Being a surrogate: what is it really like? Part 3
Part 3: The pregnancy
During the pregnancy, did you feel supported by Michael and Jerome and others around you?
Anna: “The support we had from Michael and Jerome was amazing. We also felt very supported by Michael’s father, so it was nice to have his involvement too. We also felt extremely supported by Brilliant Beginnings throughout the whole process – it really made a difference to know that they are always there for you, which we really appreciated.”
If you were asked about your pregnancy when your bump started to show, did you tell people that you were going through a surrogacy and how did they react?
Anna: “We had already told friends, colleagues and neighbours beforehand, so they knew what was going on, but we sometimes had a bit of fun with strangers who asked about the bump. When people said congratulations, when’s your baby due? we would sometimes say things like “thanks, but it’s not Daniel’s – it’s another mans!” just to see the look on their faces. But we always felt comfortable telling people that it was a surrogacy pregnancy. Most people were just really interested and wanted to know all about it, so we just told them!”
Daniel, did it feel strange seeing Anna pregnant and knowing that she wasn’t carrying your child?
Daniel: “No, it didn’t feel strange at all. Before the pregnancy was established, I did worry that I might start to feel an attachment to the baby, but once Anna was pregnant I didn’t feel that way at all. I always knew that we were helping Michael and Jerome, it was always their baby.
Anna: “We viewed the surrogacy as something to help another couple and that’s all there was to it. We didn’t once consider the baby as our own. No, that would never have happened.”