Kat with a K

What a timely topic.... ;-)
One of the complications with twins would be prematurity, particularly with low-birth weights, in which the babies would have to stay in the NICU. Sometimes the mom is put on bedrest before that happens to try to give the babies a little more time inside. I don't know anything about any of your other questions though...

jen

I'm not 100% sure this is plausible, but what about if several of Christine's eggs were fertilized with sperm from both men? (Whis would be IVF, I think. I'm not really up on my fertility treatments!) Then it's possible that two embryos could implant resulting in fraternal twins. Maybe? Sounds very interesting! Now you've got me thinking too! :-)

Okay, web sites: http://www.resolve.org, http://www.inciid.org, http://www.ivfconnections.com,
http://www.surromoms.com (google surromoms if this doesn't work)

1. Gestational surrogacy is a term that means the surrogate is using an egg that is not hers. The term for what you're looking for is traditional surrogacy.

2. It could be IVF or IUI for traditional surrogacy; gestational surrogacy would have to be IVF (because it would basically be a donor egg procedure). IUI and IVF are pretty much equally likely to produce twins if you use medications. IVF is actually *less* likely to produce high-order multiples (triplets +). All those spetuplets in the news are IUI babies. Just another fun fact from your friendly neighborhood defensive infertile woman. :) Assuming the surrogate is young and fertile, there's no reason to believe the egg of another young and fertile woman would be more effective than her own. So if you write her under 30 with a normal reproductive history, you're all set.

3. This really *isn't* plausible. It might be *possible* with IVF, though you wouldn't be able to find out the biological relationship of the children until after birth (I suppose you could find out with amnio or CVS, but I don't think they'd recommend the procedure just for that--you'd have to ask a doc on that one). But I can't think of a doctor who would use two men's sperm in one IVF procedure. It's getting really sketchy ethically. You *could* have them have an informal surrogacy arrangement (which would probably make some of the things that you're describing, people bailing, etc., more plausible). You need to go through a LOT of hoops to do something like this with a doctor, and I'm not saying it isn't possible for someone to be deluding himself through all the screening and legal mumbo jumbo and psychological tests and affidavits, etc., but it's less likely than if three people got kind of stupid and said "hey, let's all have a baby together" and they did home insemination (also called ICI, or "turkey baster method" lol) with both men's sperm, and she got pg with twins and they happened to be from the two different men's sperm. Not terribly likely, but not impossible. But yeah, implausible. That one is going to be a long shot, I gotta tell you. You could TRY writing to one of the advice docs on INCIID to see about the ethics of the thing, but I'm thinking no way. They don't go there for the exact reason of the plotline of your book. They're not in the business of creating children where the responsiblity for parenting is unclear or subject to legal challenge.

4. Get a book on twin pregnancy--you can find them at barnes and noble or, lol, the library, and look at that. There are many complications and the chances of having complications are doubled compared to singleton pregnancies, so you've got plenty to work with there.

Feel free to ask me questions about DI and IVF. This is an area in which I know my shit. ;)

my brain is mush so I'm simply going to say that Cate knows her shit and if you have any specific questions feel free to email me! (or Cate - she has the personal experience while I have lots and lots of books on the subjects. My ob rotation is next and I can't wait to see and participate in births...)

I'm game for reading your novel, though I might not be the fastest person to get back to you (due to scheduling). Please add me to the list!

(I'm trying to catch up and am now going to settle in to read what else has been going on..congrats on a finished blanket!)