San Diego Mother Acting as Surrogate for Another Family Dies While Giving Birth

ktla ^ | 01/20/2020

[BenLurkin]

A mother of two who was acting as a surrogate for another family, died during childbirth, according to a GoFundMe created to help the family.

Michelle Reaves, described as a “mama, wifey and beautiful soul,” passed away last week due to complications while giving birth.

After Reaves and her husband birthed their own children, they decided to help other families have babies, according to the GoFundMe. This was Reaves’ second time being a surrogate for the same family.

[C19fan]

There has to be some insurance policy provided by the rent a womb payees?

[BenLurkin]

You’d think so, otherwise, the father and mother of the newborn will be more than ready to recompense the decedent’s family for their loss, I’m sure

[knarf]

THIS should be a sticky wicket

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Christian/Catholic bioethical perspective
https://sites.sju.edu/icb/is-surrogate-motherhood-ethical-for-the-roman-catholic-church/

[NEMDF]

(Admit to not having read the article...) Sounds like they tried to “birth” this child, at home, with no medical professionals in attendance?

[4yearlurker]

My daughter is thinking about doing this and has already started the process. She has two little girls of her own so it won’t be new to her.

[FamiliarFace]

You do realize that the woman who died in childbirth already had two of her own children, right? This wasn’t new to her either.

[4yearlurker]

My daughter won’t do anything but C section birth. She is also in the medical field.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I would gently counsel against this for both your daughter's and the (future) baby's sake.

The gestational mother and the little one are bonding emotionally for nine months, culminating in the "climactic" peak experience of birth (plus making those intricate interconnections, physical and psychic, which we as yet barely grasp) -- and then severed deliberately. This is a primal wound situation.

In addition to this, you have all the physical, social and moral problems associated with IVF, including the callous disposal of surplus embryonic human offspring.

The couple with the fertility problem needs to try to heal their fertility, not outsource it.

[dhs12345]

But there is always a risk. Hopefully, she makes sure that her girls are taken care of if, God forbid, something happens to her.

[dhs12345]

“Regular” birth is not a trivial thing. Just 100 years ago a significant number of babies and mothers didn't survive. And those who survived suffered greatly because of some medical issue or died later because of infection, hemorrhage, etc...

[fwdude]

Let me guess. She was doing this for a couple of faggots?

[paterfamilias]

“My daughter won’t do anything but C section birth. She is also in the medical field.”

U.S. mortality rate (2015) of Caesarian sections is 22.7 per 100,000.

Add to this the morbidity of Caesarian sections, e.g. hemorrhage, post-operative infections, hysterectomy, anesthesia complications, etc. and the risk to the surrogate mother is not trivial.

I have been a physician for 44 years: my definition of “major surgery” is: any operation I am having.

I hope your daughter chooses wisely.

[leaning conservative]

My hairdresser, who owns her salon, has 3 children of her own & has been a surrogate twice. Tell your daughter many blessings.

[leaning conservative]

Continuing the FR tradition ; )

[fwdude]

This additional information from The Center for Bioethics and Culture:

BREAKING: Another US Surrogate Mother Has Died

An article online incorrectly states “the risks of being a surrogate mother are the same as for every pregnancy.” This is not true. Recent studies have shown that surrogate pregnancies are different and are high-risk. Studies show that women pregnant with donor eggs (as in gestational surrogacy) have a more than three-fold risk of developing pregnancy induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia.

Also, we are under the assumption that Michelle was being paid for this surrogacy. Surrogacy often depends on the exploitation of lower income and poor women by those with means to pay for an expensive surrogacy arrangement. These unequal transactions result in women often not being adequately informed of the risks to their health.

[NEMDF]

Just trying to be honest... a disclosure of sorts. Have a good evening!

[leaning conservative]

You too!

[null and void]

Ignaz Semmelweis was hounded out of the medical profession and into an insane asylum for daring to suggest that maybe it was a good idea for doctors to wash their hands when going directly from an autopsy to delivering a baby...