I’m asked quite often if I still keep in touch with the biological parents now that my surrogacy role is over. I’m happy to say we do keep in touch and it’s an incredibly beautiful friendship. We knew right away we were the perfect match. The conversations were easy and comfortable, and each step of the process was done together and with absolute happiness exuding from each of us. I loved that Jeff and I both felt an immediate connection with both of the bio parents. It was exactly how I’d imagined…
I completely understand the surprised faces when I share that I was a surrogate. I realize it’s not as common in our everyday lives as the celebrity world makes it seem. But, some of the responses I’ve heard over the last two+ years have been bizarre, hilarious, rude, vapid … you name it. While the huge majority of the people I talk with are loving and curious, there are those who just don’t get it. Or at least they don’t think about the whole situation before they react to the news. Their…
This was the day I had been picturing in my mind for years. It was the day I would bring a baby into the world for his parents. I couldn’t believe I had been given this honor. What a life-changing experience and an absolute dream come true! My journey of becoming a surrogate started five years prior, and now we were about to welcome this sweet baby boy into his family! While it didn’t go exactly as I’d imagined (as tends to happen with everything, right?), it was still the most beautiful thing I’ve been…
*This is the twelfth piece in my surrogacy story. Thanks for following along! I never fully understood the complete role of nurses until I spent 80 days in their care. While I was at UF Health on bedrest, the nurses and PCAs took care of me, physically and emotionally. They made me laugh, calmed my fears, and made me feel connected to the “outside world,” all while making sure I was comfortable and getting everything I needed to take care of myself and the baby. Including a late-night bowl of cereal while I watched Jimmy Fallon. I saw my…
*This is the eleventh piece in my surrogacy story. Thanks for following along! When I checked into the hospital, we prayed that I’d be there for a very long time. That sounds strange, but if I was in the hospital for three months, that meant three months of that sweet boy growing in my tummy and not struggling to survive in the NICU. So, first we prayed I’d still be there for Sawyer’s birthday on October 20 since that was two weeks after my check-in. And then we hoped I’d still be there…
*This is the ninth piece in my surrogacy series. Thanks for following along! Bedrest Boredom? The #1 response from people who found out I was on bedrest was, “Aren’t you so bored?” Bored was not at all the term I’d use to describe it. You know how your brain turns on as you settle in to bed each night? And everything you need to do the next day (or week or month) races through your mind? That was my brain on bedrest. Each person’s bedrest instructions are a little different, according to their situation and doctor…
*This is the eighth piece in my surrogacy story. Thanks for following along! When I was sent home from the hospital (just one day shy of 20 weeks along), the only plan was for me to be on strict bedrest, complete my prescription of antibiotics, and to come back to the hospital if I started contracting or bleeding. There was a chance the tear would repair itself, but that was unlikely. Most often with PPROM, the sac completely breaks open, labor begins or an infection develops. I had asked every nurse that came into my hospital room for advice. They…
*This is the seventh piece in my surrogacy story. Thanks for following along! I knew what it was when it happened. I knew in my heart it was my water breaking. I’d felt that bizarre, spontaneous “pop” twice before. But, it was too early for my water to break. I was only 19 weeks and 4 days along. My babies prefer to arrive 2-3 weeks before that magic 40-week target, but this was just. too. early. I kept saying, “This can’t be my water breaking. That can’t be what it is.” I never thought I…
*This is the sixth piece in my surrogacy story. Thanks for following along! I distinctly remember several of the reactions we received from people as we shared our happy news. Some thought it was strange, some thought it was “interesting,” but the majority thought it was just as wonderful as we did. (Those are my favorite to remember!) I know surrogacy is hard to comprehend for some people. And I know there are a million questions that come to mind when the topic arises. I never minded (and still don’t mind) talking about it and helping others understand why…
*This is the fifth piece in my surrogacy story. Thanks for following along! The embryo transfer was on May 11 in Miami, and my bloodwork appointment was early in the morning on May 20 in Gainesville. Nine days of trying to just go about our lives. Nine days of praying (at least 20 times a day) for God to bless this sweet couple with at least one child from the two embryos that were transferred. Nine days of knowing in my gut that I was pregnant but trying to be calm, just in case this time my gut was wrong…