Kymberlee Interview - Surrogacy, What to Expect


Why did you become a surrogate?
I wanted to be a surrogate because I wanted to have more children and at that time it just wasn't a good time and I missed being pregnant, so I figured why not give someone that joy and get pregnant for them.

When did you become a surrogate?
I became a surrogate, I started on my process in 2015 and then I got pregnant in January 2016. I delivered October of 2016.

Lets talk a little bit about your fondest memory of being a surrogate.
I just think about the Intended Parents that I had, she was the sweetest lady, and she told me she would come down to the doctor's appointment because she lived close by, it was just great to see her face and I did a 3D ultrasound. I did it as a surprise for her because I knew she was coming down. She was just so excited, she didn't even expect it. And just seeing that and seeing how happy she was to be able to see her baby and see the facial features, it was a great moment for me.

How did you meet your intended parents?
Through the agency, we did a brunch meeting prior to agreement and then she decided to pick me and I wanted to pick her and we just moved forward from there.

You have completed one surrogacy journey, then?
Yes, but I am in the process of doing a second one.

So you already answered would you become a surrogate again because you are in the process already. Can you talk a a little bit about the fears that you had and how they were realized or unrealized.
I really didn't have any fears, I just feel a lot of people always ask me when I told them that it wasn't my baby, being a surrogate, a lot of people were in shock some of them "oh my gosh that is so amazing" and a lot of people were like "aren't you going to be attached?". I never really feared it, I was just like "because it's not my baby". I just always looked at it that way I'm like no, it's her and her husband's baby. I did not really have any fears. Maybe something like is delivery going to be easy like it was with my son. I think maybe that was just about it.

You said that you missed being pregnant, can you talk a little bit about that?
I had an easy pregnancy with my son and I just enjoyed being pregnant. It was just a weird feeling. A lot of people are "oh my god, I hated being pregnant" and I'm like no I enjoy it. I just enjoy, I get the big belly cause I'm so skinny and I would put on more weight than I have now.

When did you decide to become a surrogate a second time?
I was kind of just spur of the moment, one of my cousins was doing it again. She was going into her second journey and I was like oh man I miss doing that. I had already had two c-sections so it was kind of hard to find an agency that would allow me. I emailed her because she went with a different agency and I was like oh do you like them? And she said she liked them so much better and I was like ok. I ended up emailing them and I was like do you guys allow more c-sections. She said you are allowed to have three so I was like oh perfect sign me up I was like I want to be pregnant again.

We have some women who are considering becoming a surrogate, is there any advice or direction you would point these potential surrogates in?
If you had an easy pregnancy and you don't mind being patient because the process is not very quick. It takes time working on the contract and all the legal parts and medical clearance. But if you know you enjoy it, I encourage anyone to be a surrogate. It's a great experience. You are giving someone something that they can't give themselves.

Can you tell me about something that was unexpected during your first journey?
I think just the process of getting pregnant, I always thought it would be quicker because I never really knew the process. I started my process I believe in May of 2015, I didn't get matched until August and I didn't get pregnant until January. It just seemed so long, I was like wow, I did not realize how long everything took.

Was your surrogacy, did you move ahead at every point or were there any setbacks?

There was somewhat of a setback when I was I believe 8 weeks pregnant I had a collapsed lung during my pregnancy so that was a little bit of a set back.
How did that happen?
The doctor's don't know. Some people said it could have just been from all the hormones in my body changing so much so very quickly, but the doctor's don't really know.

Do you have any parting thoughts or ideas for women thinking about surrogacy?
It would be just do it because you only live once and it is just a great experience. You get to meet new people, especially through the agency, most agencies do a monthly meet up and you get to meet all these surrogates. You get to meet just new people and it is always a great experience to be like "I did this when I was younger" when you are looking back at your life.