Thank you so much for the questions! I can't believe how many questions I received! Since I received over 20 questions, I have decided to split them into two posts! Here is Part One!
Would you consider doing it again?
Absolutely!!!
My IP’s have asked if I would be willing to carry for them again. We have a
great relationship, so that will be a plus if I help them with a Sibling
Project! If we decide to wait a while, I will be updating my profile and
hopefully get matched with another couple soon!
What if I don't have Medical Insurance or My Insurance doesn't cover Surrogacy?
I didn't have medical insurance when I applied. Once you are matched, they will have you apply to an insurance company that covers Surrogacy. I do know that Anthem Blue Cross and Kaiser cover Surrogacy!
Did your Tincture work/help? What about the
capsules?
I haven’t
used the Tincture yet. The longer it ferments, the better! I took my placenta
capsules for about 4 weeks and now I take them during my monthly cycle. They
have helped tremendously! In the beginning, they helped a lot with my bleeding
and my hormone levels.
Did you notice anything different compared to
your other postpartum experiences?
This
postpartum was a lot easier on me! I contribute a lot of that to the fact that
I didn’t have a newborn to take care of and I had a lot of help with my kids.
Has your family been supportive (during and
after)?
In the
beginning, a few family members weren’t on board and that was okay. During the
pregnancy, a few of them started to come around and by the end of the
pregnancy, they were very proud of what I was doing. I know that Surrogacy is
not for everyone and that is absolutely fine with me, I just won’t talk about
it while you are around. The one person that I was terrified to tell was my
Gramma. She is very old school and I wasn't sure how she would react. When I
was 12-14 weeks pregnant, she called me and asked me about it! She was fully supportive
of what I was doing! She said that if she was guaranteed a girl, she would have
paid someone a long time ago! Hahaha!
Did you experience any PPD after carrying
Surro Babe for 9 months and then having to hand her over to her parents?
No. I knew
going into this knowing that this child was not mine. I had the perfect mindset
and am very grateful. Once I delivered, I was a little hesitant about holding
her, but after I had her in my arms, I knew I would be fine! It felt like I was
holding a friend’s baby and I didn’t feel any sort of emptiness. She wasn’t
mine to keep, I was just giving her back to her parents!
What was the process like?
Surrogacy is
a “Hurry Up and Wait” process. Once we were matched, I flew back down to L.A.
and had another medical appt. After I got the go ahead, we started contracts.
Those took about a month and then I was able to start my meds. First Birth
Control Pills, then Lupron, Delestrogen, Progesterone in Oil and Endometrin. 3
weeks in a row, I had to have my blood drawn to check my numbers. I then flew
down to L.A. for my transfer!
How did you do with the shots? I am terrified
of needles, but I don’t want that holding me back from being a surrogate.
I was very
nervous about the intramuscular shots. The Lupron shots were easy since they
were tiny insulin needles and those went in my belly. The Intramuscular shots
were a little harder. My husband is not a fan of needles, but I made him watch
some you tube videos and have him watch a friend give me my first shot. He got
better at it after about 3 days. The needles are very intimidating, but once
you do the shots a few times, it will get better. Make sure you heat your
injection site and the medicine and then rub the area after the shot. You will
get knots, but rubbing the area will help disperse the medicine.
How are your kids doing?
My kids are
doing great! They understood from the very beginning that the baby was not
ours. I told my children that my IM’s tummy was sick and couldn’t carry a baby
like mommy can. I am grateful that my IP’s loved our children and were so
excited to see them and include them in everything. They love seeing pictures
of Surro Babe almost daily!
My husband and I had to drive to San Francisco and do our Psych Eval there. I had to complete a 200+ multiple choice questionnaire. Some of the questions were really strange and I actually laughed at a few! After that, my husband and I were called into a room and we talked to a Psychologist about our lives and what surrogacy meant to us. At the end of the appointment, she told me that we seem like a sane family and was going to approve us!
Why did you become a surrogate?
I have always wanted to be a surrogate. I love being pregnant and pregnancy is very easy on me. I told my husband that after we were done having our own kids, I wanted to apply to be a surrogate. After weighing our pro's and con's for about a year, I applied. I feel that if my body does well during pregnancies and that I love being pregnant, why not help a family who can't have children. It is a true gift of love in my opinion!
Well, there ya have it!! Come back tomorrow for Part Two!!
