#Book #Review The Baby Chase #surrogacy #book

I was contacted a few months ago to review a new surrogacy book. I was sent a free copy for review.

I have mentioned the book before in a giveaway here.

Read more about the book at Amazon.

So, what did I think?

 I would give it 3 stars. * * *

I enjoyed it overall. It kept my attention and I wanted to keep reading, which is good. There are books that I haven't been able to finish.

My hangup? I didn't care for how it was written. The story itself, the couple's story, was interesting. Their surrogacy journey was interesting. Some of the facts about IVF, India, etc. were interesting. Some, not so much. And it seemed to me that these facts were randomly placed throughout the book. A few added to the story, but some subtracted and I just wanted to get back to THE STORY. I didn't even realize at first that the story was a true story. I think the fact that it was, made it more interesting and enjoyable.

I definitely felt for the couple's struggle with infertility. (I can somewhat relate as a surrogate myself, and going through things secondhand with different couples.

The book tells the story of Gerry and Rhonda Wile and their struggle with infertility. They come to be the first American couple to hire a surrogate through Surrogacy India. (a clinic/agency in India)

I am not a huge fan of surrogacy in India, from other things I've read. I don't necessarily agree with how their surrogates are viewed and treated. However, I am glad that this situation seemed positive for everyone and I came to have respect for the Drs and everyone involved. I did feel a connection to the story in a way, because I carried for a couple from India (living in the states) at one time and it was a good experience. I love how the Wiles really embraced India and it's culture.

I didn't care for how the book made surrogacy (surrogates even) in America to be all about the money. And I felt that the book over glorified surrogacy in India.

In the end, Gerry and Rhonda were blessed with 3 babies- a singleton and twins.The success and the emotions make it all worthwhile.

Gestational and Traditional Surrogacy and a book review

Did you know that there are different kinds of surrogates. I mean beside good ones and bad ones. Ha! But seriously, there are Gestational Surrogates (GS) and Traditional Surrogates (TS). What the heck is the difference?

Well, when surrogacy was first around I believe most if not all surrogates were Traditional Surrogates. The surrogate would use her own eggs combined with sperm from the Intended Father to produce a baby for the couple to raise as their own. Technically the child was in part their own, thanks to the fathers contribution, but the child was also genetically related to the Surrogate. There are still Traditional Surrogates today. Sometimes an infertile couple needs an egg donor AND a surrogate. A Traditional Surrogate acts as both. I think it is very admirable, but I don't think it is for everybody.

So then, what is a Gestational Surrogate? Well that would be surrogates like me. I have carried babies for infertile couples using their embryos. Sometimes the embryo was made up of the mother and father's genetics, sometimes an egg donor was involved. Either way, I was only a carrier for the baby(s). I was in no way genetically tied to or related to the baby(s). I was just the stork. I was an organ donor, donating my uterus, nothing else.

When I went to my medical screening awhile back (for my current surrogacy journey), I took some things to keep me busy on the plane and at the airport. Among those things was a book titled My Egg, My Womb, Your Baby! by Dawn Marmorstein. I was so excited to read a book about surrogacy while I was starting another surrogacy of my own.



Dawn has been a Traditional Surrogate three times. I was very curious to read how different her story would be compared to my own surrogacy experiences. In some ways, it was very different, but the feelings involved were very much the same. It all comes down to helping couples become parents.

"Dawn enjoyed being pregnant so much when she carried her own children that she decided she wanted to help others who were unable to create their own family. After doing some research, Dawn decided that she wanted to become a Traditional Surrogate mother -- both egg donor and surrogate mother -- who would be genetically related to the surrobaby she carried who ultimately destined to be given to another family. while modernly, most surrogacies are gestational surrogacies, where there is a separate egg donor who provides the egg for the carrying surrogate mother, Dawn's journey with traditional surrogacy created three babies related to her, each with her knowledge and consent that two would given to two separate same sex recipients, and one would go to a traditionally married couple.

I thought to myself," I could carry someone else's baby!"  

It did not take me long to read the book. I got caught up in each experience she wrote about. It was so interesting to read all the similarities as well as the differences between traditional and gestational surrogacy. I thought it was really neat that Dawn and I had a lot in common. We both stumbled upon surrogacy on the internet, we both got a self-esteem boost and felt our sexiest when pregnant. We are both on our 4th surrogacy journeys.

She had plenty of ups and downs between different hospitals and agencies. At one point she was accused of having an affair with the baby's father. Dawn eventually decided to start up her own agency, Los Angeles Surrogacy Center.

Dawn's writing is real and raw. It is a wonderful look inside the surrogacy world. You should definitely read this book. You will not want to put it down.

Learn more about Dawn, her agency and her book below.

Buy My Egg, My Womb, Your Baby! on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1479121193/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_6SRMqb0RKGAN5

On Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/213653

Facebook Pages:
http://www.facebook.com/myeggmywombyourbaby

http://www.facebook.com/lasurrocenter

Dawn's website:
http://www.dawnmarmorstein.com/

Dawn's Surrogacy Blog:
http://surrobaby4.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer- Dawn and I exchanged books about surrogacy for review. Read her review about my book here: http://www.mommylovestalking.com/2012/10/book-review-once-upon-surrogate-storks.html

Latest review for Once Upon a Surrogate: The Stork's Helpers by Surrogacy Lawyer Theresa Erickson

I am always pleasantly surprised when I see that someone has purchased my book. I was pretty excited when Surrogacy Lawyer Theresa Erickson bought 2. Not only that but she mentioned she'd like to do a book review for her blog.

I got a sneak peek last week and it was very touching.  I was a little self conscious about what someone so powerful and knowledgeable about surrogacy would think about my book. Well what she had to say brought tears to my eyes. She liked it!  Wanna see what she had to say? Head over to her site: Surrogacy & Egg Donation Issues


Things have been going pretty good for my book and they just keep getting better.      :)

Just a reminder that through Christmas, my book is on sale at 25% off. No code needed, it's already discounted.

And if you'd like a shot at a free copy, this month's giveaway ends TONIGHT!  

Surrogacy update and the sweetest book review so far

It's been an awesome week! I don't want to get my hopes up, but good things just keep happening and I'm going to ride this cloud. First of all, my agency (surrogacy) may have found insurance for me. Not only that but they have a couple in mind for a match.  AAAGGHHH! That's what happy screaming looks like, right?  I was ecstatic.

So, that alone could make me happy all week. Well I came down to my office to check my e-mail and I had a message that there was a review posted for my book.

OH MY GOSH!!!! It's the most well-written reviw I've ever read or received. Not only that, but the lady was so darn sweet, she made me smile from beginning to end. I was so thrilled/touched/impressed. I was this close to crying happy tears. She made my day!

You can read it here:  http://northeastpa.citymommy.com/?q=node/6525

Hope the rest of you out in Bloggyland are having a great week!

Surrogacy Book Review

Krystal was one of my winners (for this contest) and has posted a review for Once Upon a Surrogate: The Stork's Helpers. She is also a surrogate.

Please visit her site: http://surrogatediva.blogspot.com/2010/11/once-upon-surrogate-storks-helpers.html

I will also include the review below:



A few weeks back I won a drawing that allowed me to review a new book about surrogacy that was actually written by a surrogate. I recieved the book a little over a week ago and last night I sat down with my daughters (8 & 4) to read the book to them.




Here's a review from 3 different perspectives:



My review on Jill Hancock Reeder's Once Upon a Surrogate book:



Once Upon a Surrogate is a good book for surrogates to read to their children or for parents to read to their children that were born via surrogacy. It explains, in terms that children can understand, the concept of surrogacy. My daughters really liked the fact that the book was illustrated by Jill's children and they were able to grasp the idea of Mommy being the "stork".

I would recommend this book to anyone going through the surrogacy process, as a means of explaining it so your children can understand.



My 4 year old's review:



2 thumbs up (literally), when I asked her how she liked it :) She also said "I liked the stickers", as she covered her arms in them. Then she added "so you were the stork to deliver us to be your children?" :-)



My 8 year old's review:



She thought the book was "okay", she said that she wasn't that interested in it, but that she did learn what an embryo is, which is something she didn't know before.



Thanks, Jill for giving us the chance to review your book!



You can learn more about the book by visiting:

http://surrogacybooks.blogspot.com/

or

http://mormonsurrogate.blogspot.com/



Krystal