LilSugar

Celeb Look-Alike Sperm Donations Take Off

LilSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:00:09 -0700

I'd like my son to look like Brad Pitt please. A Los Angeles-based sperm bank is stretching the potential of star power by listing the celebrities that donors look the most like. They also link to pictures of the actors, singers and designers in their donor profiles. According to California Cryobank, the question most frequently asked by female clients is who the donor looks like and through their Look-A-Like program, potential mothers have a better idea of what characteristics their child may have. Since beginning the program, web traffic has increased significantly. I'm curious who and what decide the resemblance factor.

If you could choose, which celeb would you want your child to look like?

Drawing the Line Between Sperm Donor and Dad?

LilSugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:00:00 -0700

As more people use alternative methods to create families, issues are bound to arise. For one New Mexico mother and her sperm donor, the debate was whether or not the role of "dad" came with financial responsibility. Janna Mintz conceived a son and later a daughter with her friend Kevin Zoernig's sperm. Though the couple signed a contract that Kevin would not be financially responsible for his biological offspring prior to Janna's artificial insemination, after an eight-year legal battle, he has been ordered to pay child support. Do you think the ruling is fair?

Creating Families: The Surrogacy Option

LilSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:10:50 -0700

The true sisterhood of women is showcased when one woman carries a child for another. Domestic and international adoptions may be the most common ways families introduce nonbiological children into their lives, but last year's movie Baby Mama and Sarah Jessica Parker's recent addition of twins have made surrogacy a common topic. Though there are no national statistics on the practice, it is estimated that approximately 1,000 such births occur each year.

After dealing with infertility and still desiring a family, some couples turn to another woman to carry their baby. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is artificially inseminated, by either the child-to-be's father or an anonymous donor, while in gestational surrogacy, an egg is removed from the future child's mother and fertilized with sperm from either the father or an anonymous donor. The fertilized egg is then implanted in the carrier via IVF. Similar to the adoption process, families interested in surrogacy often work with an agency to help them find a suitable surrogate, handle the legal issues that the transaction involves, and help them through the process.

Qualifications: Similar to adoption, families meet and register with an agency to learn about the process. and to find a carrier. In general, agencies require carriers to be between 23-38 years old, have previously had at least one child on their own, be married or in a serious relationship, undergo a complete medical and psychological evaluation, and be financially stable.

To see the rest of our look at surrogacy, including a chart of the states where it is legal, read more.

Time line: In general, the entire process can take one to two years, based on the state and the health of the intended parents and carrier. Once a family has been matched with a carrier for a gestational surrogacy, the intended mother and carrier go through fertility treatments for egg retrieval and gestation. The embryos are then transferred and a pregnancy test is administered two weeks later. Assuming the transfer is successful, nine months later the process is complete.

Costs: Gestational surrogacy can range from $100,000 to $150,000, including the agency's fee, compensation for the carrier (approximately $25,000-$30,000), medical costs for fertility treatments, and the birth (though some carriers come to the process with their own medical insurance), travel, and legal fees.

Considerations: Before deciding to use a surrogate, parents must be comfortable with the idea of someone else carrying their baby. While they will meet and interact with that person prior to the birth, they will not have control over the carrier's daily life. They must also look into their state's laws about the process, as currently only six states legally recognize surrogacy contracts.

Photo courtesy of Universal Studios

Debbie Rowe's Comments on Children: Honest or Insensitive?

LilSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:28:42 -0700

Are there times when a mother should hold her tongue? Regardless of their true feelings, many birth and adoptive mamas consider their children's feelings and futures before they speak. This isn't necessarily the case with Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of Michael Jackson's two oldest children - Prince, 12, and Paris, 11 - who recently revealed facts about her marriage and child bearing years with the King of Pop. She said:

"I was no good. I don't want these children in my life. My children are my animals now."

The late musician's ex-wife also said that she was artificially inseminated with anonymous donor sperm to conceive. It is likely that the children and their younger brother, Prince Michael II, 7, who are currently in the temporary custody of their grandmother, Katherine, are mourning the death of their father. What do you think of Rowe's comments?

Would You Give Your Sperm or Eggs Without Asking Questions?

LilSugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:00:00 -0800

Nadya Suleman, mama to octuplets and a total of 14 children, has caused quite a bit of hoopla in recent weeks. All the media attention has raised questions as to the sperm donor's identity. Denis Beaudoin, a former boyfriend of Suleman's, came forward to talk about the possibility that the kids are his. While in his 20s and dating the now-famous woman, he made several sperm donations on her behalf when she told him she had ovarian cancer. In retrospect, he says he should have asked more questions. Would you give your eggs or sperm to a boyfriend or girlfriend so readily?

Reproductive Rights: Is There a Double Standard?

LilSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:00:02 -0800

Fertile females can mother as many offspring as they please. And, though public opinion on the issue of big families may vary, it is a woman's right to reproduce. But, when Nadya Suleman recently gave birth to octuplets in addition to the six young children she already had a home (all conceived by donor sperm), a discussion was raised about her doctor's ethics. Is it fair for women who conceive naturally and those using fertility treatments to be judged differently?

Octuplet Mom Nadya Suleman Speaks With Ann Curry

LilSugar — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:03:14 -0800

The single mother of octuplets, Nadya Suleman who has 14 children in all, was released from the hospital early Thursday morning. While much of America is fascinated by the 33-year-old who used fertility drugs and donor sperm to conceive all of her offspring, it is NBC's Ann Curry who scored the first interview. After watching this first clip of the conversation that will air in its entirety on Monday on Today and Tuesday on Dateline, what is your impression of Nadya Suleman?

Tell Mommy: Fair For Grandmother of Octuplets to Talk?

LilSugar — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:00:10 -0800

Much of America gasped when they found out the single mother of octuplets, Nadya Suleman, already had six children, all of which were supposedly conceived by donor sperm and fertility treatments.

While the public continues to speculate on why the 33-year-old mama decided to pursue a sizable brood she likely cannot afford, her own mother has been talking to the press. Angela Suleman who lives with her daughter and is helping to care for the older charges has commented that her daughter being an only child might have played a role in her obsession with children among other statements. Do you think it's appropriate for this mom to speak out about her daughter?

Should Women Have Babies When They Can't Afford Them?

LilSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 06:00:00 -0800

New mama of octuplets, Nadya Suleman, gave birth to her multiples last week bringing the total number in her brood to 14. The 33-year-old already had six children aged 2 to 7, prior to this pregnancy and hit hard financial times last year. All of the children are said to be a result of IVF from donor sperm. This story has sparked a lot of controversy, but what's your opinion?

Source

Marcia Cross Explored Her Baby Making Options

LilSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:00:00 -0800

Despite the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, starlets aren't immune to fertility issues.

In this month's Health Magazine, actress Marcia Cross discusses her struggle to have children. The 46-year-old said:

In my early 40s, I considered adoption, and I tried getting pregnant on my own through a sperm donor, but neither worked out.

Desperate to have a baby, when Marcia married Tom Mahoney in 2006, the couple opted out of a honeymoon in order to try in vitro.

In the article, the actress also opened up about the expense of getting pregnant in one's forties, its physical toll and how hard it can be on a relationship. To find out what happened, read more.

After experiencing nausea, cravings and a preeclampsia scare, the celebrity delivered her healthy twin daughters, Eden and Savannah via c-section at 35 weeks. The girls turn one next week.
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