Surrogacy is the road less taken. Starting a surrogacy journey often feels like forging a new path in the wilderness. Most likely, you’ve never met anyone who has become a parent through surrogacy. It can feel isolating when friends and family just don’t get it. Surrogacy is a whole new experience for you, but others have done this before. Hearing stories and experiences from former intended parents can give you hope and be your guide. I’ve put together a great list of intended parent surrogacy blogs to dive into.
2019-Current
Doctors can face down infertility too. This OBGYN and minimally invasive surgeon focuses on fibroid and fertility-preserving surgeries in her professional life. Personally, she experienced seven years of infertility, miscarriage, second trimester loss, all before turning to surrogacy. Read about her journey and how she is helping other women take back their lives.
2017-2018
This blog follows a couple in Canada searching for a gestational carrier to have their first child. They speak about male factor infertility, frustrations over the process, matching with a gestational carrier, and taking a break from a fertility journey.
2015-2017
Chrissy and Lee share their surrogacy story following an MRKH diagnosis. The blog covers receiving a Family Building Grant, searching for a gestational carrier, and curating an independent surrogacy journey on the way to having their son in 2015. Their website also includes a separate parenting blog and great information on inducing lactation and how she breastfeed her son for two years!
2017-2020
Tory and her husband pursued surrogacy following complications of pre-eclampsia and hyperemesis gravidarum with her pregnancies. She writes about moving to surrogacy to have her second child. She touches on matching through Facebook, highlighting her gestational carrier, their journey together, and life after surrogacy.
2016-current
Jake and Elisa use their family blog to document not one but two Canadian surrogacy journeys. They welcomed their son in 2017 and their daughter in 2019. Elisa speaks very openly about the grief of infertility and the trepidation and anxiety that continues throughout a surrogacy pregnancy. Their blog also goes into matching, induced lactation, and donor milk.
2020-current
Tiffany captures her and her husband’s traditional surrogacy journey to grow from a family of four to five. She writes about the emotions and experiences of having another woman carrying her baby. She documents independent matching, contracts, home insemination, and what it’s like to wear a pregnancy belly.
Note: Traditional surrogacy has unique risks. For safety and security, a knowledgeable attorney and insemination with a fertility clinic are highly recommended.
2013-current
The HelloBee community has a collection of blog posts centering on trying to conceive, pregnancy, and motherhood. They also have surrogacy stories authored by “Mrs Sea Otter” and “Mrs Starfish.”
Mrs Sea Otter writes about chronic medical conditions, a long fertility journey, failed surrogacy agency match, and a beautiful independent journey. Mrs Starfish has a story unique for twinblings; her daughters were born five weeks apart, one to the intended mother and one to the gestational carrier.
2012-2019
Candace and Chris really go deep on their long path to parenthood. They get personal about IVF, uterine cancer, hysterectomy, brain tumors, considering adoption, induced lactation, and the gestational surrogacy journeys for their amazing daughters. Their site is very extensive and has posts from both Chris and Candace sharing each of their perspectives.
2012-2018
Whitney became a fertility advocate through her journey to parenthood. She is known in the community for supporting lower-cost surrogacy, independent journeys, and creating a how-to guide. Her blog documents fertility treatments, recurrent pregnancy loss, and their twin pregnancy with a gestational carrier.
2014-2015
Jason and Kerri turn to surrogacy following unexplained infertility, IVF, multiple miscarriages, surgeries, experimental treatments, and failed adoption. While only spanning the 18 months around their surrogacy, these 52 posts go deep. We have timeless topics of nurturing a relationship with a gestational carrier, the emotional fragility of infertility, working through the screening checkboxes, and handling setbacks.
2014-2017
Mark and Teris share their surrogacy journey with the world. And this is a journey that brings them to India and back with a twist. One of the beauties of their blog is that they share the honest thoughts and deliberations we have when we hit roadblocks, setbacks, and forks in the road.
2018-current
Jay and his wife pursued surrogacy in Ukraine to welcome their twin boys. He documents his tales of spending weeks living in Ukraine, navigating the health and legal system, as well as medical complications following birth. Told from a male perspective, this blog shares a unique take on international surrogacy.
Note: They completed their Ukraine surrogacy journey before the 2022 war.
Our community loves reading about the experience of others who have completed surrogacy journeys. Let’s hear from you! If you have a blog from the perspective of an intended parent or if you have a great one you’ve been following, send me a message so it can be included here.
