So you want to make a baby seminar a great success
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
(L to R) Michael Condon, Dr Warren DeAmbrosis, me and David Cleary from the LGBTI Legal Service
A seminar on how to make a baby, for those not doing so the old fashioned way, was a resounding success. Nearly 70 attendees made this the largest seminar of this type in Brisbane.
The seminar, run for the LGBTI Legal Service, featured three speakers: fertility counsellor Michael Condon, fertility specialist and one of the founders of Qld Fertility Group, Dr Warren DeAmbrosis, and me.
The speakers described the complex legal landscape involving egg and sperm donation and surrogacy, as well as the practical issues with becoming a parent through those processes, and the associated medical issues.
A seminar on how to make a baby, for those not doing so the old fashioned way, was a resounding success. Nearly 70 attendees made this the largest seminar of this type in Brisbane.
The seminar, run for the LGBTI Legal Service, featured three speakers: fertility counsellor Michael Condon, fertility specialist and one of the founders of Qld Fertility Group, Dr Warren DeAmbrosis, and me.
The speakers described the complex legal landscape involving egg and sperm donation and surrogacy, as well as the practical issues with becoming a parent through those processes, and the associated medical issues.
Several intended parents raised the difficulties of proceeding with surrogacy in Queensland. Attendees were told that commercial surrogacy is illegal in Queensland, and still an offence for those in Queensland who go overseas.
By contrast, those who go to Canada for altruistic surrogacy can do so legally in Queensland. I said the cost of undertaking surrogacy in Qld (including IVF costs) could be done for as low as $25,000, or up to $60,000, largely depending on the number of IVF cycles.
Michael Condon mentioned to take care with known sperm donation, and that in his view sperm donors to lesbian couples were not dads. I said that to undertake known sperm donation was extremely risky- because donor agreements were not binding, and that if the donor has a change of mind then a trip to the Family Court might be the outcome that happens that no one anticipated.
Dr DeAmbrosis mentioned ways to cut IVF costs when contemplating surrogacy, and that 1 in 10,000 childbirths resulting in the death of the birth mother, which demonstrated that there was a risk to being a surrogate. He also said that older couples were often spending money on IVF using their own eggs and sperm when because of age or because either was a smoker that the chances of getting pregnant were very low.
Several intended parents raised the difficulties of proceeding with surrogacy in Queensland. Attendees were told that commercial surrogacy is illegal in Queensland, and still an offence for those in Queensland who go overseas.
By contrast, those who go to Canada for altruistic surrogacy can do so legally in Queensland. I said the cost of undertaking surrogacy in Qld (including IVF costs) could be done for as low as $25,000, or up to $60,000, largely depending on the number of IVF cycles.
Michael Condon mentioned to take care with known sperm donation, and that in his view sperm donors to lesbian couples were not dads. I said that to undertake known sperm donation was extremely risky- because donor agreements were not binding, and that if the donor has a change of mind then a trip to the Family Court might be the outcome that happens that no one anticipated.
Dr DeAmbrosis mentioned ways to cut IVF costs when contemplating surrogacy, and that 1 in 10,000 childbirths resulting in the death of the birth mother, which demonstrated that there was a risk to being a surrogate. He also said that older couples were often spending money on IVF using their own eggs and sperm when because of age or because either was a smoker that the chances of getting pregnant were very low.
Thank you to Toby Longhurst and Qnews for the pics.
