A Wonderful Experience and Ready for a Second Surrogacy

Scarlett lives in Southern California with her two daughters and 10-year old cat. She delivered her first surro baby in November 2020.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue surrogacy and how did you pick your agency?

A: I thought about becoming a surrogate about 5 years ago. I loved being pregnant. And I already knew I was done having kids and I just felt this calling to have more, but not for myself. But I just wasn’t emotionally ready yet. The opportunity was presented to me again at 31 years old (2 years ago). I felt more ready so I applied.

Oddly enough, I found my agency (California Surrogacy Center)in a coupon book . I saw the ad and just had a “feeling” that I wanted to apply. It felt like fate.

Q: What did you learn along your surrogacy journey?

A: What I’ve learned about myself from my surrogacy journey is that I’m way stronger than I ever expected. I’ve faced a lot of fears that I didn’t know I was strong enough to overcome. When thrown into scary situations you’re forced to overcome those challenges. And I’ve also learned to trust myself and to trust my body, and that everything works out how it’s supposed to.

Q: Please describe how your family supported you during your journey.

A: My daughters really embraced my decision to become a surrogate. They fully understood the baby belonged to his parents. They absolutely loved hugging my big belly and enjoyed holding and feeding surrobaby once he was born. We got so lucky to be able to enjoy these moments with the baby. My number one support during my surrogacy journey was my mom. She has always been there for me and my daughters, but really stepped it up when I truly needed her. There were times where I couldn’t get out of bed, so she did my daughters virtual schooling with them. I don’t know what I’d do without her.

Q: Would you be a surrogate again? What would you do differently?

A: I would most definitely do it again. I’m only four weeks postpartum and I already can’t wait for another journey. And I think the thing I would do differently next time is have a birth plan in place. The birth experience was great, but I wish I had more of a say in my experience.

Scarlett’s Advice for Surrogates and IPs

“My advice for future IP’s and surrogates would be to do your research when finding a good reputable agency. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Be prepared to wait a while for things like contracts or transfer to happen. My journey from start to finish took 18 months, and I only did one transfer. There will be bumps in the road, so have a lot of patience. And lastly, don’t ever give up! You never know what might have been possible when things may seem impossible.”

@scarlilly222