Hiring individuals to carry a child to term is becoming an increasingly lucrative business. The surrogacy market is anticipated to reach $129 billion by 2032, driven by factors such as older parents, increased infertility, and a rise in same-sex families. Additionally, companies in Silicon Valley are contributing to this growth, with tech giants like Google, Meta, and Snap offering up to $80,000 toward the process, which often runs into six figures.
Despite its growth, surrogacy remains contentious. Critics often refer to it as “renting a womb,” and a United Nations human rights expert has remarked that commercial surrogacy often equates to the sale of children. Detractors argue that the practice exploits financially disadvantaged women who may not be fully aware of the associated risks. Notably, the United States is one of the few developed nations that permits commercial surrogacy.
The typical image of a gestational carrier is a stay-at-home mother seeking to earn an income without leaving her children. While many surrogates fit this description, their backgrounds and experiences can vary significantly. One surrogate from the West Coast, who has carried two sets of twins for parents in California and China, shared her experiences.
In 2010, she experienced the trauma of finding a best friend who had died from an accidental overdose. This event prompted a period of introspection about her life’s purpose. As a mother, she found surrogacy appealing as a way to help others find joy and purpose, while also enjoying the pregnancy process herself. She described surrogacy as the ultimate part-time job.
Before starting her journey, she underwent thorough physical and psychological evaluations and reviewed numerous profiles from prospective parents until finding a suitable match. Eventually, she met an older, single man, referred to as “Greg,” who was interested in surrogacy. As a queer woman, she felt a sense of community responsibility to assist someone from the LGBTQ+ community. Greg expressed that as an older, single, gay man, adoption of an infant would be challenging for him.
Three embryos were implanted in her uterus in hopes of conceiving one child, but all three embryos developed. Despite the healthy pregnancy, risks to the babies led Greg to decide to reduce the triplets to twins. She was prepared to deliver in the operating room due to potential complications but successfully delivered both twins vaginally. Remarkably, she was able to walk to the hospital bed and request food shortly after childbirth.
Later, an agency approached her with an offer from a couple in China, which she accepted for financial reasons, including the need to pay off student loans. Surrogacy in the U.S. is gaining popularity, partially because children born there automatically receive citizenship. The Chinese couple chose to have female children and requested a specific delivery date for cultural reasons, which she accommodated. The twins were smaller than usual, making the pregnancy more manageable. After the birth, she delivered breast milk to the family for six weeks, during which time she enjoyed interactions, including homemade dumplings, and has continued to receive photos of the girls.
