#surrogacy 
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#surrogate

Kayla’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayla_rees85?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

A midwife from Adelaide joins us to unpack what Australian surrogacy really looks like when there are no agencies, no compensation, and a culture grounded in trust. Kayla walks us through how “teams” form through communities and friendships, why counseling and non-enforceable contracts still matter, and how parentage transfers after birth. We compare systems with the U.S., from single-embryo policies and no sex selection to the three-month embryo quarantine that surprised her—and the fully unmedicated transfer that worked on the first try.

The heart of this story beats in the details: choosing private care within a universal system to pursue a VBAC after two C-sections; a brief parvovirus scare that prompted careful monitoring; and the day labor went from calm to critical with a half-hour dash to the hospital. Kayla delivered standing by the bed, welcomed the intended parents moments before birth, and chose immediate skin-to-skin for closure and physiology. She offered early breastfeeding, then pumped until it began crowding family life. Postpartum, the dads stayed nearby for weeks, helping “wean” contact thoughtfully so her body and heart could settle while real friendships deepened.

We also get honest about money, ethics, and reform. Kayla once feared compensation would undercut connection. Now she notices who gets paid—clinics, lawyers, counselors—while the surrogate does the heavy lifting. She supports a fair, modest compensation model that respects the work without pricing out families, and she’s watching Australia’s push toward federal harmonization with hope. If you’re curious about how autonomy, informed consent, and genuine relationships can shape a modern surrogacy journey, this conversation offers rare clarity and warmth.

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