It’s always neat and inspirational to hear about siblings who wholeheartedly support each other through thick and thin. Here’s a true story about two sisters who shared childhood memories, family and yes, even a baby…. all through the gift of surrogacy.
*My sister and I have always been the best of friends. In fact, I can’t remember anything that we haven’t shared over the years, from the same bedroom growing up, to a beautiful baby boy born almost three years ago.
The decision to become a surrogate for my sister was a very easy one for me – in fact, she was the one that needed convincing. I never had any doubts about wanting to be my sister’s surrogate but would my husband be able to accept the situation as well as my family? I had four children of my own – the youngest, an infant at the time. With our families and church support, we continued with the process.
We were encouraged to make everything as legal as possible, which was no small undertaking as we resided in different states. We took care of all the legalities and kept moving forward.
I am very blessed to have a very giving husband who was willing to weather through the dry spells with me, but not all couples may be able to handle the “newly pregnant” side of surrogacy.
My pregnancy proceeded without any major complications. My sister and her husband were able to be there for the ultrasound when we found out “it” was a “he” – (I’ll never forget my brother-in-law’s face).
My sister took a leave of absence starting in the eighth month and came down to help me with our brood. This was a blessing, as my husband broke his leg one and a half weeks before the baby was born.
We had cleared our desire to have my sister and brother-in-law at the birth with both the doctor and the hospital – a very important detail – ahead of time, so the resulting experience was a memory I will cherish forever. As soon as my nephew was born, they laid him in my sister’s arms and her husband cut the cord and we all had a happy and relieved cry. The hospital staff was wonderful in accommodating our wishes to have my sister sleep in with me -she took over all care of the baby from the very beginning. I really feel that this helped her bond with her son and gave her the confidence she needed to feel comfortable with him. I stayed in the background as much as I could. I specifically did not try to nurse him as I had my own babies. I knew that would be testing myself a little too hard. We stayed at the hospital for two days and were all released together. My nephew went home with his Mom and Dad and Granny. And I went home to my family and Grandpa.
I really feel that I have the best of all surrogacy situations. Since my sister’s family is out of state, I have the distance that helped ease any pain of separation and yet I get to see all the pictures and have all the visits that I want. I also have the assurance that I’ll always be part of his life. Most of all, I have the satisfaction of sharing the only thing my sister and I weren’t able to share – the joys and trials of parenthood. We do plan on telling him about the special circumstances of his conception and birth someday, but for right now -I’m enjoying being called “Auntie” and hearing the joy in my sister’s voice when she says: Do you know what your nephew did today?”
Shared Conception is a surrogacy agency that is just as elated as the families involved when the surrogacy experience is so gratifying and heartwarming. Of course, whether it’s a smooth road or a rocky journey, we stand ready to competently and compassionately navigate each unique situation. We hope you have enjoyed reading and learning about a few of the families who have utilized the surrogacy process as much as we have enjoyed sharing them these last few weeks. Call on us to see how we can help you complete your family.
*True story by Joan Merchlinsky