Labor of Love: Gestational Surrogacy and the Work of Making Babies (Families in Focus)

Synopsis

Heather Jacobson Interviews Not Only Surrogate Mothers, But Also Their Family Members, The Intended Parents Who Employ Surrogates, And The Various Professionals Who Work To Facilitate The Process. Seeking To Understand How Gestational Surrogates Perceive Their Vocation, She Discovers That Many Regard Surrogacy As A Calling, But Are Reluctant To Describe It As A Job. In The Process, Jacobson Dissects The Complex Set Of Social Attitudes Underlying This Resistance Toward Conceiving Of Pregnancy As A Form Of Employment. Through Her Extensive Field Research, Jacobson Gives Readers A Firsthand Look At The Many Challenges Faced By Gestational Surrogates, Who Deal With Complicated Medical Procedures, Delicate Work-family Balances, And Tricky Social Dynamics--provided By Publisher. Conceptions -- Making Reproduction Profitable: The Contemporary Surrogacy Market -- Laboring To Conceive: Surrogacy As Work -- Managing Relations: Surrogates And Their Intended Parents -- Working From Home: Surrogates And Their Families -- Obscured Labor. Heather Jacobson. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 185-196) And Index.