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Hello!
I'm Kelly - from Ontario. Among many other things on my life's CV, I am honoured to be able to add 'gestational surrogate' to the list of what defines me.

My journey did not start the day I typed 'Surrogacy Canada' into the Google search field and pressed 'enter'; it started exactly 10 years before that in a Doctor's office when I was diagnosed with PCOS at 20 and told not to rule out adoption if I wanted children, as it may be the only opportunity for a family.

Still in University, it was not a time of my life that I was willing to test out my fertility; Instead, I did a lot of research. I read up on what seemed like every case study, read every blog post, bought every book I could find.... everything came back with the same vague answer - that PCOS was not textbook, and it is case-by-case... Discouraged, but still too young to try for a family, my mother put my worries at ease and offered to carry to term my children if required; my first thought about surrogacy was as someone who may or may not need one. It was during this time I said that I would love to be a surrogate for someone/a couple if I was lucky enough to be able to carry to term.

When we were ready to try for a family, we were among the lucky who could conceive with the aid of fertility drugs (a very high dosage at that) - and without any complications. My uterus is amazing --- too bad my ovaries fail by comparison. We had many months where the drugs didn't bring about ovulation.... so I had experienced, first hand, the emotional roller-coaster of hope, wonder....and two weeks later, disappointment.

It was 10 years, and 2 children later (girls, ages 5 and 3 at the time) that my family and I were ready to embark on the journey that I had promised in secret so many years before.... and thankfully, with the amazing support of my husband, children, close friends and family, and Sally (Surrogacy in Canada Online) I delivered a set of beautiful and healthy boy/girl twins on February 14, 2014 - only 2 days shy of our 1 year anniversary of first meeting R & N (the Intended Parents) in person and officially 'matching'.

In an instant, their family was complete... and seeing them holding their children warmed all of our hearts in such a way that you can't put to words; my husband and girls were just as proud as I was.

Being this was my first go at surrogacy, and in a country where the very word surrogacy is blanketed well within a grey zone of confusion and uncertainty to the average person, the experience and knowledge that Sally offered before, during, and after the pregnancy was monumental. It didn't matter if it was a question about how to properly pick the Intended Parent(s), what's 'normal' or 'crazy' during the contract stage, what the heck was going on with all the injections, suppositories, appointments, etc etc. during the first trimester, and what was normal for postpartum healing with twins (since that was also new to me).

In addition to her knowledge and experience, just having her as someone to talk to about things that you can't talk to your mom or best friend about, because their pregnancies compared to surrogacy pregnancy is apples to oranges, is a major asset to a first-time or experienced surrogate. She was there to congratulate me in person when I was in the recovery room moments after the (scheduled) c-section, as well as to welcome the twins and congratulate R & N and the families and friends also there. I can't speak on behalf of R & N, but it meant so much to me to have her there. Her face had a story of happiness, pride, respect, and excitement; she is genuine in this business, wanting what is best for everyone, and for miracle babies to go into nurseries that were once spare bedrooms that stored seasonal decorations and dust.

A surrogacy baby & delivery is unlike other pregnancies... so much preparation, work, energy, nerves, emotion, and hormones are involved in the journey by more than just the pregnant woman, but everyone involved.... and all with the same end goal - a healthy baby (or two) to make a family. So when you hear the baby's first cry, and hear the doctor say that the baby is perfect... it is validation that you did a job well done. Every injection, every suppository, every appointment, every bloodwork requisition fulfilled. Every vitamin and pill, every sleep-deprived night, every stretch mark, every episode of heartburn, every boring day on bed rest, every hour fasting before the c-section. Every IV, failed IV, and restarted IV, every painful tear, every panic attack, every stitch and staple. Every day spent recovering all worth it for every excited video response to the news that the pregnancy test is positive, every tear of joy that stains her cheeks when they see their babies via ultrasound for the first time and find out they are having twins, every ear-to-ear grin and love-filled stare shared between them when they hear the heartbeats for the first time and every time after. Every glowing smile when the parents and grandparents see and feel the babies move, every hug and kiss from your children on your growing tummy followed by the words "that's for the babies, mommy", every laugh and story shared over lunches and carpools to doctor appointments, every hug from the IPs family members when you meet them for the first time and warmly treat you like you aren't the stranger you are, but a friend, every sincere 'thank you' for carrying their children/grandchildren/niece/nephew/cousin, every milestone shared. Every supporting handhold in the prep & delivery room on their children's soon-to-be-birth-days, every relieved cry, every first newborn baby cry, every time you see your own children holding and kissing the babies you did everything in your power to grow as well as you grew your own. Every family member you see holding their children/grandchildren/neice/nephew/cousin, every thank you card, every picture shared, every text message received to check up on you and tell you how the babies and new parents are doing.... every. single. thing.

....all made possible by signing up with Sally.

from my family and I ---- thank you, Sally... for every. single. thing.

Hi! My name is Soraya, from Newfoundland, and I am the very lucky wife of Frederick, and the mother to 5 very active children. I was also the Gestational Surrogate to wonderful family who now have a very beautiful son.

I have loved this whole experience from start to finish and could not have done all this without the help of Sally Rhoads-Heinrich and Surrogacy in Canada Online. I come from a province where surrogacy options are very limited, but still wanted to help someone build a family. Lucky for me I found this website.

In April of 2012 I matched with a wonderful couple from Ontario, through SCO. We went through the whole process and got pregnant the first try with a very wonderful baby boy, who was born in March of 2013. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life which I will never forget! Presently, I am at the beginning of my second journey with another wonderful couple. I look forward to what the future holds!

My name is Jennifer and I'm from Chatham, Ontario. I am 33 and mother to one incredible four year old boy and step mother to two beautiful girls. My husband Jay is a licensed carpenter and I work as a personal assistant/housekeeper. We live in a comfortable house in a great neighbourhood very close to the wonderful school my son will attend this fall.

In February 2012 I decided to become a surrogate. It was something I had always thought I could do for someone and I was finally ready to start the process. I went online to find more information and that's when I came across Sally's website. I filled out the application and within a few days I was approved and looking at intended parent profiles. It wasn't long before I began speaking with a wonderful couple that both my husband and I felt a connection with. We met in person about a week later and were matched! It was a very exciting time for all of us. They were very happy to have met us as I was the first surrogate they had actually spoken to.

We started the approval process right away. The process from our first meeting to our first embryo transfer moved rather quickly. We matched in March and transferred in June. I became pregnant on the first try with one baby. Unfortunately we suffered a miscarriage at 11 weeks in August 2012. We were all crushed and disappointed. After taking some time to think things through we all decided to give it another try. In December 2012 my intended mother went through another egg retrieval and our second transfer was scheduled. Come transfer day we were all dealt another devastating blow: all the eggs retrieved were genetically abnormal and unsuitable for transfer. What a shock. This was their final attempt at a 100% genetic child. They were heartbroken.

About a month or so later they contacted me and said they were ready to get an egg donor and try again. I was surprised to hear this but excited and happy that they weren't giving up so easily. So here we are in June 2013 and I have just started meds again prepping for our second transfer next month. I'm hoping this is "the one!"

I'm so glad I've made this decision to be a surrogate. Even though the last year and a half has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs, I have no regrets and would make the same choices again. I have a loving, supportive family who is always here for me. I have great IPs who are patient and understanding. I so badly want to help make their dreams come true and someday hand them their baby. No one deserves to be parents more and I know their child will be loved and cherished every day.

If I have any advice to pass on to another woman considering becoming a surrogate it would be to make sure you really think it through entirely. You have to be ready to handle whatever the process could possibly throw at you. You'll need the support of the people closest to you, your husband, children and close family. And make sure you choose intended parents that share the same opinions and views on the important things in your arrangement.

No one wakes up one morning and says, ‘Hey! I want to go through all kinds of legal, health and personal landmines to hopefully give a deserving couple a baby!’. Usually, and this decision comes from months or years of reflection, upon looking at your own family and realizing you want someone to have what you have (or their version of it). You realize how brilliant, enriching, and wonderful parenthood is and want to leave a similar legacy for someone else.

My decision to become a surrogate wasn’t one I took lightly. I am a single mom of a (then) busy 6 year old and I was well aware of the energy-suck pregnancy can be and the toll it can take on your health at my age (then 37). But I would look at my beautiful boy and know that while I will never get a wing named after me in a hospital, cure cancer or open a soup kitchen - I can, in a small and meaningful ways, greatly change the lives of two people who deserve to know the joy, fun and unrelenting challenge of raising children. And while all those tropes are lovely and inspiring, I had some very serious logistical issues to navigate before embarking on my decision.

Another factor that influenced me was the general state of the world in 2016. There were terrorist attacks happening faster than the news cycle could keep up (Paris Bataclan, Nice, London, Brussels, San Bernardino, Orlando, etc.), the election in the United States was contentious and nasty, my child’s father was taking me to court to litigate small percentages, the war in Syria was getting worse by the day with thousands of refugees risking life and limb to escape to Europe, there was also Brexit, Zika and the Panama Papers.

Every time I logged on there were just a pile-on of bad news. I was in full-on scroll fatigue and either had to shut off the internet entirely (impossible in my line of work ) or make a dedicated effort to self-care, sleep and general wellness. Surrogacy contracts, intended parent interviews, two rounds of In-vitro fertilization and eventual pregnancy launched me into a much-needed state of TLC, forcing me to ignore the never-ending ‘ping’ of my inbox, the endless pull of daily distractions, and instead create physical and mental margin for slowing down.

I say this often (and I realize it sounds hackneyed): I needed her (the gestating baby), as much as she needed me.

Sally and her team were amazing throughout. I would never recommend you go through this journey alone. Her team ensured that my health, legal rights and psychological sanity were protected and respected. Surrogates are still the outliers of Family Law and fertility clinics and having professionals to help you navigate these unchartered waters (for you and the intended parents) is imperative. Thank-you Sally for holding my hand throughout! I wish everyone an equally rewarding and memorable journey.