Still consumed by GS thoughts.

I have been information gathering about the initial process of gestational surrogacy in NZ.  You begin with a medical examination to check you are able and suitable, to carry a child, then some long bouts of counseling for all invested parties then you head over to the ethics committee and sit patiently till they make a decision whether you can give your IP's a baby.  The IP's have lots of hoops to jump through - they need more approval than a surrogate!  They must be Child, Youth and Family approved, as here in NZ the woman who gives birth is recognized as the legal mother to the child, even though in a gestational surrogacy she in not genetically related to the child.  So the IP's have to get this CYF's approval to be able to adopt their child 12 days after birth.

The last couple of days have been a blur - general everyday stuff mixed with some very (long) focused emails about gestational surrogacy between myself and a couple I am getting to know.  Whilst we are talking about surrogacy in a very platonic way there are definitely invested emotions.  I guess for me I see the journey as being done pretty much for the benefit of the IP's (I mean they reap the rewards at the end) and I hadn't given much thought too the idea that a surrogate could need the journey just as much.  Take some of the latter, throw in those invested emotions and you can get an awkward situation which leaves a guilt trail as big as NZ debts.  Toes were not meant to be tread on, and for that I am sorry!  I was completely oblivious to it all and as the 3rd party putting my foot in it was the last thing I wanted to do.

Just talking to this couple is eye opening.  I have never spoken to any IP's before so even if nothing arises, because we all should know that talking does not constitute an arrangement, I will have a major store of personal information and experience on the matter to take from when the time arises.  Although I must share I have envisioned being able to tell this couple "Let's do it, let's make a baby the GS way", even though I know it is far too soon to make that call.  One day lovelies, one day, hopefully soon yeah.