Eric & Marjolein

Medical Information:

General Health:

Both Eric and Marjolein are in good health.

Fertility Information:

We have 4 frozen embryos. 1 is PGS tested and 3 are not.

Our embryos are made with our own eggs and sperm. Due to Marjolein’s age, we will not be able to create more embryos.

Fertility Clinic:

Victory Reproductive Care- Windsor, ON

Why are you looking for a Surrogate?

Due to a uterine abnormality (unicornate uterus) we lost our daughter Nova at 22 weeks of pregnancy in 2016. In 2017 we had a miscarriage at 12 weeks and in 2018 our son Lux was born at 28 weeks of pregnancy. He had to stay in the hospital for almost 10 weeks. Thankfully he is now doing well and has become a funny and healthy 5 year old boy. The doctors strongly advised against another pregnancy due to the increased probability of another loss. We still have a strong desire to have a sibling for Lux and to complete our family.

Tell us about your family & loved ones.

Our parents are very involved in our journey. They support us where possible, listen to us and give us good advice. They are very much looking forward to the opportunity of welcoming another grandchild. Just like our parents, our brothers and sister-in-law are also looking forward to welcoming a niece or nephew. They are also a great support for us in our journey.

Lux would really love to have a brother or sister! He often says there is enough space in the car or ‘mom, I will help you with my sibling. I can give him/her a bottle or I can play with him/her. We have told him mom’s belly is broken, but we haven’t told him about this journey. We don’t want to get his hopes up if we aren’t able to make this dream a reality.

Our friends and co-workers are very supportive. We can talk to them any time, they listen to us and support us with every step. Most of them have children and understand why we really would love a sibling for Lux.

Would you like to attend appointments with your Surrogate?

Unfortunately it is not possible for us to be at all the appointments because we live so far away. We do hope to be there for the 20 week appointment, and possibly attend some appointments through FaceTime.

What are your thoughts on termination of a pregnancy due to genetic abnormalities or complications related to the pregnancy?

For us it depends on the kind of abnormalities. Minor aesthetic or easily treatable conditions wouldn’t be a reason for us to terminate. If the abnormalities are life threatening, then we would like to discuss the options. We also don’t want the Surrogate to be at risk or in any sort of life-threatening situations.

If the Surrogate becomes pregnant with multiples, how would you feel? How do you feel about the possibility of selective reduction being recommended due to a multiple pregnancy?

If it is twins or triplets we would be fine with that. However, if it poses a risk to the Surrogate, we would like to selectively reduce. If there are health of the babies are at risk, we would also consider it.

Are you vaccinated for Covid-19? Do you have a preference for a Surrogate to have been vaccinated for Covid-19?

Yes we both are vaccinated for Covid-19. It is completely okay for us if a Surrogate has not received any COVID vaccinations.  If she did, we are okay with that too.  We think it is important that everyone makes or has made their own decision regarding certain vaccinations and feels good about it.

What kind of relationship do you want to have with your Surrogate during the pregnancy?

We would like to support her and be informed, but we will also respect our Surrogate in what kind of contact she would like so as not to overwhelm her. Since we live abroad the contact will be through messages, phone calls and video chats. We hope she will keep us informed in how she is feeling and how our baby is doing.

Do you want to be in the delivery room when your child is born?

Ideally we hope at least one of us will be able to be in the delivery room, but the health and safety of our baby is most important, so if its not possible, we understand.

What kind of relationship do you hope to have with your Surrogate after the birth of your child?

We really don’t know how it is going to be when we are back home and our Surrogate is also back to her normal daily routine. We do hope to keep in contact and send her pictures of our child. We would be forever grateful and will never leave her out of contact.

Would you be open to a home birth?

We would prefer a hospital birth. Because our son was born so early and also with the loss of our daughter, we are a bit anxious and feel more safe with a hospital birth.

Are you open to midwifery care?

We would prefer obstetric care, but we are open to discussing the options.

Would you like your Surrogate to provide breastmilk?

No, because we are going back to the Netherlands after baby is born, we will be using formula.

What will you tell the child about the Surrogate, and the circumstances of their birth? If your child asks to meet the Surrogate, how will you feel?

We will always be open to our child about how he or she came to life. We would tell the child that a loving angel Surrogate carried him/her and how special and loving that is. If our child is at an age that he/she wants to meet our Surrogate in person we will be open to this. We would be open to doing this through video chat, over the phone or meeting in person.

If the transfer is unsuccessful, will you want to try again? If so, how soon after?

Yes, we would love to try again. As long as the Surrogate is okay mentally and physically. We would rather wait some extra time after a failed transfer, so that the Surrogate is in the best shape mentally and physically.

If this surrogacy journey is successful, would you want to complete a sibling journey? What do you envision that looking like? (timeline, same Surrogate etc.)

No, this is our sibling journey. We already have our son Lux, so this special journey will be completing our family.

What are your plans for childcare once the child is born?

Eric works weekdays and is home on the weekends. Marjolein works 3 days a week. Marjolein will be with the child 2 days and the other 3 he/she will be at their grandparents or daycare. Of course weekends we will all be together as a family.

What does a typical weekend look like for you?

Our weekends are never the same. We like to do fun stuff with Lux, go to the woods, the beach (we live nearby the ocean), playgrounds (indoor ones and outdoor) and meet our friends and their kids. We also like visiting our niece and nephew, Lux is very fond of his cousins. We also visit our parents and they come to see us. Naturally, we also enjoy time spent at home just the 3 of us.

What are some of your interests/ activities?

We both like to play tennis. Marjolein plays competitively, and we also play recreationally together. Lux also loves to be at the tennis club, playing with other kids. Eric enjoys playing golf too. We really enjoy spending time outdoors; bike riding, going to the beach, or walking through the woods. Our social life (friends and family) is what makes us happy and we enjoy spending time together. During the summer months, we like to go camping in France and in the winter months we enjoy skiing in the Alps.