A surrogate mother provides a safe space for other people's babies to grow inside them.
As selfless as this act can be, there can also be trauma, pain, and added pressure that surrogates go through, especially when carrying a celebrity's baby.
Surrogacy is a practice where a woman carries and gives birth to a child for another person or couple.
The surrogate mother is responsible for carrying the pregnancy, delivering the baby, and handing over the child to the intended parents.
The journey of a surrogate mother
According to Southern Surrogacy, the journey of a surrogate mother is complex and emotional, requiring a great deal of sacrifice, strength, and love.
Becoming a surrogate mother is a big decision. Women who choose to become surrogates do so for a variety of reasons.
Some may have a strong desire to help others build their families, while others may be motivated by surrogacy's financial compensation. Whatever the reason, the journey of a surrogate mother is not easy.
Surrogacy involves a lot of medical procedures and appointments. Surrogate mothers must undergo a thorough screening to determine their physical and emotional eligibility to carry a pregnancy.
They must also undergo prenatal care and attend regular check-ups throughout the pregnancy.
Horrifying and joyful experience as a surrogate
A real surrogate mother named Shanna shared her experience carrying celebrity babies.
According to the BBC, Shanna, from rural Pennsylvania, discovered surrogacy through a magazine article.
Throughout her time serving as a surrogate mother, Shanna had two beautiful surrogacy experiences and one that was terrible and transactional.
The first celebrity baby she carried as a surrogate mother was from a celebrity couple who will go by the names Jennifer and Mark.
Shenna recalled their experience, saying the couple was generous, kind, and grateful. The surrogate saw that both couples were just as involved in the process as she and her husband were.
Her second pregnancy was somehow very cold and transactional. The second celebrity, Catherine-not her real name-was introduced to her by Jennifer.
The celebrity came from a very popular family. They have tried having a child on their own and have also tried doing it with a surrogate.
Catherine called her about being the surrogate mother and asked if they could bypass being in the agency to save some fees. Shanna was skeptical but agreed the third time.
It took her three attempts to have a baby ready inside her body. However, this was also Shanna's worst experience. After officially becoming pregnant and carrying the baby, Catherine called her one day and told her that she was now a mother as her other surrogate had given birth already.
Shanna was shocked, as Catherine had never mentioned anything about another surrogate. After months of giving birth to Catherine's baby, the celebrity talked about her negatively on TV.
After that traumatic experience, she accepted another couple four years after that incident. When she met the third couple, she instantly loved them.
She felt like the last celebrity couple she worked with was perfect in a way that washed away the horrible experience she had the last time.
As per CBC, being a surrogate mother involves a complex balance of pain and pleasure. On the one hand, pregnancy's physical and emotional demands can be taxing, and giving up a child after carrying it for nine months can be heartbreaking.
On the other hand, the joy of helping others build their families, the close bonds formed with the intended parents, and the fulfillment of bringing a new life into the world make surrogacy a truly rewarding experience for the people involved.
