Surrogate Meeting

I was fortunate to get to meet the beautiful surrogates who might carry our babies. I don’t want to use their names out of respect for their privacy, so I will call them Tummy Mummy D & B.  Tummy Mummy D is a 26 year old housewife with two small boys aged 5 and 4. Tummy Mummy B is a 31 year old divorcee with a 7 year old daughter. They both had such warm smiles. The cheerful Arpana acted as our interpreter and I started off telling them how humbled I was by their generosity for doing this.   I had been practicing Hindi because I wanted to tell them thank you without an interpreter - I told them "Dhanyavaad".  Evidently, I must have needed a bit more practice as they smiled at my painfully weak attempt.

I went on to say through Arpana as our gracious interpreter that my husband couldn’t be here, but of course wished me to convey his gratitude. Our babies are not safe inside my belly and we are so grateful that you will protect them. They smiled back at me as if they understood that it was hard for me to admit that my body could not protect my children. I thanked them again with another attempt at my one Hindi word – " Dhanyavaad ".  

Arpana then asked if I had questions. I was so focused on how to express how grateful I was that I didn’t prepare for the opportunity to ask any questions. For the past six months, I had a thousand questions that had been racing through my mind about what the surrogates would think, feel, and be. But in that moment, I froze and could only think of one - “Are you comfortable in the surrogate apartment?”  They both nodded that they were and I thanked them again. They shook my hand and then they were off.   I have such admiration for these women and their strength to do this - not only for me and my family, but I also admire what they are doing for their own children's future. It truly is an amazing act of love.