Lucy Liu On The Birth of Her Son Through Gestational Surrogacy

Lucy Liu recently spoke about her baby, Rockwell Lloyd, and how she brought him into the world through gestational surrogacy.

"While pregnancy by gestational carrier is gaining popularity, Liu, 47, shed light on the stigma associated with the practice in a new interview with CBS News:

''I didn't realize there was criticism until after I sent out the information that I had my baby through a gestational carrier and my friends said, 'Don't listen to what some people are saying.' I didn't realize people were saying anything negative!'

"'I didn't really think about it at all. I just went ahead and did it,' Liu said. 'It doesn't matter the machinations of how things occur. How you love and parent a child is most important. That's the support system, really.'

"The backlash has inspired Liu to partner with Tylenol on the #HowWeFamily campaign, an initiative to encourage surrogacy acceptance.

"It supports all kinds of families. People have different opinions on how it's done, but Tylenol is encouraging other people to share their stories and say, 'You don't have to have a traditional family. It's how you love your family.'" (See Zimbio article by Cecily Trowbridge)

There are surrogacy agencies in the United States that conduct gestational surrogacy arrangements with the highest ethical standards and this work is why the negative views of surrogacy must be reassessed. If the best interests of all parties, the surrogate mothers, the intended parents and the babies born are all respected, then gestational surrogacy there should be no negative generalizations surrounding gestational surrogacy.

The backlash stems from the way in which surrogacy is done in some Third World countries where both surrogate mothers and intended parents are exploited. Additionally, laws in such countries are unstable and some parents end up losing money or are unable to return to their home countries with their children. It is crucial for intended parents to consult with legal professionals in the United States and to retain reputable surrogacy agencies in order to not only be safe both emotionally and financially, but to enjoy their surrogacy experience.