A lot of women considering surrogate motherhood aren’t sure what to expect – learning about other women’s experiences might help them make a better decision.
Several of our surrogate mothers volunteered to share their stories. This is Chelsea’s.
The Surrogate Mother Journey with Chelsea
Chelsea is a single mother who wanted to earn some extra money, in order to go back to college. She became interested in the idea when she saw – while looking for part-time work – an online ad for surrogate mothers.
Since she loved being pregnant, and had very easy deliveries of her own children, she decided that surrogacy would be a natural fit.
“My parents and friends were fine with the idea,” she said. “The only difficulty I had was explaining it to my kids – they were confused that the baby didn’t belong to me. I told them I was just helping another mommy by growing that mommy’s baby in my tummy.”
Her first intended parents were the Jacobs. Finding them was simple, because she had no restrictions or special preferences. It took about three months to make the match.
That experience was totally professional; her intended parents wanted it that way, and Chelsea was fine with it. They didn’t socialize much, and agreed on restrictions such as no phone calls and no non-emergency home visits – all the Jacobs’ information came through the surrogate agency and the doctor’s office.
When the time came to deliver the baby, though, the Jacobs were there to support her. They even gave her a thank-you card and some flowers.
When we asked Chelsea if there was anything about her experience that surprised her, she answered “No, all the surrogacy processes were made clear to me – my only surprise was the maternity clothing allowance. I could buy new maternity clothes for free!”
The money Chelsea made is safe in the bank, ready to be used when she resumes college.
Because she had a clear agreement with the Jacobs, Chelsea’s experience was wonderful – no misunderstandings, conflicts or other experiences.
“There’s nothing at all about it that I would have changed,” she said.
Your Next Steps
To apply to be a surrogate mother with the Illinois Surrogate Agency, simply fill out our easy online form, and one of our friendly, knowledgeable caseworkers will be in touch with you to discuss your application, talk about the next steps in the process, and answer any questions you may have. In the meantime, you can also check out our free reports for more information on surrogacy and the surrogate experience.
