Sierra’s Birth Story
I anticipated from the beginning of my surrogacy journey that I would have to be induced because that’s how my previous pregnancies went. As soon as I hit the third trimester, my OB and I scheduled my induction for at 39 weeks. Planning went great, my OB was completely supportive, as well as the intended parents. This allowed us all to plan ahead on when everyone should be here. This was especially helpful since the intended parents had family coming to town to help. I was getting extremely anxious and excited at the same time!
Preparing for the Big Day
Preparing for the Big DayThe scheduled induction was for Oct 7th, 2024 at 5:30 am… eek, that’s early, especially since at this point in my pregnancy I was not getting enough sleep as it was. Thankfully, I live within walking distance of the hospital I would deliver at. The weather was beautiful for a fall day in Oregon, and the view from my delivery room was amazing!
As soon as I scheduled the induction, I sent a text message to both the intended parents as well as my STS Coordinator. The intended parents became anxious, yet excited, because it all became so real now. Thankfully, the Intended parents only live 8 hours away, which makes their travels a little bit easier and quicker! The intended parents did not come to town until the day before induction.
A Fully Supportive House
During the delivery, I had my boyfriend, the intended parents, and one of the intended grandparents in the room! It was a full house, and that was perfectly okay with me! When I first got to the hospital for induction, it was a little rocky because I got there right at shift change, but once I got my assigned nurse, the hospital staff was amazing! Fun story- I had just delivered my assigned Nurse’s surrogate baby 8 months before mine! She knew exactly how I was feeling, but was also very informative to the intended parents. I couldn’t have asked for better nursing staff! My OB was also just as amazing! She let the intended parents be as involved as they wanted with the delivery and was very patient. This induction and delivery were fantastic, and I can’t wait to do it again!
Sharing the Experience
During labor, my thoughts were… ‘’if this goes anything like my own two, we are going to be here for a looong time!’’ I just stayed relaxed, but also tried to share with the intended parents on how I was feeling and the progress of what was happening. I did not have a labor playlist; I just kept the TV on in the background or zoned out on listening to my phone as I patiently waited for progress to be made. Contractions weren’t too horrible up until I had my water break; that’s when it seemed like they took off from there. I always say that before the water breaks, contractions feel like miserable period cramps. Annoying and uncomfortable, but tolerable. After the OB broke my water, I opted for an epidural, which then made my contractions feel like mild period cramps and made me comfortable throughout the remainder of my delivery.
Done in Ten!
Birth went exactly as expected, even to the length I figured I’d be in labor for! I only pushed for about 10 minutes or less, and she was out! I wouldn’t change a single thing!
After delivering the beautiful baby girl, I felt a rush of emotions, from excited to happy and accomplished. I couldn’t believe that I just helped bring a baby into the world with the help of science for a wonderful couple who couldn’t be more deserving! The first thing I said to the Intended mother was “Congratulations, she is so beautiful!” I had zero complications and no problems; everything was completely perfect from start to finish!
Leaving the Hospital
I only stayed in the hospital one night after having the baby, well, not even that. I had her at 12:38 am and stayed long enough to get some rest, then checked out by 2 pm. When I got home from the hospital, I felt like I could kick my shoes off and relax. Almost like I finally had a day off work and was on vacation. I was so careful throughout the pregnancy because I did not want anything to happen. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel, but I felt great. I had just completed a “project” that I spent the last year working on, and now I get to just breathe and be satisfied with my accomplishment.
I felt fine a few days postpartum besides my boobs hurting from all the milk! It’s been almost 6 months since delivery, and I feel better than ever! Now I’m just waiting to start another journey!
Stronger Together Surrogacy
My experience with STS was better than I could ever imagine! Kassie is my journey coordinator, and she was on top of everything! I had a MILLION questions throughout the journey, and she NEVER once made me feel like I was annoying or not listened to! Any time I had a question, I could pick up the phone and call or send a text message, and I got a response faster than I could hit send!
Reflections and Recommendations
Becoming a surrogate is a life-changing journey, both physically and emotionally. Throughout the 
journey, make sure you take care of your health. Your body is doing something it would normally do naturally, but with the help of science. While the medications are helping you, make sure you give your body the care it deserves. Make sure you have open communication with not only your journey coordinator but with the intended parents and for family. Celebrate your experience, you’re doing something extraordinary. During the delivery, be ready for a million emotions. Make sure you acknowledge your emotions and allow yourself to process them. Allow yourself time to recover. It’ll feel different because you won’t have an infant to look after, so you may forget, but try not to. Don’t be afraid to ask for help; you just completed an incredible journey, and your mind and body need time to heal and process what happened. Don’t be afraid to enjoy the pregnancy! Love yourself and your body for the wonderful things it will do for you!
Birth Stories
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