Surrogate Classified Ad

I mentioned in my last post that our doctor asked where he could find more great surrogates like J. This made me think, what characteristics make a great surrogate? It takes a really special person, but what does that mean exactly? If I were to write a classified ad based on our experience thus far, here's how it would go:

Looking for an amazing person who meets the following requirements:
--Willing to go through all the physcial and emotional demands of pregnancy for 9 months, but give the baby to someone else at the end.
--Willing to carry multiple babies - sometimes even more than twins - given the increased likelihood of multiple gestation due to IVF procedure
--Willing to literally risk your own life given that any pregnancy can have dangerous complications regardless of past pregnancies
--Willing to administer daily shots to stomach and/or hip for twelve weeks
--Have spouse or other family members willing to help take care of your own children while you are away at appointments
--Willing and able to explain what's going on to your own children and manage the impact that it can have on them
--Have an ENORMOUS amount of patience to deal with the unusual yet characteristic stress of the intended (infertile) parents, who will constantly be asking questions, and freaking out over things you would never have even considered with your own pregnancy
--Have strong enough confidence in what you are doing that you aren't shaken by people who don't understand why the heck anyone would take on this job or even look at it negatively
--Did we mention the actual child birth part? There's that too...
--Pay: $0 (not allowed if using surrogate's insurance coverage)

It's pretty hard to imagine any takers, isn't it? Surrogates are truly compassionate angels.