Babies come to us in all sorts of beautiful and hard ways. And, the journeys that parents walk upon before babes arrive are often precarious. Full of wants and dreams and desires. Full of undesirable outcomes including infertility and loss. In this post, we share the story of our clients whose experience prior to surrogacy is not shared. Yet their hearts for this miracle and the pictures of sweet baby C coming into this world, these we can offer up as a testimony of all that is good in this wild world.

Below we share the story of Ashley & Reid receiving their baby through a gestational carrier, surrogate, and longtime friend. Surrogacy, you’ll learn, is a really big deal. A really really big deal.

New life always is.

Words from the gestational carrier (surrogate)

“It’s so hard to put words to this whole experience and also to keep it short and sweet. I literally feel like I could write a book.”

“I’m still processing this whole experience, but this is what I know: being a surrogate is the most important and incredible thing I’ve done in my life so far. I was asked by my friend of 15 years to carry her child, and it was a no brainer for me. Her and her husband are the most selfless, kind, and amazing people I know and to be a part of their journey of creating a family was such an honor – that they would even ask me! This process took a little over 2 years from the ask to the birth. Every second of that had so much love and prayer poured into it.

Both parents were fully involved from start to finish, but there’s something about having a child come out of you and into the arms of their mother that is unlike anything in this world. I feel so blessed to have experienced that and I would make the same decision to go on this journey a million times over. Surrogacy is beautiful, hard, emotional, and so worth it.”

From the biological mom

“What makes a hero? I think it depends on who you ask.

A child might say someone with extraordinary, superhuman powers. Many will say parents, teachers, leaders (and they would be all be absolutely correct). This family knows wholeheartedly that this is the portrait of our hero; as she will always be our daughter’s first home through the blessing of surrogacy. Although they share no DNA, she is forever family to us – and C’s Auntie Hannah, for life.”

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This love story was brought to you by the surrogate and biological mother of baby C. Birth photography was captured by Doula Megan Straub. Midwives attending the birth were Valley Women for Women.

As always if you have questions about how doula and/or midwifery care can support your birthing experience, please reach out. It is our honor to be a small part of stories like these.