Surrogacy Australia Conversations

Anna McKie

Join Anna McKie in conversation with surrogates and parents who have navigated Australian altruistic surrogacy. Anna is a gestational surrogate, high school Math teacher and surrogacy educator working with Surrogacy Australia and running SASS (Surrogacy Australia’s Support Service). These conversations were recorded as part of the free webinar series run by Surrogacy Australia. Dates and registration links on the website. To see the photos described in the recordings, find them on YouTube. Follow Surrogacy Australia on facebook and instagram.

  1. 153. A quick and fast journey (uncommon!)

    3 DAYS AGO

    153. A quick and fast journey (uncommon!)

    Aaron and Jake from Adelaide became parents to baby boy Xavier in December 2019 when their surrogate, and now life long friend, Amber, birthed as a Traditional Surrogate (her egg). Aaron is passionate about sharing their journey as 2 dads, supporting others who are the beginning of their surrogacy journey, and was also a Parent Mentor for SASS. They now live in Brisbane.  These podcasts were recorded as part of the free webinar series run by Surrogacy Australia. If you would like to attend one, head to our website for dates and registration links. They can also be found on our YouTube channel so you can see the photos that are described in the recordings. Follow Surrogacy Australia on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.  https://www.surrogacyaustralia.org/podcast/episode-153-aaron-gay-dad/ Watch this episode on youtube Looking to find a surrogate in Australia? Consider joining SASS. Looking for an overview of surrogacy? Join us in a free, fortnightly Wednesday night webinar. Looking to chat with other IPs and surrogates in a casual setting? Join us for a monthly Zoom catch up, one Friday of each month.  Looking to hear stories from parents through surrogacy and surrogates? Listen to our podcast series or watch episodes on our YouTube channel.  Looking for support one-on-one? Register for SASS to connect with me - your Siri for Surrogacy, or book in for a private consultation sass@surrogacyaustralia.org About me: My name is Anna McKie and I’m a part time high school senior Math teacher, single mum with two children in Adelaide, South Australia and birthed as a surrogate in September 2020 for two Dads. I’ve also been an egg donor for 3 families, and 2 of those were for surrogacy teams. I have been closely involved in the Australian surrogacy community since 2016 and am responsible for the day-to-day administration of Surrogacy Australia's Support Service (SASS). I’m passionate about the surrogacy community (the village) and that people should be able to navigate surrogacy in Australia without being on Facebook. That was part of our motivation for creating SASS, the monthly zoom catch ups and the free webinars. Within SASS we have a Mentor program, so you can be connected with a peer to meet in person and to ask questions without fear of online judgement.  Contact… Facebook: @surrogacyforaustralians Instagram: @surrogacyaustralia YouTube: @surrogacy.australia Website: www.surrogacyaustralia.org Email: sass@surrogacyaustralia.org Welcome to the Village 🥰

    35 min
  2. 152. My hormones were wild

    10 MAY

    152. My hormones were wild

    Marlena and her wife, Merrin, live in Newcastle with their 2 young sons and she birthed little boy, Ezra, as a surrogate in August 2025. She met her IPs (Intended Parents) Jamie and Kody through our Surrogacy Australia Monthly Zoom Catch Ups, of which they are all regulars. Marlena was initially dating some IPs prior to the ones she carried for, so it took around 3 years from when she went looking until she birthed. Marlena has spoken at surrogacy conferences, contributed to our Surrogacy Australia Board, and advocates for surrogacy at every chance she gets! These podcasts were recorded as part of the free webinar series run by Surrogacy Australia. If you would like to attend one, head to our website for dates and registration links. They can also be found on our YouTube channel so you can see the photos that are described in the recordings. Follow Surrogacy Australia on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.  https://www.surrogacyaustralia.org/podcast/episode-152-marlena-surrogate/ Watch this episode on youtube Looking to find a surrogate in Australia? Consider joining SASS. Looking for an overview of surrogacy? Join us in a free, fortnightly Wednesday night webinar. Looking to chat with other IPs and surrogates in a casual setting? Join us for a monthly Zoom catch up, one Friday of each month.  Looking to hear stories from parents through surrogacy and surrogates? Listen to our podcast series or watch episodes on our YouTube channel.  Looking for support one-on-one? Register for SASS to connect with me - your Siri for Surrogacy, or book in for a private consultation sass@surrogacyaustralia.org About me: My name is Anna McKie and I’m a part time high school senior Math teacher, single mum with two children in Adelaide, South Australia and birthed as a surrogate in September 2020 for two Dads. I’ve also been an egg donor for 3 families, and 2 of those were for surrogacy teams. I have been closely involved in the Australian surrogacy community since 2016 and am responsible for the day-to-day administration of Surrogacy Australia's Support Service (SASS). I’m passionate about the surrogacy community (the village) and that people should be able to navigate surrogacy in Australia without being on Facebook. That was part of our motivation for creating SASS, the monthly zoom catch ups and the free webinars. Within SASS we have a Mentor program, so you can be connected with a peer to meet in person and to ask questions without fear of online judgement.  Contact… Facebook: @surrogacyforaustralians Instagram: @surrogacyaustralia YouTube: @surrogacy.australia Website: www.surrogacyaustralia.org Email: sass@surrogacyaustralia.org Welcome to the Village 🥰

    29 min
  3. 151. Ideas for IPs (Intended Parents) in waiting #7

    3 MAY

    151. Ideas for IPs (Intended Parents) in waiting #7

    This series of episodes springs from my work with SASS (Surrogacy Australia’s Support Service). When Intended Parents (IPs) have completed their profile and are in the pool of IPs waiting to connect with a surrogate, I do monthly check-ins to make sure they’re still active and waiting. I like to give some guidance and support along the way because the waiting game can be hard. This series of episodes is designed as though they are a letter to the waiting IPs. Links as mentioned in the episode: Spreading the Word Facebook group Australian Surrogacy and Donation Zoom monthly catch ups through Surrogacy Australia. Check out the full episode show notes: https://www.surrogacyaustralia.org/podcast/episode-151-ideas-for-ips-intended-parents-in-waiting Looking to find a surrogate in Australia? Consider joining SASS. Looking for an overview of surrogacy? Join us in a free, fortnightly Wednesday night webinar. Looking to chat with other IPs and surrogates in a casual setting? Join us for a monthly Zoom catch up, one Friday of each month.  Looking to hear stories from parents through surrogacy and surrogates? Listen to our podcast series or watch episodes on our YouTube channel.  Looking for support one-on-one? Register for SASS to connect with me - your Siri for Surrogacy, or book in for a private consultation sass@surrogacyaustralia.org

    4 min
  4. 150. Just because you could, doesn’t mean you should

    26 APR

    150. Just because you could, doesn’t mean you should

    Kody and his husband Jamie from Melbourne, became dads to their son Ezra in August 2025. Their surrogate, Marlena, lives with her wife and two sons in Newcastle. Their team connected through our Surrogacy Australia Monthly Zoom Catch Ups - so surrogacy with strangers really does happen. Their egg donor, Shannon, was also previously a stranger that they met through Egg Donation Australia. Kody and Jamie advocate for surrogacy by speaking at conferences, hosting our Zoom monthly catch ups, being active in the communities and supporting those at all stages of their journey. You can hear from Kody’s surrogate, Marlena, in episode number 152.  These podcasts were recorded as part of the free webinar series run by Surrogacy Australia. If you would like to attend one, head to our website for dates and registration links. They can also be found on our YouTube channel so you can see the photos that are described in the recordings. Follow Surrogacy Australia on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.  https://www.surrogacyaustralia.org/podcast/episode-150-kody-gay-dad Watch this episode on youtube Looking to find a surrogate in Australia? Consider joining SASS. Looking for an overview of surrogacy? Join us in a free, fortnightly Wednesday night webinar. Looking to chat with other IPs and surrogates in a casual setting? Join us for a monthly Zoom catch up, one Friday of each month.  Looking to hear stories from parents through surrogacy and surrogates? Listen to our podcast series or watch episodes on our YouTube channel.  Looking for support one-on-one? Register for SASS to connect with me - your Siri for Surrogacy, or book in for a private consultation sass@surrogacyaustralia.org About me: My name is Anna McKie and I’m a part time high school senior Math teacher, single mum with two children in Adelaide, South Australia and birthed as a surrogate in September 2020 for two Dads. I’ve also been an egg donor for 3 families, and 2 of those were for surrogacy teams. I have been closely involved in the Australian surrogacy community since 2016 and am responsible for the day-to-day administration of Surrogacy Australia's Support Service (SASS). I’m passionate about the surrogacy community (the village) and that people should be able to navigate surrogacy in Australia without being on Facebook. That was part of our motivation for creating SASS, the monthly zoom catch ups and the free webinars. Within SASS we have a Mentor program, so you can be connected with a peer to meet in person and to ask questions without fear of online judgement.  Contact… Facebook: @surrogacyforaustralians Instagram: @surrogacyaustralia YouTube: @surrogacy.australia Website: www.surrogacyaustralia.org Email: sass@surrogacyaustralia.org Welcome to the Village 🥰

    38 min
  5. 149. A surrogate can’t find you if she can’t see you.

    19 APR

    149. A surrogate can’t find you if she can’t see you.

    Felicity from Canberra became mum to Jackson in June 2017 and then Harper in April 2020. They were carried by their now life long friend Kristy via gestational surrogacy arrangements in the USA. Felicity suffered from infertility, miscarriage and the loss of her baby daughter Lily, before eventually needing surrogacy. Flick, as most of us know her by, has been active in the Australian surrogacy community for many years, including being an admin for the facebook group ASC for many years. She is all about friendship first for surrogacy, be that in Australia or overseas, and she shares her insights into how to connect with people in Australia. These podcasts were recorded as part of the free webinar series run by Surrogacy Australia. If you would like to attend one, head to our website for dates and registration links. They can also be found on our YouTube channel so you can see the photos that are described in the recordings. Follow Surrogacy Australia on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.  https://www.surrogacyaustralia.org/podcast/episode-149-flick-mum Watch this episode on youtube Looking to find a surrogate in Australia? Consider joining SASS. Looking for an overview of surrogacy? Join us in a free, fortnightly Wednesday night webinar. Looking to chat with other IPs and surrogates in a casual setting? Join us for a monthly Zoom catch up, one Friday of each month.  Looking to hear stories from parents through surrogacy and surrogates? Listen to our podcast series or watch episodes on our YouTube channel.  Looking for support one-on-one? Register for SASS to connect with me - your Siri for Surrogacy, or book in for a private consultation sass@surrogacyaustralia.org About me: My name is Anna McKie and I’m a part time high school senior Math teacher, single mum with two children in Adelaide, South Australia and birthed as a surrogate in September 2020 for two Dads. I’ve also been an egg donor for 3 families, and 2 of those were for surrogacy teams. I have been closely involved in the Australian surrogacy community since 2016 and am responsible for the day-to-day administration of Surrogacy Australia's Support Service (SASS). I’m passionate about the surrogacy community (the village) and that people should be able to navigate surrogacy in Australia without being on Facebook. That was part of our motivation for creating SASS, the monthly zoom catch ups and the free webinars. Within SASS we have a Mentor program, so you can be connected with a peer to meet in person and to ask questions without fear of online judgement.  Contact… Facebook: @surrogacyforaustralians Instagram: @surrogacyaustralia YouTube: @surrogacy.australia Website: www.surrogacyaustralia.org Email: sass@surrogacyaustralia.org Welcome to the Village 🥰

    35 min
  6. 148. You need to be different to make a difference

    12 APR

    148. You need to be different to make a difference

    Hear from Dr Glenn Sterling (IVF Specialist and founder of Life Fertility) when he was co-host on our webinar series. ❤️ How are the eggs collected from my donor? 🧡 How are the embryos made and genetically tested? 💛 What tests will the surrogate need? 💚 How is a surrogate's menstrual cycle tracked prior to embryo transfer? 💙 Can a surrogate have a natural cycle instead of medicated? 💜 What do Intended Parents most often underestimate emotionally? https://www.lifefertility.com.au/ These podcasts were recorded as part of the free webinar series run by Surrogacy Australia. If you would like to attend one, head to our website for dates and registration links. They can also be found on our YouTube channel so you can see the photos that are described in the recordings. Follow Surrogacy Australia on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.  https://www.surrogacyaustralia.org/podcast/episode-148-dr-glenn-sterling-ivf-specialist Watch this episode on youtube Looking to find a surrogate in Australia? Consider joining SASS. Looking for an overview of surrogacy? Join us in a free, fortnightly Wednesday night webinar. Looking to chat with other IPs and surrogates in a casual setting? Join us for a monthly Zoom catch up, one Friday of each month.  Looking to hear stories from parents through surrogacy and surrogates? Listen to our podcast series or watch episodes on our YouTube channel.  Looking for support one-on-one? Register for SASS to connect with me - your Siri for Surrogacy, or book in for a private consultation sass@surrogacyaustralia.org About me: My name is Anna McKie and I’m a part time high school senior Math teacher, single mum with two children in Adelaide, South Australia and birthed as a surrogate in September 2020 for two Dads. I’ve also been an egg donor for 3 families, and 2 of those were for surrogacy teams. I have been closely involved in the Australian surrogacy community since 2016 and am responsible for the day-to-day administration of Surrogacy Australia's Support Service (SASS). I’m passionate about the surrogacy community (the village) and that people should be able to navigate surrogacy in Australia without being on Facebook. That was part of our motivation for creating SASS, the monthly zoom catch ups and the free webinars. Within SASS we have a Mentor program, so you can be connected with a peer to meet in person and to ask questions without fear of online judgement.  Contact… Facebook: @surrogacyforaustralians Instagram: @surrogacyaustralia YouTube: @surrogacy.australia Website: www.surrogacyaustralia.org Email: sass@surrogacyaustralia.org Welcome to the Village 🥰

    58 min
  7. 147. Our team cheated

    5 APR

    147. Our team cheated

    Brie birthed as a surrogate in Brisbane in February 2025 for her brother Brendan and his wife Laura. They had a little boy, Mason, and the journey was a long distance one with the IPs living in Penrith, NSW. Brie lives with her husband and 3 children and she has connected with many other surrogates through in person catch ups and the online communities. These podcasts were recorded as part of the free webinar series run by Surrogacy Australia. If you would like to attend one, head to our website for dates and registration links. They can also be found on our YouTube channel so you can see the photos that are described in the recordings. Follow Surrogacy Australia on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.  https://www.surrogacyaustralia.org/podcast/episode-147-brie-surrogate Watch this episode on youtube Looking to find a surrogate in Australia? Consider joining SASS. Looking for an overview of surrogacy? Join us in a free, fortnightly Wednesday night webinar. Looking to chat with other IPs and surrogates in a casual setting? Join us for a monthly Zoom catch up, one Friday of each month.  Looking to hear stories from parents through surrogacy and surrogates? Listen to our podcast series or watch episodes on our YouTube channel.  Looking for support one-on-one? Register for SASS to connect with me - your Siri for Surrogacy, or book in for a private consultation sass@surrogacyaustralia.org About me: My name is Anna McKie and I’m a part time high school senior Math teacher, single mum with two children in Adelaide, South Australia and birthed as a surrogate in September 2020 for two Dads. I’ve also been an egg donor for 3 families, and 2 of those were for surrogacy teams. I have been closely involved in the Australian surrogacy community since 2016 and am responsible for the day-to-day administration of Surrogacy Australia's Support Service (SASS). I’m passionate about the surrogacy community (the village) and that people should be able to navigate surrogacy in Australia without being on Facebook. That was part of our motivation for creating SASS, the monthly zoom catch ups and the free webinars. Within SASS we have a Mentor program, so you can be connected with a peer to meet in person and to ask questions without fear of online judgement.  Contact… Facebook: @surrogacyforaustralians Instagram: @surrogacyaustralia YouTube: @surrogacy.australia Website: www.surrogacyaustralia.org Email: sass@surrogacyaustralia.org Welcome to the Village 🥰

    26 min
  8. 146. Do I qualify for surrogacy?

    29 MAR

    146. Do I qualify for surrogacy?

    This question is relevant for both IPs (Intended Parents) and surrogates.  For IPs - basically you need to not have a uterus (be a same sex male couple, or a single man, or were born without a uterus, or have had a hysterectomy), or have confirmation from a specialist that carrying a pregnancy is too great a risk to yourself or the baby.  For surrogates - basically you need to be fit and healthy enough to have another pregnancy, for example, if you were to have another child for your own family. Check out the full episode show notes: https://www.surrogacyaustralia.org/podcast/episode-146-do-i-qualify-for-surrogacy Looking to find a surrogate in Australia? Consider joining SASS. Looking for an overview of surrogacy? Join us in a free, fortnightly Wednesday night webinar. Looking to chat with other IPs and surrogates in a casual setting? Join us for a monthly Zoom catch up, one Friday of each month.  Looking to hear stories from parents through surrogacy and surrogates? Listen to our podcast series or watch episodes on our YouTube channel.  Looking for support one-on-one? Register for SASS to connect with me - your Siri for Surrogacy, or book in for a private consultation sass@surrogacyaustralia.org

    7 min
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About

Join Anna McKie in conversation with surrogates and parents who have navigated Australian altruistic surrogacy. Anna is a gestational surrogate, high school Math teacher and surrogacy educator working with Surrogacy Australia and running SASS (Surrogacy Australia’s Support Service). These conversations were recorded as part of the free webinar series run by Surrogacy Australia. Dates and registration links on the website. To see the photos described in the recordings, find them on YouTube. Follow Surrogacy Australia on facebook and instagram.

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