SPECIAL RELEASE LOCAL EPISODE! 

- Mom at 16, step-mom, and surprise baby at 20, paternal infertility

- Four-time surrogate

- She currently works as a director at SurrogateFirst

- She is a pro-life surrogate

- Ashley is very well-known in the surrogacy industry for her work advocating for all surrogates 

Surrogacy and religion: 

• Ashley Mareko is a four-time surrogate who is pro-life and was working in ministry during her first surrogacy journey and part of her second surrogacy journey. Due to her employment agreement, she had to get approval from a board and the pastors. She loves religion and has studied religion and their origins for more than 20 years. Her current Baptist church is okay with surrogacy, as long as all embryos have a chance at life. 

FIND HER HERE:

https://www.instagram.com/ashleysurrogatefirst/?hl=en

https://www.tiktok.com/@surro1st.ash?lang=en

Surrogacy Awareness Month is March and here is some INFO!

• There has been a 400% increase in Black and Latina surrogates:

• More single women are becoming surrogates: 

• Surrogacy education is happening on TikTok:

• link.com/BzmMJHP5ecvHLAIKIQ028_42/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40mamayessenia">Yessenia Latorre and link.com/BzmMJHPo6E49bbzyNAc-GOoy/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40zarahjanai_21">Zarah Hilliard are sharing their surrogacy experiences on social media like TikTok to educate others who may be interested in surrogacy. 

• Increase in support for LGBTQ couples: 

• The number of surrogates open to carrying for same-sex intended parents increased from 32% in 2020 to 75% in 2023. Zarah Hilliard, a same-sex surrogate who carried for a same-sex couple is happy to share her story. Her intended parents are also available for an interview. 

• Higher transfer rates: First time transfer success rates of 88% for surrogates are considerably higher than the national US average of 45.5% for women under 35 years old:

• screening and improved medical protocols that lead to such high success rates. 

• Surrogacy total compensation is set to increase by 20%:

• there will be an increase in total compensation for surrogates in 2024 and beyond. 

FROM A FRIEND AND SURROGATE IN NEVADA:

While Surrogacy is awesome, companies that embezzle from IPs and surrogates have been an issue.

EWS is no longer, or closing down I should say. The owner Kenia German is meant to be arrested anytime now. She has over $1 million of combined embezzlement.

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message