Today’s episode of The Family Circle is a special one, with guest host Jen Rachman, who’s a Parent Outreach Associate at Circle, a social worker, and a parent through surrogacy. She’s here to host a discussion of the types of support that can be helpful during a surrogacy journey, whether you’re an intended parent or a surrogate. Jen opens the episode by talking about the importance of having a support network when going into a surrogacy and how Circle can become part of that as a professional agency. She also emphasizes Circle’s role in connecting intended parents with a community of others going through the same process and introduces Carlos Dolan, another surrogate parent, who shares his experience of Circle’s communities.

Next, Jen welcomes her colleague Alana Gorden, Manager of Surrogate Screening and Support at Circle, who’s here to discuss the surrogate’s side of the journey. Alana explains the support Circle provides for surrogates, emphasizing that their focus is understanding what the surrogate wants from the process in order to provide the best level of support. She talks through the team assigned to each surrogate and the hands-on support they provide, as well as other support channels, including Circle’s Facebook page and mentorship program. Alana then introduces Jessi, an experienced Circle surrogate, who shares her experiences of surrogacy and how Circle has supported her through them, especially the staff and the members of the Facebook community.

Episode Highlights:

• The types of support Circle provides
   
• Parent networking and community
   
• How Circle supports surrogates
   
• The journey from the surrogate’s point of view
   
• The Circle Facebook community and surrogate ambassador program

Quotes:

“Regardless of where you are in your research, or your steps, or your planning, utilizing the supports that are there and being able to connect with others that get it, I think, is an important aspect of this experience because a sense of community on both sides of this equation is, I think, incredibly substantial and important.”

“Everyone knows people who are going through pregnancy but going through surrogacy is different. And the fact that Circle gave us an opportunity to connect with other parents that knew or were feeling the same things as us was great.”

“How Jessie might have utilized her support could be really different than how another surrogate utilizes her support. And that’s okay. We are here to really give our surrogates the experience that she is needing and that she is looking for to make all this happen. Because at the end of the day, we want her to have the best experience possible.”

“I’ve been in other surrogacy Facebook groups before, but the communication and openness in the Circle Facebook group is unlike anything I have ever seen. So, not only having a ton of women on there to speak with and talk about. I learned so much. The surrogates really care about other women and care to be there and care to help people.”

“Some women use the Facebook page, some would prefer a one-on-one, some don’t really need us, and they know we’re here, and we will be there for them if something comes up. So, I think there’s just so many different ways that support pops up in a surrogacy journey, and that we want to do for our surrogates and to make the experience as best as possible.”

Helpful links from the episode:

• Parenthood through surrogacy
• Becoming a surrogate
• Connect with the Circle team (email: info@circlesurrogacy.com)