{"id":2224976,"date":"2024-04-19T07:31:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T11:31:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/two-time-surrogate-says-renting-wombs-hurts-women-and-babies-i-would-never-encourage-another-woman-to-do-it\/"},"modified":"2024-04-19T07:40:26","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T11:40:26","slug":"two-time-surrogate-says-renting-wombs-hurts-women-and-babies-i-would-never-encourage-another-woman-to-do-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/two-time-surrogate-says-renting-wombs-hurts-women-and-babies-i-would-never-encourage-another-woman-to-do-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Double Surrogate Warns Against Gestational Surrogacy: &#8220;It Harms Women And Babies, I Wouldn&#8217;t Recommend It."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftwo-time-surrogate-says-renting-wombs-hurts-women-and-babies-i-would-never-encourage-another-woman-to-do-it%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2224976&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>When\u200c Gloria Ruiz chose\u200d to be a gestational surrogate to help infertile\u2063 families, she believed it was \u2062a noble \u2062act. However, after two surrogacies, doubts arose\u2062 about the true impact. She \u2064shares a story of emotional and physical challenges,\u200b warning others of the hidden risks\u200c in the fertility industry that \u2062can harm surrogates, \u2062babies, \u200band intended parents. When Gloria Ruiz decided to become a gestational surrogate\u2063 to assist\u200b infertile families, she viewed it as a noble deed.\u200b Yet, after undergoing two surrogacies, she began questioning the actual repercussions. Sharing her personal journey of emotional and physical struggles, she cautions others about the \u200cundisclosed risks within the fertility industry that \u200dcould negatively affect surrogates, babies, and\u2064 intended parents.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>When Gloria Ruiz decided to become a gestational surrogate, she thought she was doing families struggling with infertility a favor. Now that she\u2019s carried other people\u2019s children twice, Ruiz doubts sacrificing her well-being for people who want to become parents by renting another woman\u2019s body is as generous and kind as her fertility agency told her.<\/p>\n<p>Ruiz, a stay-at-home military wife and mom of a child with special needs, initially saw renting her womb as beneficial to her family. They could have some extra cash but not lose their matriarch to a time-consuming desk job somewhere in a California high-rise. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-785286263\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-87fead77ffeb26ac799382371607bcc0 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-87fead77ffeb26ac799382371607bcc0\"><\/div>\n<p>Those benefits didn\u2019t feel like a complete lie the first time she was paid to carry someone else\u2019s child, Ruiz says, but that changed. Seven months after she delivered her first surrogate baby in March 2021, Ruiz\u2019s agency onboarded her to be a gestational carrier for another couple. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI kind of finally just gave in to the pressure,\u201d Ruiz told The Federalist. \u201cI was like, \u2018Yeah, sure, but it needs to be just as perfect as the first one.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, it was anything but. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emotionally and Physically Scarred<\/h2>\n<p>The married couple Ruiz\u2019s agency matched her with lived about an hour up the road from her home, says Ruiz. They planned to use in vitro fertilization to join a purchased egg and the husband\u2019s sperm or sperm purchased from an anonymous man. Ruiz\u2019s surrogacy contract provided to The Federalist confirms this plan. Because the man was a citizen of Spain, <a href=\"https:\/\/administracion.gob.es\/pag_Home\/en\/Tu-espacio-europeo\/derechos-obligaciones\/ciudadanos\/familia\/menores\/gestacion-sustitucion.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">where all forms of surrogacy are banned<\/a>, they needed to rent a woman\u2019s body in a country where surrogacy is legal, like the United States.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-afe09f925f39e55878e9a7df1e21da0e fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-afe09f925f39e55878e9a7df1e21da0e\"><\/div>\n<p>Ruiz said the couple agreed to her conditions, which included limited travel for appointments so she could care for her son. Shortly after signing contracts, however, Ruiz said, \u201cthings started going south.\u201d The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-korea-presidential-candidate-promises-free-hair-loss-treatment\/\" title=\"South Korea Presidential Candidate Promises Free Hair Loss Treatment\">health insurance policy<\/a> the people renting her body bought for Ruiz\u2019s surrogacy-related medical expenses required her to travel about an hour away for some doctor\u2019s appointments and check-ups, as several emails and medical documents Ruiz showed to The Federalist attest. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was when the doubt started setting in,\u201d Ruiz said. \u201cAt that point, I didn\u2019t really have a choice but to move forward because they had already paid for a policy and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/he-questioned-microaggressions-then-his-university-gaslit-him-claiming-he-was-a-threat-and-suspended-him-from-campus\/\" title=\"He Questioned Microaggressions. Then His University Gaslit Him, Claiming He Was A Threat, And Suspended Him From Campus\">medical clearance<\/a>. If I backed out, I was held liable for thousands of dollars, money which I didn\u2019t have.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Ruiz was caught off guard again when, she says, the intended mother told her at an IVF appointment that her husband was disappointed they only had boy embryos to implant. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI remember calling the caseworker and I kept telling her, \u2018This doesn\u2019t feel right. It doesn\u2019t feel right.\u2019 And she kept saying \u2018Oh, no, it\u2019s fine. Once they see the baby, they\u2019re going to fall in love with it and it won\u2019t matter,\u201d Ruiz said. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-7e550650b1bf03a6d529f1f71c63edbe fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-7e550650b1bf03a6d529f1f71c63edbe\"><\/div>\n<p>Ruiz first met the father at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gay-couple-sues-ivf-clinic-for-implanting-a-girl-embryo-when-they-requested-a-boy\/\" title=\"Gay Couple Sues IVF Clinic For Implanting A Girl Embryo When They Requested A Boy\">embryo transfer<\/a> appointment, where she says he shared \u201cuncomfortable and gross\u201d details about his sperm extraction. At lunch the same day, Ruiz says she sat quietly by while the couple loudly argued about the sex of their baby. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe minute I got home, I called the caseworker and told her what he said to me. And she goes, \u2018Oh, he\u2019s just being silly,\u2019\u201d Ruiz said. \u201cAnd I was just like, \u2018No, this is inappropriate. Why are you making excuses?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After her embryo transfer in July 2022, hospital documents show Ruiz was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe type of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that leads to extreme dehydration and weight loss. She became sick to the point of needing an IV, while her paid care for needs like these was an hour away. <\/p>\n<p>Ruiz\u2019s worst fears came true when she went to one of her distance appointments with the woman renting her body, only to get a call from her son\u2019s school saying he was having a panic attack and needed his mom. Ruiz had to wait until the appointment was over to make the near-hour trek back to pick up her son. An email from the woman paying to use Ruiz\u2019s body substantiates this incident.<\/p>\n<p>Health records she shared with The Federalist show Ruiz went to the emergency room multiple times for pregnancy-related complications. She eventually went into preterm labor and rushed to the hospital she knew the secondary insurance would cover. Communications provided to The Federalist show she repeatedly asked to deliver the baby at a hospital closer to her home that she wasn\u2019t sure would be covered by the surrogacy insurance. <\/p>\n<p>A call with a surrogacy lawyer empowered Ruiz to go to a hospital nearby: \u201cShe goes, \u2018You know what, this is your life on the line now. Sign yourself out and go to a hospital that\u2019s actually willing to help you.\u2019 And so I did,\u201d Ruiz said. <\/p>\n<p>When Ruiz arrived, the obstetrician told her she needed to deliver. During labor, the baby\u2019s heart rate began to drop, Ruiz says. Pushing at nine centimeters dilation to potentially save his life by delivering him faster, Ruiz said, \u201cwas one of the most painful things I had ever done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She says the hospital sent the baby to the nursery alone to wait for his parents while she received iron infusions for excessive bleeding. She had also taken the infusions for months leading up to the birth, hospital documents Ruiz showed The Federalist indicate. When she asked to see the baby to say goodbye, the intended parents denied her a visit, according to messages between Ruiz and agency staff.<\/p>\n<p>Postpartum recovery for Ruiz was also difficult. She says she bled for 19 weeks, discovered her teeth were eroded, and had back pain. She says she was also diagnosed with secondary infertility, the inability to become pregnant or give birth after previously doing so, and tension with her husband increased.<\/p>\n<p>She tried to take the couple who rented her body to small claims court to recover medical costs the couple\u2019s insurance did not cover, but was deterred after they hired a personal injury attorney, shows an email with the attorney Ruiz sent The Federalist.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was admitted to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/girl-convicted-in-slender-man-stabbing-case-makes-request-for-early-release\/\" title=\"Girl convicted in Slender Man stabbing case makes request for early release\">mental health facility<\/a> for two months just from all the trauma and the stress of constantly having to fight them for money that part of the contract said was supposed to be mine regardless,\u201d Ruiz said. Health care records she sent The Federalist confirm her two-month treatment.<\/p>\n<p>When The Federalist asked the International Surrogacy Center (ISC) about Ruiz\u2019s claims, Founder and Executive Chairman Maria Valencia refused to give a detailed response based on the agency\u2019s confidentiality policy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a contract with all surrogates and intended parents who go through our program that prohibits disclosure as to whether they are (or were) our clients and also prohibits discussing confidential matters with the media,\u201d she wrote in an email to The Federalist.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, Valencia shared ISC\u2019s generic policy on pregnancy complications.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf there is a surrogate or intended parent who is going through complications, medical issues, or any kind of challenging time, we are in continuous contact with them several times a week (through texts, emails, phone calls, and video calls) to assist and support them in any way we can and connect them with resources,\u201d Valencia continued.<\/p>\n<p>Valencia also said financial arrangements between surrogates and intended parents are determined at the beginning of the surrogacy process.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSurrogacy agreements stipulate that all medical bills related to the surrogacy journey will be reimbursed to the surrogate or paid directly by the intended parent within the agreed-upon timeframe through an escrow account that is established and fully funded before the journey begins,\u201d Valencia concluded. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">With Surrogacy, Everybody Loses<\/h2>\n<p>Ruiz said she\u2019s in a better place now, but warns other women who may be enticed by fertility industry advertising and media coverage that downplays these kinds of risks. Surrogacy often manifests negative physical, mental, and emotional effects on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/marriage-and-family\/commentary\/how-surrogacy-harms-women-and-children\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gestational<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thembeforeus.com\/dear-legislative-allies-this-is-how-surrogacy-harms-children\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">carriers<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2018\/05\/180503142724.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">babies they carry<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/05\/26\/khloe-kardashian-explains-everything-wrong-with-self-serving-surrogacy-its-such-a-transactional-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">intended parents<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom the beginning, there\u2019s going be trauma in those babies\u2019 lives. I think that they are ripped apart from everything they\u2019ve ever known from the beginning,\u201d Ruiz said. \u201cI do think that they have a rough road ahead of them because they are now going to be raised by strangers.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Ruiz said she thinks children carried by surrogates also feel pressure to be \u201cthe perfect child\u201d because their parents spent so much money on their conception and birth. She also said her experience has made her examine the motivations of people who use assisted reproductive technology (ART) and surrogacy to purchase children: \u201cAdoption is very much a real thing. Adoption is a less expensive thing. So is it really that you want a child or that you want to design your child?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When asked if she would ever do surrogacy again, Ruiz responded, \u201cGod, no.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I would never, ever, ever encourage any other woman to do it,\u201d she added. \u201cThe first time it worked out and then the second time, I obviously ended up spending most of that money on just trying to stay alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ruiz said she\u2019s shocked that, despite publicly available information and stories like hers about the risks of surrogacy, California continues to be \u201ca free-for-all all\u201d for trade in human bodies and body parts. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think I have a hard time knowing that, in this day and age, the government is turning a blind eye to what\u2019s really going on, which is trafficking under the guise of giving the gift of life to \u2018deserving couple,\u2019\u201d Ruiz said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/12\/04\/the-conservative-pro-life-case-against-surrogacy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>[RELATED: The Conservative, Pro-Life Case Against Surrogacy]<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-7e282e959b68a54e221f3b2128f560fc fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-7e282e959b68a54e221f3b2128f560fc\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gloria Ruiz, a gestational surrogate, initially believed she was aiding infertile families. After two pregnancies for others, she questions the selflessness. Doubts arise about sacrificing her well-being for those seeking parenthood through surrogacy, contrary to agency portrayals<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":490,"featured_media":2224977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Untitled-design-2.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2224976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Untitled-design-2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2224976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/490"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2224976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2224976\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2224977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2224976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2224976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2224976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}