Mermaids 'power couple' Hannah & Jake Graf say surrogacy laws must be changed to force women to hand over babies

Orchid I saw that thread and I was interested to see that a couple of surrogates said that they wouldn't carry a baby for someone just because it was inconvenient for them to have a child themselves. I have to wonder, how much more of the child's life will thy outsource as it's not convenient?

Oh I'm sorry that's total rubbish. A post 24 week loss triggers mat leave.

There is someone on the surrogate board who says that she has used a surrogate for 3 pregnancies because it isn't convenient for her to carry the babies. I can't see how employers can fund what is essentially a side business

A teacher at school adopted twice eight month old baby the first time, she received 12 months maternity leave on both occasions.

Maternity leave is specifically for caring for a newborn. Not for any other reason, even very sad still births and late miscarriages.

My cousin lost her baby at 38 weeks a couple of years ago. Fortunately no one suggested she should just take sick leave as she didn't have a baby to care for...

I'm anti surrogacy, but I don't think we should be campaigning to reduce rights to maternity leave for some people. It will be used to reduce them for everyone. Mat leave is expensive for employers after all.

Rumpelstiltskin Clause is excellent.

Lewis and Edward appear to have split up so not clear if the next baby will be happening. I suppose one might go it alone. Sounds like a bit of a mess to bring the first baby into. BandAid territory with an added dash of exploitation.

people.com/home/jeff-lewis-gage-edward-move-out/

The embryo is s boy?

But I thought we couldn’t tell ...?

That just says it all, doesn't it? It's like the article featuring the 'enbie' (I think) woman a few weeks ago who talked about how distressing it was to be pregnant (by choice) when you're non binary a woman She referred to the sex of her baby too.

Very revealing...

While I agree with a lot of what has been said on this thread, I really have to take massive objection to this:
Time needed for physical recovery should be taken as sick leave, since there is no baby to care for

If we push for this, the same logic could be applied to anyone who has a still birth or neonatal loss

Well a girl sperm is pink and glittery so easy to spot the boy ones.

Barracker Excellent, I love it. The Rumplestiltskin clause.

It hasn't even grown a penis yet Bowl I wonder how they know...

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how gay male misogynists seem to get a free pass on the old misogyny...

"The next baby will be Gage's embryo, and his strongest embryo is a boy. So hopefully we're gonna have a boy."

How dare they assign that embryo's gender at conception. Its literal violence I'm telling you.

The embryo is s boy?

But I thought we couldn’t tell ...?

From now on I will be referring to this idea of changing the law so that women should be forced to hand over their wanted babies because of contractually enforced obligations as the "Rumplestiltskin Clause"

From a link in Optimist's article, apparently Jeff 'I guess we won't be using her again' and partner Gage are planning a second child.

"Jeff confirmed that he and Gage are planning on having another child through IVF via a surrogate on his SiriusXM show Jeff Lewis Live earlier this month. However, he noted that they are "not pregnant yet." "We have five frozen embryos," Jeff shared. "The next baby will be Gage's embryo, and his strongest embryo is a boy. So hopefully we're gonna have a boy."

They are not pregnant?? I mean it's revolting enough when heterosexual couples say it but a gay couple who are renting a woman's uterus? Fuck off

What happens in surrogacy if the foetus is found (for example at the 20 week scan) to have some sort of disability or life limiting condition? Or if this becomes apparent at birth?

Ash Sarkar, Suzie Green, Dawn Butler, Maria Miller and Layla Moran don't seem quick offering to become surrogates for this couple and producing a baby each year for the trans community.

Agree with so many on here - what about the rights of the child? Humans are not property.

And their sneering was so focused on her female body, which they were happy enough to make use of. Sickening.

Iused2BanOptimist and Juells I've read and reread those links, and I just can't get out of my head such horrendous misogyny. I just can't understand how anyone could have the lack of feeling to comment like that when someone is giving birth, let alone DOING THEM THAT FAVOUR. I know that people are cruellest to those they've wronged, but this is just another level of selfish entitlement and cruelty. I just don't understand how there can be people who were so unashamed of what they were doing (FILMING, FFS!!) that they could admit to such things in public.

"Neither my sister or I have ever had a cleaner, despite it being a good practical solution at points in our lives. Our childhood experiences have left us with the impression that it’s just not OK to pay other women to do stuff that you aren’t willing to do yourself."
Totally missing the point, but you do know you get male cleaners? And you are willing to do it yourself, you're doing it, if it is practical and cost effective for you then go for it, best thing we ever did, no different to getting a babysitter for a few hours a week.

It's a big ask of someone else to carry your child.

I was more focused on the impact it had on four people I was watching all week on holiday.

So this couple are asking the tax payer to fund NHS treatment for themselves, a surrogate and maternity leave for several people along with several employers and for the surrogates family who are impacted. They don't present it that way.

There are only a limited number of surrogate women anyway and they can only carry a limited number of babies. As I said the woman I spoke to had standards to be met regarding who she would carry and birth a child for - even a wealthy, talented famous man couldn't obtain a UK surrogate.

The employer and indeed the state. Presumably IP get leave when they take the baby home, like adoption leave?