The Sisterhood of Travelling…Embryos 

09/02/2017

In the movie, The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, a pair of jeans was passed around and fit four very differently-shaped women. If only they made those pants for real, but, what the movie really taught us were that miracles can happen and people can bond over anything if they choose one similar thing to believe in.

We at CSO Family have been part of miracles for over 25 years in Canada, helping couples believe that they can have biological children with the help of a surrogate. Founder of CSO Family, Joanne Wright, my mother, was the first surrogate in Canada back in 1990. Back then, the enormity of the surrogacy process was not known by many here, nor were there clear guidelines. From a small age, growing up in the surrogacy world, I saw how we battled the court systems, fought for rights, stood ground to ensure policies were in place and upheld. Fast forward 25 years and the law clearly states that no woman shall be paid to carry a child. So why would anyone agree to do this you wonder?

We hear from many that it’s the look on the Intended Parents (the parents-to-be) faces or the joy that they give of parenthood to a couple seeking to expand their family, is what motivates them to become a Surrogate. The build-up of a journey that may even be a couple of years for some, come full circle in the craziness of a delivery room where tears, smiles, laughs, flashing lights and, of course, cries of a beautiful, healthy little one can make you realize that the path you took in life was the right one because in that moment nothing else that is happening in the world matters. A miracle has been born.

What we will tell you is that journey will be filled with highs and lows, good days and bad days, ill feelings, weird cravings, dozens of pee sticks, lengthy contracts and numerous questions. What will help you get through it all will be your fellow Surrogates. From the moment you decide to go down this path and begin a surrogacy journey, you are automatically entered into the Sisterhood.

I personally have not been a surrogate; my body wanted to go down a different path, and it led me to helping other women give the gift of child to patient and loving couples. Whether it was a woman of one child or a mother of four, no one comes to us knowing everything there is about being pregnant, let alone surrogacy. We have some ladies on their first journey and a few on their sixth but no matter how many times down the surrogacy path, we discover together. Through our private online support page, many women seek each other out to ask questions, share daily feelings, post pictures and seek recommendations for common problems. From a tiny island off British Columbia to a remote part of the east coast, geographical obstacles don’t seem to matter when Tummy Tuesday comes around and we’re all sharing in the bliss of seeing growing bellies. This past July marked our annual surrogate appreciation summer bbq and to see most of the ladies together celebrating their achievements, laughing over silly things they’ve heard from friends and colleagues or even poking fun at each other, you’d forget that most of these women were only meeting each other in person for the first time…but just like (figurative) sisters, we are family, and we are united by the decision to carry an embryo that will one day become a miracle for some.

To learn more about how you can get involved, contact CSO Family at hope@csofamily.ca or visit www.csofamily.ca today.

Guest Blog Post by: Robyn Price, Managing Partner at CSO Family and Founder of Little Miracles, the egg-donor division. Robyn has 25+ years experience in the Surrogacy field.