, though, was this little secret. Did Brittany Maynard’s Donating Her Eggs Lead to Cancer That Prompted Assisted Suicide?
Personally, a good friend underwent hormone therapy to increase the possibility of becoming pregnant. This was back in the late 80s, before the advent of IVF. When the hormone therapy did not result in a pregnancy, she and her husband opted to adopt. It took a while but they were successful in adopting a child from Romania. They were thrilled but within another year, my friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. 6 months later, she kissed her husband and adopted son good-bye. There was no history of cancer in her family. Perhaps you have seen The Little Couple on tv. Dr. Jennifer also underwent hormone therapy to increase egg production. Using IVF, the fertilized eggs were implanted into a donor, but failed. Like my friend, Jennifer and her husband decided to adopt. While in India to adopt their 2nd child, she began to bleed and flew back to the US, where she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Coincidence?
The most horrific aspect of IVF has to be the fate of the additional eggs fertilized in the process. A fertilized egg is a human being. Some of these are frozen until .... ??? Others, are flushed down the drain. As I posted above:
No circumstance, no purpose, no law whatsoever can ever make licit an act which is intrinsically illicit, since it is contrary to the Law of God which is written in every human heart, knowable by reason itself, and proclaimed by the Church.
No one has to kill a single embryo in IVF. That is a myth.
My daughter, seen in this very thread, was in the freezer for 4 years. She is a beautiful child of Gd.
There is no reason to destroy an embryo. There are many couples wanting children. It’s a wonderful way to build a family or add to one. It is not costly like adoption and you can be pregnant with your adopted child, ensuring the best of prenatal care.
There are definitely women who have had cancers post IVF. I’ve seen several examples myself (including Elizabeth Edwards).
However, I doubt highly if the ovarian stim meds cause it. I believe taking hormones orally is extremely dangerous. And to do IVF, you need to take hormones to get your uterus ready for an embryo etc. Doctors sometimes often give women choices of how they will take the hormones because pills are cheaper.
It is my semi informed opinion that you should refuse ALL ORAL HORMONES always. Better to bypass the direct liver hit and mitigate it by using vaginal, topical (transdermal), or IM injections of hormones instead.
As we used to say, “Biological Parents”.
Your daughter is a beautiful blessing!
It's a shame that more families that go through the IVF process do not offer their unused embryos for adoption as in your case. You are correct, this is great way to start a family, and you have literally saved your daughter from death.
It is sad to realize that the overwhelming majority of unused embryos do not have the loving outcome that you and the genetic parents have provided.
May God continue to bless your beautiful daughter and her parents.
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