Bodywork Therapy - With Jesse Tischler, Bodywork Therapist

Bodywork therapy during pregnancy can alleviate some of the discomforts and pain associated many experience during these critical months. On this week's ABCs of Surrogacy, we are pleased to have Jesse Tischler, a bodywork therapist, who will be discussing how bodywork therapy can assist a pregnant women becoming more comfortable and and how bodywork therapy can aid new parents in helping their infant or newborn resolve common issues they experience early in life such as colic and reflux. Don't miss this very informative episode of ABCs of Surrogacy.

Prenatal Massage care:
Elliot Berlin
Berlin Wellness Group
info@doctorberlin.com
323.549.0070
www.doctorberlin.com

Infant Massage:
Contact Summer:
http://www.summerandsage.net

Organic Formula:
Search: Babys Only Organic Formula
There is a dairy-based formula and lactorelief formula.
It can be used to various ages but to be certain of it you can contact the company directly to hear why they advertise it for toddlers only.

Jesse Tischler
310.424.0353
Los Angeles
jessetischler@gmail.com

And at the Berlin Wellness Group:
323.549.0070
jtischler@doctorberlin.com

Tawni Rae: Author of "My Seven Gifts - A Surrogate's Story"

On this episode, we are pleased to have Tawni Rae, author of "My Seven Gifts: A Surrogate's Story," as our guest. Tawni is a multiple time surrogate mother whose book chronicles her surrogacy journeys and her passion for surrogacy. Even though she was once told she would be unable to have children, she not only gave birth to her own three children, but also seven surrogate babies! Tawni will also advice to those considering becoming a gestational surrogate for those of you who are thinking about becoming a surrogate mother. Don't miss this informative episode on this week's "ABCs of Surrogacy."

Tune in live at 7pm PST on BlogTalkRadio and be sure to follow along on Twitter using #TheABCsofSurrogacy!

Season 3 is Coming!

It's been a great break but we are looking forward to coming back with season 3 of the ABC's of Surrogacy! We're still lining up amazing guest hosts for you so check out the episode schedule page often to see who's coming!

In the meantime catch up on all of season 2's episodes right here!

"Breeders: A Subclass of Women", A Documentary Which Knows Nothing About Surrogacy
Amy Demma, Reproductive Law Attorney, Discusses Egg Donation and Surrogacy
Tips For Infertile Partners, featuring Kristen Magnacca, author of "Love and Infertility"
Surviving Becoming A New Parent, with Parent Educator Danielle Brooks
Families Through Surrogacy
"What Makes A Baby", with guest host Cory Silverberg
Common Legal Questions and Concerns Regarding Surrogacy, with Guest Host Michelle Keeyes, Esq.
Dr. Said Daneshmand - Reproductive Endocrinologist with Fertility Center Las Vegas
Expanding Reproductive Health Options for HIV-Affected Individuals: It's Time
Candace and Chris, Bloggers of "Our Misconception"
Exploring the Option of Home Birth With A Midwife and Doula
"Our Journey": One Couple's Guide to US Surrogacy - Author Richard Westoby
The Benefits of Pediatric Craniosacral Therapy
Exploring International Surrogacy Options, with guest host Eloise Drane

How To Tell People You're A Surrogate

Live In The Los Angeles Area? Join Our Resolve Walk Of Hope Team! #TeamHelloBaby!

Post by Los Angeles Surrogacy Center.

You're invited to 2014 AIDS Walk San Francisco Fundraiser http://t.co/gOEzweIiYT
— Dawn Marmorstein (@dmarmorstein) June 26, 2014

Stages of Labor: Stage 2

HelloBaby is now a Stella+Dot Stylist!

Visit www.stelladot.com/hellobaby to take a look at their online store or visit the Hello Baby website at http://www.hellobaby.guru

Episode 5: Being A Surrogate Is Great. But First, Love Your Body!

Originally Aired August 6, 2013

Few gifts are greater than being a surrogate mother. Assisting others create their own family via surrogacy is an amazing act, one that surrogate mothers tend to do repeatedly, usually for the benefit of different recipient parents, but sometimes for the same one. Yet repeated pregnancies, combined with multiple C-Sections, eventually yields life-threatening risks for both surrogate mother and the baby she carries.

In this episode, Dawn discusses why surrogate mothers should limit the number of surrogacy journeys they take, and not compete with one another to see who can carry for the most number of recipients. While being a surrogate mother is noble, making sure your body is not placed in undue stress -- which can happen unexpectedly during any subsequent pregnancy and result in serious bodily injury to both surrogate mother and the baby she carries -- requires former surrogate mothers to serious assess the number of pregnancies and C-Sections she has had prior to embarking on any surrogacy journey. Without these considerations, your goal of giving birth to a healthy surrogate baby may be completely thwarted, and the end result could be fatal to both you and the reciient parent's baby you are carrying.

Stages of Labor: Overview and Stage 1

Renea Capozzi Cotto is a Bradley Doula, a childbirth and parent educator, and the resident Doula at Los Angeles Surrogacy Center. In the first of a brand new series Renea is going to talk about the four stages of labor in detail, providing you with some valuable information you may not have known.

*Correction: AAHCC not AAHC

Episode 37: Exploring International Surrogacy Options

With multiple options available for recipient parents considering a surrogacy journey, deciding which country is best for one's unique circumstances is often challenging. On today's ABCs Of Surrogacy, Eloise Drane, of Family Inceptions International, will be discussing the international surrogacy option available to recipient parents. International surrogacy has a much more reasonable overall cost than domestic surrogacy, and that factor has compelled many recipient parents to embark on their surrogacy journey in another country. Eloise will be discussing the numerous advantages of an international surrogacy journey. Don't miss this very informative episode of ABCs of Surrogacy!

Listen to the live broadcast Wednesday, May 21st at 7pm PST on BlogTalkRadio.com.

About Eloise Drane

Eloise Drane
Family Inceptions International 1911 Grayson Highway, Ste 8-156
Grayson, GA 30017
Ph: 678-473-4865
Email: eloise@familyinceptions.com 
http://www.familyinceptions.com

When Family Inceptions International was formed, our goal was simple, help people create families. We love what we do and believe that it shows in our work. We bring together “big agency” skills with “small agency” flexibility. We have built a reputation for efficiently and effectively delivering inspired solutions to our clients with full transparency.

Family Inceptions is unique as it is the only agency that offers surrogacy and egg donation services domestically and egg donation and client facilitator for surrogacy and IVF abroad cases internationally – India, Thailand, Mexico, Barbados, South Africa and Czech Republic.
Since 1999, Eloise Drane has been involved in egg donor and surrogacy in one way or another. She first experienced the incredible joy and fulfillment that accompanies helping others by donating eggs, then by being a gestational surrogate – three times. It was a life-changing experience. In addition, she worked with a surrogacy agency and developed their egg donation program before deciding to establish her own agency.

Eloise holds an MBA, which aligns with her expertise and years of direct experience in assisted third- party reproduction. She loves helping clients increase their knowledge and understanding of the family building journey, and shares the joy that comes from their success.
Family Inceptions International is a member of ASRM, SART, registered by the FDA, and holds a NY Tissue Bank license.

Resources

http://fertility.treatmentabroad.com
http://globalivf.com
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB120338119629575619



Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Episode 36: The Benefits of Pediatric Craniosacral Therapy

Pediatric Craniosacral Therapy can yield amazing results to infants and babies who are suffering from a variety of issues, including excessive crying, difficulty sleeping, irritability, and unusual fussiness. On this week's ABCs of Surrogacy, we are very pleased to welcome Jesse Tischler, a Los Angeles-based Pediatric Craniosacral Therapist. He will be explaining what this therapy involves, including its use for physical therapy and rehabilitation for newborns and infants. He will also describe how he envisions this therapy evolving in the world of western medicine. Don't miss this very interesting episode of ABCs of Surrogacy!

May 13th

We are currently in the process of updating individual episode pages for the past few episodes of The ABC's of Surrogacy so you can enjoy them on demand. Also, during our break we will be uploading and archiving episodes from season one of the ABC's for your listening pleasure.

Please be sure to tune in tomorrow night where we will be discussing the topic of pediatric craniosacral therapy! Should be an interesting topic and we hope you tune in at 7pm PST!

Episode 35: "Our Journey": One Couple's Guide To US Surrogacy - Author Richard Westoby

Richard Westoby and his partner, Steven, chose to build their family using surrogacy in the United States. That entire journey forms the basis for his book, "Our Journey: One Couple's Guide to U.S. Surrogacy", which chronicles their quest to parenthood via gestational surrogacy from the recipient parent perspective. They had a twin birth via surrogacy here in the United States. The book focuses on the multiple components of surrogacy, and provides an in-depth look at the behind the scenes aspects such as IVF, escrow accounts, choosing an agency, and how to plan for each stage of the surrogacy. Although written for an international recipeint parent, each chapter ends with a list of appropriate and timely questions a recipient parent should ask during each phase of the surrogacy. On this episode of "The ABCs of Surrogacy," Richard will be discussing his book, and his journey to parenthood as an international recipient who chose to build his family using surrogacy in the United States. Don't miss what is sure to be a very enlightening episode!

Episode 34: Exploring the Option of Home Birth with a Midwife and Doula, featuring guest hosts Renea Capozzi Cotto and Jennifer Stewart

Conventional hospital births often provide a stagnant experience for a mother. Although extraordinarily popular in most other countries, births either at home or at a birthing center using the services of a midwife and doula are gaining popularity here in the United States for a number of reasons. The cost for pre-natal care and birth is dramatically less expensive than care rendered by a OB and delivery at a hospital, and the outcomes for baby tend to be more favorable in a natural setting instead of one that promotes the use of medications. In this episode of ABCS of Surrogacy, we are pleased to welcome birth doula Renea Capozzi Cotto and midwife Jennifer Steward, who will both be discussing the option of giving birth at home or at a birth center. Both are practitioners who work in their respective fields in southern California, and each has expertise with preparing mothers to be for a natural delivery either at home or at a birth center. Don't miss this candid discussion on birthing at home or birth center, including the nitty gritty of what it takes to successfully use this option.

About Renea Capozzi Cotto, BA, AAHCC, Bradley Doula (TM), DONA trained, PES, EO IPC

A certified educator and doula with the Academy of Husband Coached Childbirth since 2009, I entered into the DONA Birth Doula program for an international doula certification, while providing labor support to many clients.

 

As a natural birth educator, doula, placenta specialist and mother of three; I has gained understanding through my childbirth journies, and bring my knowledge, continual learning, and gentle touch to the families I serve. Being able to support families through their time of pregnancy, labor and birth and breastfeeding, continually renews my belief in the natural circle of life.

 

I am continually on a learning path to help enhance my ability to provide a wide spectrum of services and offer knowledge for all types of families and situations.Let me help empower you have the best empowered birth possible.

About Jennifer Stewart, IBCLC, CPM, LM

Jennifer Stewart is a California Licensed Midwife, and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, dedicated to natural birth and successful breastfeeding. With 14 years of experience in the midwifery field, eight of those being in private practice, her background, as a non-nurse midwife, is focused exclusively on out-of-hospital birth. Throughout her career, many unique situations have presented themselves, including twin pregnancies, breeches, and Vaginal Births After Cesarean (VBACs).  In 2011, she obtained the national certification of Certified Professional Midwife with the North American Registry of Midwives. Until late 2011, her practice was based in the tri-state area of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. November 2011, she relocated to Southern California to assist the families of the west coast in their desire to have natural, out of hospital pregnancies and births. It is this midwife’s goal to help every woman have the birth of her dreams through personalized prenatal care, nutritional counseling, support during labor and birth, and continual assistance with breastfeeding and other postpartum issues.

Resources:

 

Lil' Seed of Life Wellness Center

(909) 468-5828

www.lilseedoflife.com

www.blumoonplacenta.com

www.bradleybirth.com/reneacapozzi

 

www.joyinbirthmidwifery.com

www.facebook.com/joyinbirth

@joyinbirth

www.stik.com/jsmidwife

April 30th

We hope you will join us for tonight's broadcast of The ABC's of Surrogacy. Dawn will be joined by Renea Capozzi Cotto and Jennifer Stewart to talk about why it's a good idea to have a midwife and a doula! Check out the episode show page for more information! Remember to tune in at 7pm PST.

Next week the ABC's of Surrogacy will broadcast at a special time: 12pm PST. Our guest will be Richard Westoby all the way from the United Kingdom! You can check out his show page for more information.

Two new articles from Adoption.net have been added to the blog. Why Adoptive Parents Should Consider Breastfeeding and How To Induce Lactation For Adoptive Mothers in 3 Steps are both full of helpful information for adoptive parents.

And as always be sure to check out the latest on HelloBaby! We have a new blog post on the amazing benefits of cloth diapering. Check it out!

Why Adoptive Parents Should Consider Breastfeeding

by Candace Wohl
Article republished with permission from Adoption.net
Original post written October 23, 2013
Posted to the ABC's of Surrogacy on April 30, 2014

Why Induced Lactation Should be Considered for Adoptive Parents

Frankly, there is nothing better than a piping hot chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven with a tall glass of milk. Drooling yet?  While I am enjoying the warm chocolaty bliss of my cookie and milk I am 100% certain I could care less what cow that milk came from. They have cow boobies (udders) and they produce milk. Same with human breasts, knockers, boobs, the big boppers, tatas whatever you want to call them. Now, don’t get me wrong here, if I run out of milk for my coffee I will probably not go to my neighbor who is breastfeeding and ask her for a couple of squirts in my coffee. Sorry, can’t do it. However, adoptive parents or those pursuing surrogacy should not think that breastfeeding through induced lactation is off the table for them.  Let’s take a quick quiz. Break out your trapper keeper and number 2 pencil, this one will challenge you.

--A mother who breast feeds her baby shortly after birth.
--A wet nurse who breast feeds a royal baby.
--An adopted mother who breastfeeds her newly adopted  baby.

I bet most of the general public would probably have found the first two scenarios not as off putting as the third. Why is that? I will admit, I have always wanted to breastfeed my child and after finding out I will never carry my own I thought this was no longer an option.  Just the idea of induced lactation to breastfeed my one day adopted/surrogate child made me feel mildly uncomfortable.  Really, it wasn’t the act that bothered me it was the societal view on breastfeeding. Especially in the US and Great Britain where the general population consider it taboo. What would others think? Would they think I was crazy or that this was unnatural?  This made it apparent to me that my own uneasiness was rooted in the superficial worry that society would consider my child less of my own because I adopted and that it was not natural since that child was not born from me.  I am a mother; that is my child. I have boobs and that is what they were made for, sorry fellas- big shocker they are not there for looks and just to paw at.

Surrogate or “intended” parents have lead time to work with in order to plan to nurse via inducing lactation however if you are an adoptive parent the time line is sometimes as clear as mud. They are unpredictable and in many cases adoptive parents are not given much time to prepare.  This does not count you out of the breastfeeding club.  Consider other options to help buy some time while you are waiting for your milk to come in. There are many resources available through linking up with your local La Leche League   and utilizing local milk banks and Supplemental Nursing Systems (SNS).

This will be a 3 part series so expect more scholarly info to come on induced lactation but for now let’s talk about the WHY.

Bonding

One of the most important processes when you have a baby through adoption or surrogacy is bonding with your baby. When you are nursing you have regular skin on skin contact which is a proven bonding method.  It also establishes trust and natural mother-baby intimacy that your baby needs in those beginning stages.

It is Like Couponing, but with Boobs

Now, some lucky adoptive or intended  parents may be well off so that this is not an issue, but for those who have to have bake sales, car washes, and cash out 401ks to pay for their adoption or surrogacy would like to hold on to what IOUs and spare change they have remaining from their baby pursuits.  No brainer, so sorry if I insult intelligence here but breastfeeding is $free.99. Well, there’s a pump, some vitamins, and some medications involved, but aside from that it is cheaper than formula. Baby formula can be pretty expensive and it’s estimated that one year of formula can range between $1,500 to $3,000. $free.99 verses 3k, you can put those savings back to help replenish your adoption/surrogacy drained account.

Health-tastic Milk

It is safe to say this baby was loved and prayed for before they were even created. So why not give your baby the best.  Babies who have been breastfeed have been proven to have stronger immune systems as breast milk carries positive antibodies that boosts that immune system. Possible baby Einstein? Another health benefit from breast feeding your baby is that new studies show that breastfeeding increases your baby’s IQ levels. Studies showed that cognitive abilities of preschoolers who were breast-fed scored significantly higher than bottle-fed infants, and IQ score was directly relative to how long the infants had been breastfed: IQs were 2.1 points higher in children who were breastfed for three months; 2.6 points higher when babies were breast-fed for four to six months; 3.8 points higher in children breastfed longer than six months. These specific results were published in the May 2011 issue of the European Journal of Pediatrics. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=surety-bond-breast-feeding

How to Induce Lactation for Adoptive Mothers in 3 Steps

by Candace Wohl

Article republished with permission from Adoption.net

Original post written November 21, 2013

Posted to the ABC's of Surrogacy on April 30, 2014

 

Do you want to know who I have a small chick-crush on? If I was into that kind of thing…Selma Hayek. Yes, she is in movies, sickeningly beautiful blah blah blah. It has absolutely nothing to do with what has made her a star. The reason Selma is so incredible is she has huevos. Hard boiled, not over-easy. She made headlines a few years back when she made a good will trip to Sierra Leone. She rocked the Western World newspapers and media of all sorts because she breastfed a starving, malnourished baby that was not her own. GASP!

 

Sierra Leone is a country where they have one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. Partly due to malnutrition and poverty. Hold on, wait a second isn’t breast milk free? Why, yes it is. In some areas of this country it is traditionally unacceptable to have any sexual interactions with a woman who is breastfeeding. (Personally, I know when I hold out on my husband for more than a few days, he is a whiny baby and acts as if the world is going to spin off axis and implode, or maybe that is just what he thinks his man-parts will do.) Either way this sexual pressure from the woman’s partner is persuading the mothers to stop nursing and their milk reserve is drying up as a result. Perhaps it is poor education of anatomy or the inability to abstain. Whichever reason you feel stronger about, babies are perishing in the name of an uneducated tradition. Selma, we could all learn something from your left boob. That one small act of kindness made waves.

 

I shared that story because it inspired me. I do not plan on going to Sierra Leone to breastfeed, but I do have a much different view on nursing. Specifically as it relates to an adoptive baby or one born through surrogacy.

 

So now what? How do I produce milk if my body is not physically going through that specific change? During a pregnancy, lactation is naturally triggered by the “trifecta” of 3 key hormones: estrogen, progesterone, prolactin. In a pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone hormones are elevated and if you have ever gone through fertility procedures you know your RE loves prescribing those specific hormones. When a woman gives birth the estrogen and progesterone levels drop significantly and prolactin increases. The result, lactation. To induce lactation you have to essentially trick your body into replicating the biological process of pregnancy.

 

Step 1.

 

It is important that if you do decide to induce lactation for your adopted child or baby through surrogacy, you have to have your army of resources lined up and contacted.  First on the contact list is your baby’s doctor or your OBGYN about your plans to induce lactation. You may need a script for medication and they will also need to be in the loop to help monitor your production as it relates to your baby getting enough nutrition. Try also considering to reaching out to your local La Leche League Leader and local groups. They have a well-connected support network to help aid you throughout your nursing process and a vast collection of resources for any questions you may come across.  Finally, it could also be beneficial checking with a Lactation Consultant or Nursing Mothers Counselor.

 

Step 2.

 

Decide on whether you want to naturally induce lactation or opt for hormone therapy to help stimulate your lovely lady lumps. It is a personal decision. Naturally inducing lactation requires techniques such as massaging, nipple stimulation and suckling. The first two are fairly straight forward but, suckling? You can use a pump to help with this method or use your partner. Not sure how I feel about my partner “suckling” on my breast to help with natural stimulation, however if my milk did decide to come in during the group effort act it will be interesting to see what the surprised reaction from the male half would be. Hormonally inducting lactation requires guidance from your doctor since they will need to write you a few prescriptions to help trick your body into pregnancy mode. There are different protocols depending on the individual’s health history and provider but some of the regularly prescribed medications doctors use include: birth control pills, Metoclopramide (Reglan), Domperidone (Motilium), and sulpiride (Eglonyl, Dolmatil, Sulfite, Sulparex, and Equemote).  This is one of those situations where step 1 is a good starting point to ask these questions. Especially considering some drugs like Reglan can cause some side effects such as depression and anxiety.

 

Step 3.

 

Pump it up! I will admit when I finally worked up the gall to walk into Baby’s R Us without simultaneously busting out in tears, I was lost. Personally I have spent 7 years trying to build my family, but did not know the first thing about babies, parenting or any of the gadgets that came along with the stroller coaster. If you decided that inducing lactation is for you, picking out the right breast pump is critical. This is definitely one of the situations where you get what you pay for so don’t skimp on it.  Yeah, that other breast pump may be $50 cheaper, but if it doesn’t work right, then it is just a big hunk of useless irritation. What separates each type of pump is:

 

·       Suction power of the pump

 

·       Release and suction cycle control options

 

·       The amount of release and suction cycles in a minute the pump produces

 

There are hand pumps, where you manually pump and electronic pumps which is where you set it and forget it. Generally, the more suction and release cycles per minute the more effective the pump is. Slower cycling can be hard on your nipples, no pun intended. Some of the higher end pumps can cycle around 60 times a minute. Don’t have that kind of money to spend on a higher end pump? Problem solved, you can rent them! Many hospitals, baby stores, and pharmacies offer rental options. No need to get the heebie jeebies now, they are sterilized and are replaced with new tubing, attachments and filters. One other thing to look into if you are looking to save money is that your insurance may now have coverage for breast pumps and supplies. Isn’t that the breast news you have heard all day?

Episode 33: Candace and Chris: Bloggers of "Our Misconception"

This week, we are pleased to have return guests Candace and Chris Wohl, whose popular "Our Misconception" blog is now focusing on their current surrogacy journey with their gestational carrier. On this episode, they will be sharing the latest chapter of their journey to achieve parenthood. After enduring countless unsuccessful IVF procedures, they turned to surrogacy, and now have a gestational surrogate now pregnant with their baby girl! Her due date is in June, so both are excited that their dream of becoming parents will soon be true. Candace and Chris were featured on MTV's "True Life - I'm Desparate To Have A Baby," and their ongoing quest to become parents is the focus of their blog, "My Misconception." Don't miss this very exciting episode on this week's "ABCs of Surrogacy.”

Get More: True Life, Full Episodes

April 17th

Next Wednesday we will welcome back Candace and Chris, guests last year, whom you may recognize from MTV's True Life. Read about Candace and Chris in their own words on our blog, and the head over to their show page to find out what we'll be chatting about. You can also watch their episode of True Life directly. We are so looking forward to touching base with this couple and finding out how life has been for them since we last chatted!