My Surrogacy Journey by Breann Piccini
I can’t remember what prompted me to start thinking about being a Surrogate Mom. It may have been that my sister had looked into it before and that I had great pregnancies. Whatever that initial reason was, I couldn’t be happier that I actually followed through with it.
When I came into the program, I was matched with Intended Parents from New Jersey. I thought that was great because my husband is also from New Jersey. When I spoke to the Intended Parents for the first time, I knew it was a great fit. They both have great personalities and both have a good sense of humor. They made us both feel very comfortable. When my Intended Mother told the story of her loss and attempts at becoming a mother, I was overwhelmed with the desire to help her have what I have.
When I found out that our embryo transfer had been successful, I was a little nervous because my HCG number was so high. And guess what? I was pregnant with twins; a boy and a girl. It was really nice because my Intended Parents had moved to Seattle and the Intended Mother was able to fly down to many of my appointments. The more I got to know her, the more I knew she would be a fantastic mother.
Although being pregnant with twins posed challenges, I rarely complained. Once my doctor asked me “Why don’t you ever complain about anything?” To which I replied, “If I complain, can you fix it; will it go away?” He never again asked me why I didn’t complain. My pregnancy was pretty uneventful until the end. For most of the last trimester, the babies were both head down so it looked like I would be able to have a vaginal delivery. But about 2 ½ weeks before my due date, the boy moved up in my uterus and there was a big chance I would need a C-section. I reluctantly agreed to schedule the C-section. Very early in the morning on the scheduled date, I went into labor. I fully dilated before they were able to do the C-section. That was no fun. But it was all a distant memory when I saw the Couple hold their babies for the first time.
They had a strappingly handsome son and a petite beautiful daughter. I had never before experienced such a feeling of joy as when I saw them holding their children. Even better, the Intended Father’s parents were able to fly out for the birth and were able to share the joy of the grandchildren they had longed for. It was a miraculous day for everyone.
I thought my Surrogacy journey was over. I had no intentions of being a Surrogate Mom again as I was satisfied with my experience. And then Carol called. She told me about a Couple in her program who had a daughter but really wanted to have another child. They had been through a lot and Carol needed someone for them who had been through this before. I agreed to meet them to see how I felt about it. And that, as they say, was that. I loved them both right away. Their daughter had been born a couple years before by a Surrogate and she was just the light of their lives. My husband and I knew right away that we wanted to help them complete their family.
I had another uneventful pregnancy. Lucky for me, it was only one baby this time, a boy. And he was a little guy so my belly wasn’t nearly as large as it was with the twins. I went ahead and opted for the c-section again. Everything went as smooth as could be. I even recovered in the exact same slot in the recovery room at the hospital! His big sister was so excited to see him for the first time. It was just amazing. Being his “tummy mommy”, as the Intended Parents refer to me, was one of the best experiences of my life.
I will be forever grateful for having the opportunity to change someone’s life in such a significant way. You cannot understand the impact on your own family until you have gone through it yourself. I am grateful that this option is available to Couples that need some assistance in building their families.
