Someone Else's Child

Overview

In her late thirties, with three children of her own, Sue Phillips made the decision to carry a baby for a couple who were unable to conceive; she was not asked to do so nor was she to benefit financially as a result. The only memoir of its kind, this account gives a human voice to this very clinical and legal process. Based on Phillips’s journal, this book details her journey as she considers the possible ramifications on her family and experiences the minefield of bureaucratic, legal, and ethical complexities, the challenges of the IVF process, the pregnancy itself, and, of course, the aftermath of the birth and its effects on all concerned. Thought-provoking and incredibly moving, it exposes the emotional truth of what it is to become a surrogate: the inherent joys, the intensity of the relationships, the personal doubts and repercussions, and the legal uncertainty surrounding the rapidly increasing use of artificial reproductive technology.

Author Biography

Sue Phillips is the manager of Children and Family Services at Uniting Care, the community services network of the Uniting Church, in Canberra, Australia.