July 30 - Serenity Birthing Resort

A young, well-dressed couple sat in the office of Linda Gladstone, assistant director of marketing and outreach for Serenity Birthing Resort.
"Well, yes. To answer your question, we do have our own in-house genetic engineering department that monitors the growth and development of all of Serenity's youngest residents; however, many parents also feel more comfortable with regular visits from their own bioengineers as well."
"I hope you don't mind all our questions," said the young husband.
"Of course not," Linda said. "Finding the right birthing center is one of the biggest decisions you will make for your child. Please ask all the questions you like."
"Another one of my--our--concerns is language," the woman said.
"Yes, of course. Now, your surrogate is from," she glanced at her monitor, "The Democratic Republic of Nepal. You went through Annapurna Surrogates?"
"Yes."
"Good choice. On both counts. The Nepalese surrogates we've hosted have been incredibly easy to work with. For whatever reason, they really seem to have a calming influence on the other surrogates. Since the DRN reopened their borders, we've seen a big influx in Nepalese surrogates. It's like the Ukraine Federation of the '40s. And Annapurna Surrogates is incredibly selective. They reject more than 99% of applications from would be surrogates. So, again, good choice, but I'm sure you already know that. Anyway, about language: Concerning your case, we do have three care coordinators on staff who are fluent in Nepalese, so she'll be well taken care of. And of course we encourage all the surrogates at Serenity to take advantage of our free ESL classes, which most of them do with excellent results."
"How much of a problem is language at Serenity? We understand you have surrogates there from all around the world."
"Well, it is an issue. We always make every effort to have care coordinators on staff who speak the surrogates' language or languages; however, it's not always possible. At any one time, we have over 10,000 surrogate that speak more than 300 different first languages. What's more, the majority of them are illiterate in their native language, which, obviously presents a whole new host of challenges. That's why, as much as possible, we've largely taken language out of the equation for PEP, our Prenatal Education Program. Nowadays, more than 90% of PEP is conducted nonverbally via diagrams, animated films, and life-sized animatronic replicants. "
"Robots," the man said.
"That's a bit un-PC, don't you think?" his wife said.
Linda laughed. "You and my husband would get along. Yes, robots, replicants, whatever you want to call them. The surrogates really respond to them, which never fails to amaze some of the care coordinators."
"Why's that?"
"Well, they--the care coordinators-- just assume that the surrogates won't be comfortable around robots or replicants or whatever because they're so out of their frame of reference. As you know, almost all of our surrogates come from very underdeveloped countries. Pretty much everything about this whole experience is new to them, so it can be overwhelming at first. But the replicants are very well programmed and incredibly attentive, and the women find them quite comforting." She smiled and shrugged.
"Now, what about the 'glowshops'? I get it, but my wife still has some misgivings about the whole issue. Could you help put her mind at ease?"
"You read the Simmons article."
They nodded.
"Well, first off, let me say that you are absolutely right to be concerned. You would have to be inhuman not to be. There were some serious allegations in that article. And while I feel like we have always been an open book of transparency at Serenity--and by the way, so do the American Surrogates Council, the American Pediatrics Council, the AMA, the International Coalition of Labor Standards, you name it--it's understandable to have some doubts, and I'm very glad you brought this issue up.
"Surrogates generally spend at least nine months, often longer, at our birthing resort. During this time, their health and safety and the health and safety of your child are our top priorities. Their diet, health care, education, counseling, and monitoring all greatly exceed ASC standards. Ask any surrogate--and we encourage you to do so during our tour of the campus later on--and they'll assure that they are well taken care of. And the final six weeks of pregnancy in particular are like a vacation. Lots of time in tranquility spas and nature simulators. During the home stretch of pregnancy, your surrogate will experience the sort of pampering and luxury that would make mega-celebs and royalty envious.
"However, during the months preceding that time, we encourage your surrogate to stay active through exercise, classes, and, yes, employment. There are several reasons for this. One is that having a working surrogate can help offset the financial burden of an extended stay at a birthing center. Although study after study has proven that for couples in certain higher level income brackets such as yours, it is more economically feasible to outsource their pregnancy to a surrogate than it is to absorb the financial hit that is incurred in unpaid pregnancy leave, birthing centers in general--and birthing resorts in particular--can get expensive. Having a surrogate that works, even part-time, can help.
"Moreover, many women use their experience as a surrogate as their first step toward citizenship. By joining an artisan group or ethnic crafts workshop, they can learn valuable skills that will make them infinitely more attractive to prospective employers in the future.
"Finally, and this can't be overstated, it is incredibly beneficial to both the mental and emotional health of the surrogate to be as active as possible during the pregnancy."
The man looked at his wife. "OK?"
"I'm sorry I'm so concerned about the possibility that the woman who is carrying our child might be forced to engage in slave labor. Forgive me."
"It's a legitimate concern," said Linda. "During the last 10 years, the birthing center/birthing resort industry has experienced tremendous growth, but unfortunately, government oversight hasn't always kept pace. However, Serenity has always been committed to having greater governmental regulations of the industry. And you should be suspicious of any organization that isn't."
The woman seemed reluctantly satisfied. "We'll be able to visit her, of course."
"Absolutely. We encourage biweekly visits, particularly during the beginning and toward the end of the pregnancy. These visits really help to put everyone's mind more at ease. It's a big change and it helps to go through it together. At Serenity, we recognize that birthing through a surrogate isn't just any business partnership. It's a partnership for life."