[Samantha Klein]

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and there's a lot of nontraditional ways that we end up with these families – from assisted reproductive technologies to IVF to surrogacy. 

If you're going through the process or you're exploring going through one of those processes, it's important that you understand from the get go what it entails, because it certainly can be very overwhelming. 

[Nicky Rooz]

The use of assisted reproductive technologies and access to reproductive healthcare is being increasingly caught in shifting political and legislative landscapes. So how do families deal with that uncertainty? 

[Samantha Klein]

It's really important when you're entering into any sort of assisted reproductive technology use, surrogacy or IVF that you have good counsel from the start. You need somebody who can review paperwork for you to make sure you actually understand – "what happens to my embryos under this situation?" or "what happens if that happens?" You need to understand this process so that it actually gives you some peace of mind. 

Each jurisdiction has its own particular legal and parentage laws. If you're starting this journey, it's really important that you understand the law where you live or where you're undertaking the procedure. If it's in a foreign jurisdiction, even more so. You have to educate yourself from the beginning. So again, you have to manage your own expectations. It's a very stressful process. And the more you know, the better it will be for you. 

[Nicky Rooz]

So these decisions can be difficult and awkward to discuss, but it's really important to understand ahead of time what you would like to do. Bbecause the last thing that you want to be doing while you're undergoing medical treatment is worrying about the legal side of things, whatever route you decide to take.