Testimonials

Using an Egg Donor or Surrogate in KC: Key Considerations

Using an egg donor, sperm donor, or gestational surrogate can be can effective option for those struggling with fertility.  With appropriate medical, legal, and psychological preparation, egg donation and gestational surrogacy can help build families and provide a rewarding experience for all involved.

The American Society For Reproductive Medicine is an excellent resource for reproductive health topics.  The list of key considerations listed below is taken form their Fact Sheet about Gamete (egg and sperm) and embryo donation.

Click here to access the full article.

These key considerations can help you to avoid unmet expectations or disappointments in the future.

Key considerations:

• Consult with specialists in reproductive medicine who are qualified and experienced.
• Use legal counsel that is well-versed in reproductive law in locations where both the donor and recipients reside.
• Work with a mental health professional who is experienced and familiar with the issues of third-party family-building.
• Consider if, when, what, and how to tell the child and others.
• Understand that:
• Laws regarding reproductive rights are constantly changing.
• Files regarding donation identities may be opened at any time (if they are challenged in court or if current laws change).
• Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
• Secrets are difficult to keep, and information can be unintentionally shared or discovered with science and technology that are advanced and more widely accessible.
• Making peace with your personal feelings about donation must be done before sharing this information.

For information about using an egg donor or gestational surrogate to build and grow your family, contact us today.

Finding A Surrogate In Kansas City: What Are My Options?

If you are considering using a gestational surrogate to build and grow your family, you are likely trying to decide where to start.  The first place most people start is considering if they have a family member or close friend that would be a good candidate.  If that is an option for you, and the candidate is healthy physically and mentally, then that is most likely going to be the best option from a financial standpoint.  Most people that utilize a family member or close friend do not pay any compensation and therefore save $20,000-$40,000.

If a family member or close friend is not an option for you, then you are left with trying to find someone on your own, or working with an agency.  There are not many benefits of finding your own surrogate rather than working with an agency.  Although you will save money (maybe) by not working with any agency since you will not pay an agency fee, many people that do try to find a surrogate on their own spend thousands of dollars on candidates that ultimately do now work out to be a viable candidate.  In addition the emotional burden of the process can be very difficult to manage.

For more information about working with an agency to find your gestational surrogate, contact us today at www.pathwaystoparenthood.com.

Kansas City’s Only Egg Donor and Surrogacy Agency Is One Year Old!

Happy Anniversary Pathways To Parenthood!

One year ago, in May 2013 Pathways To Parenthood started the amazing journey of serving families, egg donors, and surrogates.  The journey actually started long before with a dream of providing intended parents, egg donors, and gestational surrogates with a local agency that was professional, compassionate, and hands-on.  It was important to me that all people we would work with felt valued and important.

My passion for helping others build and grow their family continues to grow when I see the joy that others feel when realizing their dream come true.  It is also amazing to see how our egg donors and gestational surrogates feel after helping others in such a special and unique way.

I look forward to continuing to provide top-notch service and compassion to our clients, egg donors, and surrogates in the years to come!

Kerry Christifano

M.A., LCPC

Founder of Pathways To Parenthood

The Motivation Behind Gestational Surrogacy in Kansas City

There are many reasons women have for wanting to be a gestational surrogate.  Most assume that the strongest motivating factor for gestational surrogates is the financial compensation they receive.  Although the compensation that gestational surrogates receive for their generous gift can be a large sum, it is not what initially drives most women to pursue surrogacy.

Some people are critical that women accept financial compensation for being a gestational surrogate.  My question to those critics would be -“What is the appropriate compensation to somebody who is willing to give up a year of their life (and body), to help a family  build and grow their family?”.  Another question would be-“Who should make those types of decisions?”.  I do not believe those are easy questions to answer.  I also believe that it is a personal and private matter that should be respected by others that oftentimes really do not know what they are talking about!  But that is a whole other blog post!

What motivates most women that are interested in being a gestational surrogate is the feeling that they are called to help others in such a way.  Potential gestational surrogates typically have had easy pregnancies, love being pregnant, and want to help others in a meaningful way.  Whether they receive financial compensation or not does not detract from the generous gift that they give others by helping them build and grow their family.   To learn more about gestational surrogacy, visit our website at www.pathwaystoparenthood.com.