Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Jill Atwood ReportingSurrogate motherhood is now legal and can bring a lifetime of joy. But the procedure is not something to be entered into lightly for the couple or the surrogate.
Today's Smart Woman report takes a closer look--from the emotions, to the expense, to the legalites.
For some women pregnancy comes easily. For others that joy eludes them for whatever reason.
"They've had trouble for years, and they've had so many miscarriages they have lost count."
Dr. Keith Blauer is the spark of hope many couples may be looking for. He hears heartbreaking stories every day and that's why he does what he does.
Blauer specializes in infertility at St. Mark's Hospital.
Dr. Keith Blauer, Reproductive Care Center: "I first became involved in surrogacy when I was in South Carolina. It was a situation where the woman was born without a uterus and her mother agreed to carry the pregnancy. She ended up with twins. Very exciting experience."
Still, Blauer says even though they can match couples with a surrogate mother, not many couples who first look into the procedure actually follow through.
He says it could be the staggering 30 to 50 thousand dollar price tag, combined with all the law's legal hoops to jump through.
The couple must be married, and not able to have their own children. The homestudy is next, and both parties will also undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
The surrogate must legally relinquish all rights to the child. Also, she must have been pregnant before, and be capable of being pregnant again.
All parties have to be residents of Utah. And the couple must take care of all the surrogate's medical costs.
Add to that the physical and emotional toll, and yes many couples get scared off.
But not Piper Wise and her husband. Piper agreed to be a surrogate mother for her sister-in-law.
Piper Wise, Surrogate Mother for her Sister-In-Law: "Well we were at their little baby's funeral and I thought it just wasn't fair that they had to put their baby in the ground and I got to go home and put my baby to bed. I thought I had to do something about it."
Today she is close to four months along with her niece or nephew, and so looking forward to introducing him or her to her own son.
In next week's Smart Woman we will hear more from Piper Wise and her experiences with being a surrogate mother, and what she's had to go through. She'll walk us through the process next week on Eyewitness News at 4.
