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Surrogate motherhood is the practice when a woman bears a child on behalf of another person who is not able to carry a baby. It typically occurs via in vitro fertilization.

Jade Elliott spoke with Dr. Barney, the OB/Gyn who delivered the baby carried by surrogate mother Brianna Bigelow for mom Jenny Lowe about surrogacy on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast.

Click here to hear about Brianna and Jenny’s journey.

Reasons to consider surrogate motherhood

Surrogacy may be a desirable option for women who are unable to carry a baby due to infertility, cancer or other medical conditions or health concerns that would make pregnancy impossible or very risky for the woman who wishes to have a baby. Same sex couples may also enlist a surrogate mother if they wish to have a baby.

Talking with your doctor about infertility options or surrogate motherhood

It’s important to talk with your doctor or midwife if you are struggling with infertility or have health concerns about becoming pregnant. Your provider knows your medical history and can help provide medical information and options that will help you make your decision about pregnancy or surrogacy.

Finding a surrogate mother

Some women turn to family or friends for surrogacy. Others go to a surrogacy agency which helps people find a surrogate mother. Surrogacy can be very expensive, especially if the surrogate does not have health insurance. Most experts agree a surrogate mother should:

•  Be at least 21 years old
•  Have already given birth to at least one healthy baby
• Have passed a psychological screening
•  Sign a contract about their role and responsibilities in the pregnancy, prenatal care and after birth

Health screenings for surrogate mothers

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine says surrogates should get a medical exam to check that they are likely to have a healthy, full-term pregnancy. The organization suggests they complete a drug screening, and get tests that check for infectious diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV, cytomegalovirus, and hepatitis B and C.

Surrogates should get tests to make sure they have immunity to measles, rubella and chickenpox.

Surrogacy laws in the U.S.

Currently there is no federal law in the U.S. about surrogacy. Surrogacy laws vary from state to state, so be sure to research and understand the laws in your state.

To protect your rights as parents-to-be – and the rights of the child you’re hoping to have – it’s wise to hire an attorney who specializes in reproductive law in your state. They can write a surrogacy contract that clearly spells out what everyone needs to do.

A contract helps if legal issues come up after birth. It can also outline agreements about a variety of possible scenarios with the pregnancy, such as what happens if there are twins or triplets.

In the contract, couples working with a surrogate mother may want to address who the doctor will be who sees the surrogate mother for prenatal visits and delivers the baby. The two parties may also want to agree on who can be present at prenatal visits and for the birth and where those events might take place and when the surrogate hands over the baby.

What it’s like to help deliver a surrogate baby

“In the past twelve years since I’ve been in practice in Utah, I’ve seen about six families working with a surrogate mother. Most often it’s due to infertility. I have also seen same sex couples,” said Dr. Barney.

“I’ve seen cases where the mother is able to donate an egg for insemination and other cases where an outside egg donor is needed,” he added.

Dr. Barney says sometimes one of the parties is outside of Utah. During prenatal visits with the surrogate or the delivery, the parents might join in-person or remotely. Sometimes the mother and the other parents have developed a relationship and other times they are not as involved. Jenny and Brianna developed quite a friendship. And Jenny typically joined the appointments either in-person or on Zoom.

Emotional concerns for surrogate mothers

“The mom who is carrying the baby often has split emotions. They go into the pregnancy knowing they’ll give up the baby, but it can still be difficult, so we screen for postpartum depression or mood disorders at the follow-up visit.”

After Brianna gave birth, Jenny held the baby almost immediately afterward, skin-to-skin to promote bonding.

“It’s a really unique experience to deliver a baby from a surrogate mother. It’s amazing the journey some couples end up taking in order to have a child.”

For more information about reproductive medicine and in vitro fertilization visit intermountainhealthcare.org

To listen to our podcast about postpartum depression, click here.

To listen to the podcast on dads and postpartum depression mentioned in this episode, click here.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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Sooner or later your baby or child will be exposed to germs and may end up getting sick. If your baby goes to daycare or to other places they may interact with many children such as a church nursery, play group or public play areas, they may get sick at a younger age, but that does help them build immunity. Some children may not be exposed to a lot of germs until they start attending pre-school or school. Either way, your child will eventually be exposed to some common illnesses.

Jade Elliott sat down with  Dr. Shellie Ring, a pediatrician with Intermountain Healthcare to talk about common contagious illnesses your baby might be exposed to at daycare or other public settings.

Some of the most contagious diseases among babies and young children:

RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus. Common contagious virus that infects the respiratory tract among children under age two. Symptoms are similar to a cold, but if it progresses it can affect breathing and become serious.

Pink Eye

The official name for pink eye is conjunctivitis which is when the membrane that lines your eyelid becomes inflamed. Symptoms in the eye are redness, itchiness, grittiness, discharge that forms a crust during the night and make it difficult for your baby to open their eye in the morning.

Stomach viruses and diarrhea

Viral gastroenteritis is very common and very contagious. Your baby can get it from sharing a cup or utensils with someone who has the virus or coming into contact with infected fecal matter, and then put their hand in their mouth, which can happen a lot in daycare settings.

Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, chills, achiness. It’s important to keep them home from daycare if they have these symptoms.

Hand Foot Mouth Disease

Symptoms include fever, sore throat, runny nose, and then a blister-like rash on the hands, feet or in the mouth. Children are contagious during the first week and remain contagious until the rash has disappeared.

How to help prevent your child from getting sick

The younger your baby is the more you’ll want to avoid public areas during cold and flu season and avoid being around people that are sick.

Importance of proper hand washing and using sanitizer for young children and caregivers before eating and after diaper changing, using the bathroom, touching pets, being in public spaces or if anyone has symptoms.

Changing tables and potty chairs, should be sanitized after each use at daycare. Toys and other items frequently touched like bathroom fixtures, drinking fountains, doorknobs or handles should be sanitized daily.

Click here for more information about viruses and where in Utah they are active.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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It’s not something that is often talked about, but alcohol use can impact dads and dads-to-be.

Jade Elliot sat down with Marcela Smid, MD, maternal-fetal medicine, University of Utah Health, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast to discuss the negative effects of heavy alcohol use in dads.

For healthy men under the age of 65: more than 4 drinks per day or more than 14 drinks per week may indicate risky drinking.

Alcohol and other drug use has a familial component, and 40-60% of alcohol use disorder are attributed to genetic/familial components.

Alcohol use among fathers-to-be may decrease fertility among couples with infertility. Among couples experiencing fertility issues, alcohol use may decrease sperm count and motility.

Heavy alcohol use is associated with decreased paternal attachment to infants and increased maternal depressions.

Any substance use disorders increases the risk of substance use disorder in children.

For more information on infertility, click here or listen to our Baby Your Baby podcast on the topic.

Click here to listen to the Baby Your Baby Podcast on alcohol use before and during pregnancy.

For information on mental health and substance use disorder treatment services, click here.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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Going through miscarriages can be very difficult. It’s important to understand that a miscarriage is not your fault. Miscarriage can’t be prevented and are usually due to a developmental problem or a chromosomal abnormality.

10–25 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage, and one to five percent of women experience two or more pregnancy losses that don’t progress to term. Less than 1 percent of miscarriages are called stillbirths because they happen after 20 weeks gestation.

Jade Elliott talks with Ware Branch, MD, Ware Branch, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine physician with University of Utah Health and Intermountain Healthcare, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast to discuss miscarriage.

What are the symptoms of a miscarriage?

Bleeding and spotting are the most common signs of miscarriage. Cramping can also happen. These symptoms don’t always mean you are miscarrying. It is important to talk with your doctor if you are experiencing any of these signs. Women may also see large clots or tissue discharge from their vagina.

What causes miscarriage?

Genetic abnormalities is one of the common causes of a miscarriage. As many as 50–70 percent of all early pregnancy loss occurs because the embryo has too much or too little genetic material. Pre-existing medical conditions may also play a role. Those conditions include immune system issues, thyroid/hormonal issues, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and RH factor. Lifestyle, like alcohol and drug use may also play a role as well as the age of the mother.

Can a miscarriage be prevented?

A miscarriage cannot be prevented, but there are some things you can do to increase your chance of a healthy and successful pregnancy.

• Take a prenatal vitamin.
• Exercise regularly
• Avoid smoking and using alcohol or recreational drugs.
• Attend regular prenatal appointments.
• Eat a healthy diet.

Talk to your doctor if you’ve had a miscarriage in the past, or if you have any concerns.

For more information on miscarriages, click here.

To learn how to cope with miscarriage, click here.

To listen to the Baby Your Baby Podcast on infertility, click here.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.