alana’s Surrogate Story

month and year were your surrogate babies born:

May 2024 & May 2026

What originally inspired you to look into surrogacy:

I had randomly heard about it and started doing research to find out more. The more that I looked into it, the more that I wanted to do it.

your favorite or most memorable moment during this whole process:

I think my favorite and most memorable moment was the actual birth. Being able to see how happy the Intended Parents were and the start of their family was an amazing experience.

the most unexpected part of this process:

I think the most unexpected part was how to navigate things if something came up that you weren't expecting. During both of my journeys - there was at least one thing during both that set back the timeline for the transfer.

the matching process Was:

The matching process was easy and straight forward for us. It's like an awkward first date, but the case manager is right there to help keep the conversation going and make sure everyone is on the same page.

How was the pregnancy and how involved were the Intended Parents during the pregnancy:

The pregnancy was great and no complications. The Intended Parents were involved and actually traveled to come to a few appointments and major ultrasounds. The Intended Parents were very supportive and always checked up on me. They also traveled to my home town a few weeks before my actual due date just to make sure they were here and present for the birth.

How did you talk to other people about the process:

My friends and family were all supportive of this process. They were open to listening and even asked questions about the process. I was as open as I could be with strangers if they asked questions, but most of the time if they said congratulations, I would just say "thank you". If I saw folks that I hadn't seen for a while, I would go into more detail and let them ask as many questions as they wanted. My goal was to educate and take some of the stigma away from surrogacy.

How did you talk to your kids about surrogacy before, during and after the birth:

My kids were very understanding of the process and knew that the baby wouldn't be coming home with us after birth. They understood that it was to help another family. The Intended Parents were very encouraging and allowed my kids to meet the baby for "closure" of the process.

your delivery and post-pregnancy:

My delivery went great - very fast. My post-pregnancy has also been great.

your feelings when you saw the IP(s) hold their baby/babies for the first time:

Overjoyed that I was able to provide such a gift for them.

What did your kid(s) and/or partner say when meeting the baby:

They were overjoyed also when they met the baby. The kids kept saying how cute she was.

your relationship and contact with the Intended Parents now:

The Intended Parents stayed in town for almost a week after the birth, so we were able to get together afterwards - which was great! They have kept me updated and sent me lots of pictures. We have a great relationship that I think will continue!

the benefits of working with an agency:

The agency does everything for you and makes sure that you are on track for everything. They are also there if you need any additional support.

What words of wisdom would you share with other/newer gestational carriers:

There will always be something that comes up that might move the transfer date. Your cycle might also get canceled and you have to start over. Don't let any of that discourage you because everything will work out the way that it's supposed to. My first journey, we had to do three transfers before it was successful.

If you decided to be a gestational carrier again, what would be the reason:

I would want to give my most recent IP(s) a sibling. I think since we built such a good relationship and have a solid foundation - that would give me a reason to want to do it again.