“To the woman at the baby shower who slips into the bathroom to hold back tears and walks back out with a smile on her face. To the woman who prays every morning, every night, and a little harder every Sunday at church for a baby that hasn’t come.”
‘To the woman in Target, softly touching baby clothes with your fingertips, and walking away without buying anything… I see you.’: Woman battling infertility urges ‘my heart is with you’
‘Is it strange to be pregnant with someone else’s baby? The seed was planted. ‘Go meet your daddies.’: Woman ‘honored’ after navigating surrogacy journey twice
“I asked if I could see her face for a moment before they took her. We heard her crying and they brought over this new, perfect baby. I kissed her cheek, welcomed her to the world and told her to go meet her daddies.”
‘I was 6 weeks postpartum from a pregnancy that ended with me giving the baby up. ‘What’s wrong with me?’ I sat, tears rolling down my face.’: Surrogate says ‘there is no greater joy than making somebody else a mama’
“As it turns out, you can’t just walk into a fertility clinic and get knocked up with someone else’s baby on a whim. Next thing I knew, I was getting embryos transferred to my uterus from a couple I had only met on Skype. The intended mother stood at the foot of my hospital bed with one hand over her mouth. She held her breath as they lay his newborn body on my chest.”
‘His sperm is not swimming where it should.’ I dreaded telling my husband. Nervous tears fell from my eyes.’: Couple raise awareness about infertility after struggling to conceive naturally
“I instantly felt guilt seep in as I recalled telling my husband he had ‘nothing to worry about.’ After all, I was the one with the fertility issues. Others put their foot in our mouths with unwanted advice: ‘Just relax.’ ‘There’s no rush.’ I sat on the toilet lid, uncovered my test. I felt a flood of confusion wash over me. ‘Call the clinic!’ I broke down to my husband. I was at my wits end.”
‘My husband called. I knew something was up. ‘She delivered a baby last night.’ I shook. I cried. He wouldn’t be the only brown face in our family.’
“A week later I received an email. I thought, ‘Leave me alone! I have a brand new baby I wasn’t expecting! Just give me a chance!’ When I clicked on the email, it wasn’t them reminding me to do my update. It was their birth mother.”
‘My husband and I reviewed the adoption papers. An hour later, my doctor called. ‘Katie, your pregnancy test came back positive. You’re pregnant!’ I felt the blood drain from my face.’
“Brian lost his mother and the stress of it started causing chest pains. We were dismissed by doctor after doctor, being told it was ‘broken heart syndrome’ brought on by the death of his mother. Finally, one wonderful doctor took him seriously. He could have died.”
‘They said, ‘Anna is pregnant.’ Then they said, ‘So is Renee.’: Partners due simultaneously after infertility struggle
“She reminded us how amazing it was that we were ovulating at the same time, and that we both had eggs mature enough for treatment.”
