You were able to make that separation then, that these twins weren't yours?
Yes, because I knew they weren't mine and I went into this knowing that they are not mine, these are someone else's children and part of someone else's family. I would never even dream of taking someone else's baby.

Was there anything else that was standing in your way? I know you waited for your friend to go through it so you could see a test case for yourself, but is there anything else that kind of stuck out as something that came to mind that you were worried about?
My fear of having a c-section, for selfish reasons, especially since I was due pretty much in the middle of summer. I know a lot of times too, I carried twin girls, I have always heard that doctors prefer to give c-sections and there is no way around that. Just like my friend, I was very adamant about not having a c-section, I went to the same doctor that she did which was good, I liked him. When I was 36 weeks he retired and I was devastated, I went home and cried because I felt like all this work I did to get you and now you want to retire. But he needed it, he was up in age and he had health issues and he was a very good man. My coordinator helped me a lot during this time and helped me find a new OB and called and made sure that they would not do a c-section just because I was having twins. I ended up giving birth literally the Monday after he retired so I did have an OB/GYN that I already built a relationship with. I ended up not having a c-section, I was very happy about that. He also taught me too that a lot of doctors prefer it because it is easier, but you don't have to have one. As long as everyone is turned head down it is not necessary.

Would you consider being a surrogate again?
Yes, in fact, I just got matched again. I just had a match interview Saturday night and I just got confirmation this morning that we are matched, so yes.

What would your advice be for women who are considering becoming a surrogate?
To do your research and to really spend some time with the idea, I would say at least a couple of months to really think about it and how it could possibly change your life and to just really understand that all the emotions that go into yourself being a surrogate as well as the intended parents and everyone else that is involved. Surrogacy is something that effects more than just you. It effects your family because you are tired, pregnant and not wanting to do all the same things you normally do, but it also effects the family you are carrying for. They have been working and trying to have a family for YEARS and it is very emotional and expensive for them. You need to be sure you want to do this before putting the parents through all of this. If you were to back out, even after just medical clearance the parents have already spent several thousand dollars.

Make sure that you look around at different agencies and stuff like that to see which one best suits you. I personally liked GSMoms because I had a coordinator that was with me every step of the way. Let's say I went to a doctor's appointment and I had a copayment, I could just submit the copayment for reimbursement versus having to go directly to the intended parents and ask for the money back which can be kind of intimidating.

So you felt really supported by the agency staff?
Yes, my coordinator was Michelle over at GS Moms and I probably got on her nerves because I would ask her like a million questions literally every single day just about surrogacy issues. She was always upbeat and answered them or got back to me if she did not know the answers. I really appreciated that.

What is something unexpected that you discovered about surrogacy?
I did not know about all the medications that you have to take beforehand. I did not know all of the steps to become a surrogate. There is psychological evaluation, medical clearance, and contracts, the medications you take to prepare for transfer and afterwards, there are legal documents, there are things to consider with insurance and I would have never known that if I did not have someone that went through it. That is why I appreciated having a great agency be with me all along the way. They have done this many, many times and they know just what to do and what to watch for. All these things are very important.

Thank you so much for your time today!
Thank you!