Growing up, she knew that her aunt and godmother had been unable to conceive. Her aunt eventually became a mother through adoption, and Emily remembers hearing her mom talk about how she would have carried a baby for her if circumstances had allowed.
Years later, when a close friend was struggling to conceive, Emily found herself offering to help without giving it much thought.
Her friend ultimately became pregnant on her own, but the idea stayed with Emily.
Helping another family have a child simply felt like something she was meant to do.
That instinct eventually led Emily to Shining Light Baby and not just one surrogacy journey, but two.
Two journeys and two families
Emily completed her first surrogacy journey in 2023, delivering a baby boy for international intended fathers.
A few years later, she returned for a second journey and delivered a baby girl for another international same-sex couple.
Although she knew more about the process the second time around, Emily says every surrogacy journey is different.
“I learned so much from my first journey that by the time I started my second journey I basically knew what to expect for the most part,” she says. “There were little differences of course.”
Those differences are part of what makes every surrogacy story unique. Even an experienced surrogate encounters new personalities, new circumstances, and new moments along the way.
Emily on the day she started medications for her IVF cycle as a surrogate.
The nerves before matching
Surrogacy involves a very personal kind of matching.
A surrogate and intended parents are considering whether they can build trust, communicate openly, and share an experience that will connect them for months, and often much longer.
Her intended fathers were from Spain. One spoke English fairly well, while the other was still learning. Emily did not speak Spanish, so she wondered whether the language difference might make it harder to connect.
But that was not her only worry.
“I was worried that they wouldn’t like me or my husband,” she says. “I’m a people pleaser and I just always worry if others like me or if I do something wrong.”
Those nerves quickly became part of a much bigger story.
Jodi, Emily’s intake coordinator at Shining Light Baby, helped connect her with intended fathers who were working with a fertility clinic Emily already knew from her previous journey. For Emily, that familiarity was especially important.
Emily on embryo transfer day.
The moments that never get old
Some milestones can feel just as powerful the second time around.
For Emily, one of those moments was the early ultrasound.
“It was always a special moment seeing the 6 week ultrasound with the baby’s heartbeat,” she says.
That first flicker on the screen is often one of the earliest moments when months of preparation suddenly feel very real.
But Emily says another moment was even more meaningful.
Seeing the baby she carried finally placed into the arms of the intended parents.
“The next biggest moment is seeing that baby in the arms of my Intended Parents,” she says. “It’s an awesome feeling.”
After two journeys, Emily does not minimize what it takes to become a surrogate.
“Being a surrogate is not easy at all!”
The surrogacy process has many steps. There are medications, screenings, appointments, fertility clinic visits, travel, pregnancy, delivery, and recovery. Surrogates may also spend time away from their own families for medical screening and embryo transfers.
Then there are the physical and hormonal changes that come with pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
Through those experiences, Emily learned something important about herself.
“That I am stronger than I ever thought I was!”
Looking back, she believes she was at the right point in her life to take on the challenges that came with surrogacy.
“I’m not sure that I would have been strong enough to do this when I was younger.”
Sharing pregnancy results at Christmas time.
Finding support from other surrogates
Emily also learned how valuable it can be to have someone who understands the experience firsthand.
When someone tells her they are interested in surrogacy but nervous about the process, she believes learning what to expect can make a big difference.
She also encourages women to connect with other surrogates.
“I have been lucky in both journeys to have a close relationship with another surrogate to support each other.”
Surrogacy can be difficult to fully explain to someone who has never experienced it. Having another surrogate to talk with can provide a different kind of support, especially through medications, appointments, waiting periods, and recovery.
Emily also had continuity within her Shining Light Baby team. Daria served as her case manager during both journeys.
“She was always very helpful when I needed anything,” Emily says.
Creating opportunities for her own family
Surrogacy gave Emily the chance to help two families grow, but the compensation also helped her work toward goals for her own family.
After years of not being able to do so, Emily was able to begin building a retirement fund.
She also completed some home remodeling and promised her family a trip to Disney.
For Emily, those benefits became another lasting part of what her surrogacy journeys made possible.
Emily’s surrogacy journeys helped her make progress toward important financial goals for her own family.
The misconception she wants to clear up
Even after gestational surrogacy has become more widely discussed, Emily says one misconception continues to come up.
“That the baby is not mine, we have no genetic connection.”
It can seem like a simple distinction, but it changes how many surrogates describe the experience.
Emily did not see herself as having a baby and then giving that baby away. She was helping intended parents welcome the baby who was always theirs.
Following what felt right
Most of Emily’s family supported her decision to become a surrogate and enjoyed following along with her journeys.
Some were understandably concerned about her well-being.
Emily listened to those concerns, but ultimately trusted her own reasons for moving forward.
“I went with how my heart felt was right and that was helping families grow.”
That decision eventually led to two pregnancies, two babies, and two families reaching the moment they had been waiting for.
After six deliveries, including two surrogacy journeys, Emily feels her chapter of carrying babies has come to a close.
Retiring from surrogacy with two amazing endings
Emily now considers herself officially retired from pregnancy.
After six deliveries and two surrogacy journeys, she will not pursue another one.
But she leaves this chapter of her life with experiences that shaped her, relationships she values, and memories she will always carry with her.
She also remains grateful that Shining Light Baby was part of both journeys.
“Both journeys had its moments for different reasons, but every journey had an amazing ending.”
When Emily was asked to describe her surrogacy experience in one word, she chose:
Inspiring.
It seems fitting for a journey that began with stories of women helping other women become mothers, continued with Emily instinctively offering to help a friend, and ultimately led her to help two families welcome children of their own.
Considering becoming a gestational surrogate?
Every surrogate brings her own story, motivations, family, and life experiences to the journey.
If Emily’s story has you wondering whether gestational surrogacy might be right for you, Shining Light Baby can help you understand the screening process, matching, compensation, medical process, and support available throughout your journey. Contact us today to learn more.
Amanda H. will never forget watching two parents meet their baby boy for the first time.
It was the moment her entire surrogacy journey had been leading toward. After more than a year of screening, waiting, matching, medical appointments, medications, pregnancy, and preparation, Amanda finally saw the family she had grown so close to hold their son.It was the moment her entire surrogacy journey had been leading toward. After more than a year of screening, waiting, matching, medical appointments, medications, pregnancy, and preparation, Amanda finally saw the family she had grown so close to hold their son.
For Amanda, one memory stands above the rest.
“The moment of hugging my IPs for the first time and seeing them meet their son.”
It was a simple moment, but one that captured exactly why she had decided to become a gestational surrogate in the first place.
An idea that started with a facebook post
Amanda had not always planned to become a surrogate. The idea first found her while she was scrolling through a Facebook group for moms.
She saw a post about surrogacy and became curious.
What began as something she had encountered online eventually became a very real opportunity to help another family have a child.
Her family and friends were intrigued when she shared what she was considering. Many described the decision as both interesting and selfless.
But deciding to explore surrogacy was only the beginning.
Amanda worked with Jodi, her intake coordinator at Shining Light Baby, as she moved through the early stages of the process. Like many first-time surrogates, she would soon discover just how much can happen before an embryo transfer ever takes place.
Amanda preparing for embryo transfer
Waiting for the right match
By the time Amanda reached her match meeting, she had already completed several important steps.
She remembers feeling two emotions at once: excitement and nerves.
“I was proud I made it to that moment and happy to meet a couple I potentially could help bring a baby into their lives.”
A match meeting gives intended parents and a potential surrogate the opportunity to get to know each other beyond profiles and paperwork. They can talk about their families, expectations, communication styles, and what they hope the journey will look like.
For Amanda, that meeting eventually led to a match with a couple who would become an important part of her life.
She describes them today as “the most amazing couple” and says they developed a bond she believes will always be part of their story.
Learning patience along the way
Surrogacy is often described through its biggest milestones. The match. The embryo transfer. The positive pregnancy test. The ultrasound. The delivery.
What people do not always see is everything that happens between those moments.
Amanda’s journey took about a year from the time she first signed up until her embryo transfer.
That waiting taught her something unexpected about herself.
“I learned a lot of patience!”
There can be many moving pieces in a surrogacy journey. Medical records need to be reviewed. Screening must be completed. A match has to feel right. Attorneys prepare agreements. Fertility clinics establish treatment plans.
Not every step moves at the same speed.
Looking back, Amanda believes the experience also showed her how strong she could be.
“I realized I am stronger than I thought and can do anything if I put my mind to it.”
Amanda’s journey took about a year from the time she first signed up until her embryo transfer.
More than a pregnancy
Throughout the process, Amanda worked with her Shining Light Baby case manager, Daria, while continuing with her normal life and family responsibilities.
Her surrogacy compensation also created a lasting benefit for her own family. Amanda and her family were able to pay down debt, giving them greater financial breathing room.
“It helped us pay off debt and now we are able to live life more comfortably.”
Compensation was one part of the journey, but when Amanda talks about the experience now, she returns to something much bigger.
She remembers the intended parents.
She remembers their son.
And she remembers what it felt like to see them together.
Amanda and her family were able to pay down debt, giving them greater financial breathing room.
The misconception Amanda wishes more people understood
One of the questions gestational surrogates frequently hear is how they will be able to carry a baby and then “give the baby away.”
Amanda encountered the same misconception.
Her experience was very different from what some people assume.
“When you are pregnant with a surrogacy baby, you don’t necessarily feel you want the baby as your own,” she explains. “Mentally you are thinking of the IPs and your goal is to provide a healthy baby they have been waiting so long for.”
In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate is not genetically related to the baby she carries. An embryo created through IVF is transferred to her uterus.
That distinction matters.
Amanda says people sometimes assumed the baby was biologically hers or described surrogacy as “giving up a baby.”
For her, that was never how the journey felt.
She entered the process knowing she was carrying someone else’s deeply wanted child. Pregnancy was part of helping the intended parents reach the moment they had been waiting for.
The moment everything became real
After carrying their baby boy through pregnancy, Amanda finally watched his parents meet him.
The experience was emotional not because she felt she was losing something, but because she could see what the journey had created.
For someone considering becoming a surrogate but feeling nervous, this is the part Amanda wants them to remember.
“It was such a rewarding experience seeing my IPs with their baby,” she says. “Also to be proud of yourself you accomplished that.”
It is also the word she uses when asked to summarize her entire journey:
Rewarding.
For Amanda, what began with a Facebook post in a moms group became more than a year of waiting, growing, learning, and ultimately helping two people become parents.
Closing one chapter with gratitude
Amanda does not plan to pursue another surrogacy journey. After three cesarean deliveries, she and her medical providers must consider the additional risks that can come with future pregnancies and surgeries.
Her surrogacy chapter may be complete, but the relationships created through it remain.
“I was matched with the most amazing couple and we have a bond that can never be broken.”
She also credits the Shining Light Baby team with helping her feel supported throughout the experience.
“I was a surrogate for Shining Light and I will forever be grateful for them,” Amanda shares. “They made my journey so simple and enjoyable. All the staff are so supportive and caring.”
For Amanda, what began with a Facebook post in a moms group became more than a year of waiting, growing, learning, and ultimately helping two people become parents.
And when she thinks back on everything it took to reach that delivery room, one image remains at the center of the story: two parents finally meeting the little boy they had waited so long to hold.
Considering becoming a gestational surrogate?
Every surrogacy journey has its own timeline and story. If Amanda’s experience has you wondering whether becoming a gestational surrogate might be right for you, Shining Light Baby can help you understand the process, qualifications, screening, matching, compensation, and support available throughout the journey. Learn more about becoming a surrogate with Shining Light Baby.
When Michayla first considered becoming a surrogate, it was because of the people she loved most. “Family members who couldn’t have kids inspired me,” she says. She had seen their quiet heartache up close, and it planted a seed in her heart, a desire to help someone else experience the joy of becoming a parent.
Years later, that seed had grown into a deep calling. By the time she began her third surrogacy journey, Michayla was no stranger to the process. She understood the commitment, the trust, and the emotional investment it required. But every journey is unique, and this one would take place under extraordinary circumstances.
The Match That Felt Right
From the moment she learned about the intended parents, Michayla felt a mix of anticipation and nerves. “I was so excited to meet a family that I could help and get to know their story,” she recalls. The only thing that worried her was the language barrier, but she quickly found that compassion and kindness don’t need translation.
That first meeting turned into a shared commitment to bring a baby boy into the world, and Michayla was determined to carry him with all the care she would for her own children.
Michayla moments after delivery, holding the surro baby she carried through her third journey.
Balancing Two Worlds
Surrogacy isn’t a separate chapter in life, it’s woven into the everyday. While Michayla went to appointments, managed medications, and counted down the weeks until delivery, she was also caring for her own family. Her loved ones were cautious at first, unsure of what the process would mean for her health, but their excitement grew alongside hers.
The surrogacy compensation provided a life-changing benefit: the ability to put a down payment on a home. “That’s something that will stay with my family forever,” she says.
Milestones and Moments
Michayla’s third journey was full of milestones, like the first ultrasound, the moment she felt the baby kick, and hearing his strong heartbeat. But one memory outshines them all: “It was beautiful to see them with the baby they had been waiting on for so long.” That moment in the delivery room was the culmination of months of teamwork, hope, and love.
A new chapter begins for the family who waited so long to hold him.
An Unexpected Challenge
The timing of the birth made this journey unlike any she had experienced before. The baby arrived during the COVID pandemic, and travel restrictions meant his parents couldn’t take him home immediately. That’s when her case manager, Vicky, stepped in without hesitation, caring for the newborn until the family could be reunited.
“Vicky was amazing from start to finish, and well after my journey,” Michayla says.
To this day, she still receives photos and updates, watching the little boy she carried grow and thrive.
A bright future ahead for the baby whose story began with hope and a surrogate’s selfless heart.
Lessons for Future Surrogates
Surrogacy taught Michayla more than she could have imagined. “I have learned how passionate I am about helping others,” she shares. For those considering this path, her advice is simple but powerful:
“Be patient and go with the flow. Things don’t always go as planned, but keep going!”
She also wants people to understand an important truth: embryos are created before transfer and are not genetically related to the surrogate—a fact many don’t realize.
One year later—celebrating the first of many milestones for the little boy whose life began with a surrogate’s gift.
A Journey That Changed Everything
Although she would love to carry again, a serious hemorrhage during delivery means it wouldn’t be safe for her to do so. Still, she holds this journey close to her heart, describing it in one word: beautiful.
“Surrogacy is beautiful and it’s so rewarding to see a family with a baby they have been waiting on for so long,” Michayla says. Her story is proof that the impact of surrogacy lasts far beyond the delivery room—changing not just the lives of intended parents, but the lives of everyone who plays a part in making that dream a reality.
At Shining Light Baby, we’re grateful for Michayla’s selflessness and honored to share her story, knowing it will inspire others to consider the extraordinary gift of surrogacy.
