How A Surrogate’s Instincts Saved Twins And Shaped A Calling

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
Welcome.
We are a mother-daughter podcastabout all things surrogacy.
Together, we have brought eightbeautiful babies into this
world, and we would like toshare through education and
knowledge about surrogacy withthose who want to educate
themselves on the topic.
This is Stop Sit Surrogate.

(00:20):
Hey everyone, if you everthought about becoming a
surrogate, I want to sharesomething with you.
Stopsit Surrogate is now amatching and referral agency
that helps guide you through thevery first steps of your
journey.
We'll walk with you until you'rematched and connected with a
trusted agency that supports youall the way through.
It's such a meaningful process,and knowing you're not alone
makes a huge difference.

(00:42):
So if you're curious aboutsurrogacy or ready to take that
first step, check us out atstopsitsurrogate.com.
Hi everybody, welcome back toStopsit Surrogate with Kennedy
and Ellen.
Hey everybody.
We have a beautiful guest.
She was on Friday Facts, I thinkalmost a year, like a year and
some change.

(01:03):
So we're gonna let herreintroduce herself.

SPEAKER_03 (01:08):
Hi, my name is Lauren.
I am about to be 30.
Um, and I'm a two-timesurrogate.

unknown (01:14):
Oh, yay!

SPEAKER_02 (01:15):
Oh my gosh, I didn't know it was, I forgot it was two
times.
That's right.
Okay, so fun question that weasked.
How'd you find out aboutsurrogacy?

SPEAKER_03 (01:24):
Um honestly, I don't remember.
I just know it was in highschool, and I've I just remember
someone educating me on what aexcuse me, on what a surrogate
was, and I thought it was likethe coolest thing ever.
And after I became an adult andhad two like really easy
pregnancies on my own, I wasjust like, now's the time to do
it.
Yes.
Yes.

SPEAKER_02 (01:42):
Simple.

SPEAKER_03 (01:43):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (01:44):
How did you how do you do you go with an agency or
do you do independent?

SPEAKER_03 (01:47):
Um, I did go with an agency both times.
I did it, um, two differentagencies both times.
Um, and I basically just did aGoogle search uh for the first
one.
So kind of just looking at allof their info sheets.
I really didn't have anyexpectations or criteria.
I didn't even know surrogatesgot paid until I started looking
through the information.

SPEAKER_02 (02:08):
Um wow.
So you were like, hey, I want tobe a surrogate, like boom, no
questions needed, nothingincentivized me.
I just surrogate 100%.

SPEAKER_03 (02:19):
Nice.
I was like, if there is aconversation, it's probably just
like you know, I don't know, acouple hundred dollars as you or
something.

SPEAKER_02 (02:28):
Yeah.
Okay.
Oh my god, I love you.
You were pleasantly surprised,though.

SPEAKER_03 (02:33):
Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 (02:34):
Yeah.
How funny.
Okay, so you found them onGoogle, and so it was it like
the it was like the first agencylike you found.
Like, did you do a littleresearch?

SPEAKER_03 (02:48):
I actually applied to like four of them.
Okay, and then waited to do likethe interview calls, spoke with
each of them, you know, heardtheir kind of like got the spiel
from each of them, yeah, andthen kind of like talked it over
with my friend to see which onesounded the best.
And I ended with ExtraordinaryConceptions the first time,

(03:11):
okay, and then she's gonna be somad.
I can't remember what the secondone was called.
Oh, it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 (03:18):
That's all good.

SPEAKER_02 (03:19):
But extraordinary conceptions is not based where
you are, they're West Coast.

SPEAKER_01 (03:26):
Very interesting because I know them.
Very interesting.

SPEAKER_02 (03:31):
You had already mentioned you didn't have like
like expectations or criteria.
Did you have any idea of maybewhat you wanted in a match?

SPEAKER_03 (03:40):
Um, I did just know as far as matching goes, I
didn't really care because Iknow um a lot of the is do you
care about same sex or do youcare about them being the same
race or anything like that?
I didn't really have thoseexpectations, but I did want it
to be for a couple.

unknown (03:54):
Okay.

SPEAKER_03 (03:55):
That was the only thing I wanted to get.

SPEAKER_02 (03:57):
Okay, okay, fair.
So when you when it got time toum like finding the match,
right?
Did you were you given a profileand like, hey, these people are
interested in you, or were yougiven profiles and like hey, you
you decide?
Um do you remember?

SPEAKER_03 (04:21):
It was kind of like a I did my profile and then they
just sent me an email like, hey,we think you would really like
this couple.
Okay, so kind of like picked upyeah, both times I did like the
couple that they sent, so Ididn't really have any um I
guess like objections to thepeople that they chose.

(04:41):
Um, both of them were like supersweet, very nice.
We as far as our expectations ofthe journey itself, we they were
both very like similar, linedup, and it was kind of like they
just I got I think I personallygot lucky with the matching
process.

SPEAKER_02 (04:57):
Probably, yes.
Perfect.
Well, that's good.
That's good though.
Power to you, that's right.

SPEAKER_03 (05:03):
Yeah, yes, because I know it didn't always go so
well.

SPEAKER_00 (05:07):
Were both families domestic like on stateside or
any international?

SPEAKER_03 (05:13):
Um, so it was actually matched with three
couples.
The first one, they were inCanada.

unknown (05:24):
Okay.

SPEAKER_03 (05:24):
Um, and then but when that happened, we did a
transfer and then it it ended upfailing, and we were scheduling
to do the second one, but that'swhen COVID hit, and you know,
all the flights were canceled,everything got shut down, and I
think we waited about a month,and then because everything was
still closed down and notraveling and stuff like that,

(05:45):
um, we went ahead and broke thatmatch, and then I got matched
with the second couple.
Okay, okay, and they were umstateside, and so was the third.

SPEAKER_02 (05:54):
Okay, okay, so because so that means you
started this process in 2019,2019-ish, maybe 2018, yeah,
yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (06:03):
I think it was like end of 2018, and then we did the
transfer.
No, I'm sorry, end of 2019, andthen did the first transfer
March of 2020.

SPEAKER_00 (06:13):
Oh, so wow, shut down, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (06:17):
Yeah, it was literally we did the transfer in
like March, like shortly after Igot back.
That's when COVID started likerearing its head.
Yeah, by the like next monthafter that, that's when
everything shut down.

SPEAKER_02 (06:31):
Wow, crazy.
So, did you because you saidthey were from Canada?
So you went to Canada to do atransfer, they didn't have their
embryos here.

SPEAKER_03 (06:40):
I went up to Canada to do that one.
It was my first time leaving thecountry, so that was fun.

SPEAKER_02 (06:46):
Yeah, that's very interesting.

SPEAKER_03 (06:49):
It is hard.
Was it Toronto or Ontario?
One of the O's, yeah.
Um, and while we were there, uh,as soon as I got done with the
transfer, I walked outside andthere was like a protest going
on through the streets for Ithink it was like Save the
Plants or something, it was sometype of uh planet protest.

SPEAKER_01 (07:12):
Okay, well, that's fun.

SPEAKER_03 (07:14):
It was like a mob of people, it was so cool.

SPEAKER_02 (07:17):
That's cool.
I've never seen like a protest.
I'm I'm intrigued just a littlebit, and we don't even have to
go into it, but it's a Canadiancouple, and they're not using a
Canadian surrounding surrogatebecause Canadian surrogates
right now are just reimbursedfor costs and expenses, it's not
like this whole fee thing thatyou know stateside people get.

(07:38):
So that's very interesting tome.
Was there ever a discussion onthat?

SPEAKER_03 (07:42):
Yes, that actually was a question that I asked.
I was like, considering, youknow, the fact that you don't
necessarily have to compensatesurrogates there, what made you
go out of space?
And it's because they don'tcompensate surrogates there, so
there aren't a lot of them to doany surrogate.

SPEAKER_00 (07:56):
Oh, a very short supply.

SPEAKER_03 (08:01):
Typically, it's like a friend doing a favor or a
family member doing a favor.
It's not very common thatthere's just like you know,
strangers match together.

SPEAKER_02 (08:10):
Okay, okay, that makes a lot of sense.
Because we've talked to someCanadian surrogates who just
seemed like, oh yeah, we hadmatched and da-da-da.
It just seemed like it was solike easy going.
That makes a lot of sense.
But I guess if you're in theniche of of surrogacy in Canada,
then you know the people youknow the places the people to
talk to, yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
But if you're not, then it'slike don't know where to go.

(08:31):
Yeah, wow.
Okay, so then so when did youmatch when did you get rematched
because of COVID?

SPEAKER_03 (08:39):
Yeah, I want to say it was maybe three months after
that match was broken.
Yeah, everything has always beenvery like wow snap.
And with that couple, um I wantto say I was matched.
I think it was before mybirthday or right around my

(09:01):
birthday, one of those two,which is in September.

SPEAKER_04 (09:03):
Okay.

SPEAKER_03 (09:04):
Um September 2020.
And then with them, I think wedid our first for them.
We did two transfers, and theywere also fairly quickly because
they were rushing the agencythrough the process of as far as
like legal and the medicalclearance and everything like

(09:26):
that.
So I want to say we weretransferring three, four months
after.
Okay, was it before the end ofthe year?

SPEAKER_02 (09:34):
Was it before the end of that year, or was it
beginning of the following?

SPEAKER_03 (09:38):
The first transfer was before the end of that year.

SPEAKER_00 (09:41):
Wow, that is fast.
Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (09:44):
And then this it didn't take, and then they
wanted me to do a natural cyclefor the second one instead of a
medicated one.
Okay.
Um, so with that one, I want tosay we did the transfer because
they were the baby was born inFebruary.
I believe we did the transferfor that May or June.

SPEAKER_02 (10:03):
Yeah, yeah, somewhere around that.
It would be right.

SPEAKER_03 (10:07):
It would be May.

SPEAKER_02 (10:09):
Yeah, right.
Okay, that makes sense.
And that took, obviously.
Just one embryo.
Yes.
Okay.
And did they know boy girl?
Did they do testing prior to?

SPEAKER_03 (10:21):
Did they um I believe the first embryo was I
want to say that one was a girl,the second one was a boy.

SPEAKER_02 (10:29):
Okay, okay.
And did you get to know thatbefore?
Yes, that's okay.
I like that.
That's always a fun one.
Okay, so so transfer takes, andyou did a natural cycle.
Can you go into a little bit ofthat?
Those always fascinate me.
I'm like, what?
How natural?

SPEAKER_03 (10:49):
Well, natural cycles are a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot
of doctors' comments because youhave to go in like every couple
of days for them to check to seeyour like do your follicle
count, or I think that's whatit's called.
And as you get closer, like oncethey think, okay, we're this is
good, then like the week afterthat, you're getting a transfer.

(11:12):
Okay.
So it's like very fast fromlike, okay, she's ready to we
gotta do this now.

SPEAKER_02 (11:18):
How natural?
Oh, sorry, I was gonna say, hownatural is it then?
Are you still on meds?

SPEAKER_03 (11:25):
I think the only thing I was taking was um the
estrogen, yeah, to pump up theline.
Yeah, and that was only that wasthe what are those things
called?
The suppositories.
That's the only part that Ihated about is because I I will
ooh, I could write a novel abouthow much I hate those things.

unknown (11:45):
Gross.

SPEAKER_02 (11:46):
I would rather take all shots, right?

SPEAKER_03 (11:49):
Thank you.
Like I will I will do four shotsa day.

SPEAKER_00 (11:53):
Yes.
Before we do a single becauseit's one and done, or it's two
shots and done.
It's not the goop all day, allnight.
You're like, Yeah.
Duck.

SPEAKER_03 (12:05):
It was gross.

SPEAKER_02 (12:08):
So after transfer, do you go on progesterone?
Do you go on progesterone aftertransfer?
Do you remember?

SPEAKER_03 (12:18):
I mean, yes, yes, okay.
Okay.
It's a shorter time framebecause it's just from pregnancy
to 12 weeks.

SPEAKER_00 (12:30):
12 weeks.
Yes, okay.
So you're not doing it ahead oftime.
Okay, got it.
Crazy.
And that was needles.
Is it what?

SPEAKER_03 (12:40):
Except it's a few less needles, but I honestly
prefer needles.

SPEAKER_02 (12:44):
Okay, I feel it.
Well, especially someone who'sgonna be a nursing student.
I follow you, I see you.
Are you excited?
I'm transferring to I'm I'mtransferring this conversation
to bed.
Are you excited for that?

SPEAKER_03 (12:59):
I'm so excited.
I'm very nervous, but I'm soexcited.
I was about to cry.

SPEAKER_02 (13:07):
Are you at the beginning of it?
Like you haven't like gone intonursing school at all, like this
is like first day type stuff.

SPEAKER_03 (13:13):
Correct.
Yeah, the only thing I've doneis the prereqs, and that was all
pretty much all of last year.
Okay.
Um, and then I finishedeverything, including a couple
of my general ed classes for thenursing program at the beginning
of this year.
So I got to take the summer offto kind of decompress and
prepare myself for school tostart.

SPEAKER_02 (13:35):
Good deal.
I'm so excited for you.

SPEAKER_01 (13:37):
You're gonna be an awesome nurse.
I remember our conversation fromlast year, and you definitely
need to be in this field.

SPEAKER_02 (13:44):
So very excited for you.

unknown (13:48):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (13:49):
All right, okay, okay.
So um, so you get pregnant.
How are you feeling?
Like, is everything goingsmoothly?

SPEAKER_03 (13:56):
Yes, but that one, the the second journey, but like
first successful transfer, thatone was very smooth.
I didn't have any complications,no issues, no nothing.
Um, and even birth self was Ididn't have like any labor pains
or nothing.

(14:16):
Like I was 40 weeks on the dot.
The parents had just flown inlike the day before.
I was like 40 weeks exactly.
And I was like, you know what?
Let's just go have the baby.
Why, why make you guys wait?
Yeah, so I was like, I was like,I'm not in any pain, so I can't
say this with 100% certainty,but I'm pretty positive I'm good

(14:40):
to go.
I went to the hospital and I wasalready dilated, contractions,
four uh minutes apart.
I was like, see, we didn't evenhave to wait.
24 hours, you got your kid.

SPEAKER_02 (14:53):
Oh gosh, that is very boom, boom, boom.
That whole journey.

SPEAKER_03 (15:00):
Yes, the only thing that was like difficult about
the um the labor portion waslike I I got to like four
centimeters and I was likestuck, and I was stuck there for
like hours.
So they uh eventually get uhinduced me.

(15:21):
Um and like even then, you know,still no contractual pains.
I'm not in I'm not you know,felt pretty much nothing.
Um but nice, you know, I keptget up to use the bathroom, and
at this point it's like one, twoo'clock in the morning.
And every time I got up, the momwould get up to help me, and I
felt bad because I'm like, no,sleep, it's fine, I'm okay.

(15:45):
But every time I would get tosleep, she got up to help me.
So I was like, I asked my nursewhile she was sleeping.
I was like, if I get theepidural, that means you have to
give me a catheter, right?
So I got the epidural so theycould give me the catheter, so I
would stop getting up to go tothe bathroom so she could sleep.
Oh, you're sweet.

SPEAKER_02 (16:05):
Sweet.
Have you ever had an epidural?
Like, did you have one with yourchildren?

SPEAKER_03 (16:10):
Yeah, with my kids, I needed it.
It was not it wasn't a question.
I that was painful.
I don't know what it was aboutthis one, but it was like fine,
but like I was that annoyingscreaming lady with my kids.

SPEAKER_02 (16:23):
Okay, totally fair.
We've all I feel like we've allhad that one delivery where it's
like unbearable and we're justlike no, like get them out.
Yeah, wow, okay.
So after delivery, so parentsare in the room, yeah, when you
deliver.
Yeah.
So after delivery, do you allstay in the same room or do they

(16:45):
get their own to do their youknow, golden hour skin to skin?

SPEAKER_03 (16:50):
Um, we did stay in the room for a little while
together to do like the skin toskin and everything like that.
Um, I would say yeah, it's likea couple of hours later, then
they were moved to their ownroom, but um, but we did all
stay together for a littlewhile.

SPEAKER_00 (17:05):
That's nice.
Aw, sweet.

SPEAKER_03 (17:07):
It was like what'd you say?

SPEAKER_02 (17:11):
It was such a beautiful moment.
I love that.
Yeah, that's yeah, yeah, that'sthe best part.
Yeah, that was the best part.
So, out of curiosity, how oldwere your kids when you started
this?

SPEAKER_03 (17:23):
I don't know, that was like 2019, I think was six
years ago.
Yeah, so my youngest was maybeone or two.
Wow, little, and I think myoldest was like five or six.

SPEAKER_02 (17:38):
Okay, okay, so they understood the older one, kind
of understood what was going on.

SPEAKER_03 (17:43):
Yeah, he loved to tell people when they would like
congratulate me um uh you knowwith being pregnant, you know,
just random person in the lineat the grocery store.
He's just like, it's not ourbaby.
Love it, love it.
I love it.
I would just be like, thank you.
You know, just to move on withmy day, right?
Now I gotta sit here and explainthis thing because my kid has

(18:06):
now blurted out something verystrange.
Yes, right, right.

SPEAKER_02 (18:10):
Yep, yeah, that's super cute.
I love that.

SPEAKER_03 (18:13):
Anybody that would not our baby, it's not my mom's
baby.

SPEAKER_02 (18:16):
Yeah, my kids love that.
Kennedy was one of themincluded.
They would love it that whenwe'd walk into a restaurant and
sit down, oh, are you excited tohave a baby brother or sister?
Kennedy would rip around and go,There's three in there and
they're not ours.
And I'd be like, Oh god, here wego again.
Yeah, and then we'd sit down andthe waitress would come over.
So what is this?
I hear, yeah.
Kids, it's the wow factor.

(18:37):
Come on, it's fun.
Just want to get some food,didn't want to have to deal with
all of that.
But yes, I totally understandwhat you said.

SPEAKER_03 (18:43):
You carried triple, yeah, I did.
Oh, that's amazing.
I carried two and it almost tookme out.
Literally, I can't imaginethree.

SPEAKER_01 (18:52):
Wow.
Oh, so your secondary okay.
Well, I guess we'll get intothat.

SPEAKER_03 (18:56):
Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 (18:57):
Okay, oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_03 (18:58):
My second was twins, right?

SPEAKER_02 (19:02):
I vaguely remember that.
Yes, right.
Okay, okay, so so baby's bornand you get to leave hospital.
It seems like a blissfuljourney, honestly, like as
perfect as it could go.

SPEAKER_03 (19:15):
Super simple.

SPEAKER_01 (19:17):
Okay, I know and I I know that's definitely not the
the second one, so not a previewto all, but um, so how long
after your how long after youdeliver are you like, okay, I
want to sign up and do thisagain?

SPEAKER_02 (19:35):
Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 (19:38):
Because it was so simple, I think by like June, I
was already with another agency.
So the baby was born inFebruary.
By June, I was with anotheragency, and I was matched by the
end of August.

SPEAKER_02 (19:55):
Jeez, girl.

SPEAKER_00 (19:56):
Yeah, six months.
That's six months after.
So they let you get matchedwithin six months.
Wow, that's important with thecondition.

SPEAKER_03 (20:06):
Yeah, I wouldn't transfer until at minimum after
February of the following year.

SPEAKER_00 (20:11):
Okay, like you were matched okay.
Okay, fair.
And the couple obviously wasokay with that.

SPEAKER_03 (20:17):
Yeah, and because they uh assumed that you know
the medical screening, the umlegal and everything like that,
they assumed that that was acouple of months anyway.
So they were like, you know, tohave to wait until February
shouldn't even be a problem.

SPEAKER_02 (20:34):
Okay, great.

SPEAKER_03 (20:35):
And then I ended up needing to get the policy
removed, so that also like gaveus some more with you know,
waiting for everything to befinished to put a transfer.

SPEAKER_02 (20:45):
Perfect, simple, okay wow.
So okay, yeah.
But when do you transfer?
Yeah, so when's the transfer?

SPEAKER_00 (20:51):
And then I yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (20:53):
So it was pretty much right around the same time.
I did a transfer in May for thetwins, and we did a no, I'm
sorry, June.
They were both right around thesame time.
I can't remember which one waswhich, one of them was in May,
one of them was in June.
Let's say the twins enough wereMay.
Because I think they're yeah,their due date was the end of

(21:17):
February.
Okay, and we all had looks likethis little joke that when
they're born on a leap year.
Oh they were born on a leapyear?
Two of them, and then they alsothat was when their due date
was.
Ah! Funny!

SPEAKER_02 (21:32):
How funny hilarious that's not when they were born,
yeah.

SPEAKER_00 (21:37):
No, okay, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_03 (21:40):
Okay, so with so yeah, with that pregnancy we do
they put two embryos in or doesit split?
So that one was a double embryotransfer.
The parents wanted to heightenthe chances of um the transfer
working the first time.
Okay and they initially asked,was I okay with it?

(22:02):
At first, I said I don't thinkso, just because I've heard you
know, really bad things aboutdoing double embryo transfers,
you know, they split too manytimes, and yeah, um, yeah.
So I initially I was like, no, Idon't I don't know, I'll pass.
And then like I think like maybelike two days later, I was like,
you know what?
Actually, no, these people seemvery nice.

(22:24):
And if they if this makes themfeel comfortable and confident,
you know, I'll do that.
And it was so funny after thetransfer was over.
I was like, you know, I'm justsaying, whenever something weird
can happen, it does with me.
So I'm just like, just beprepared to have twins.
They're both gonna take.
I don't I don't know this for afact yet, but I'm pretty sure

(22:46):
they're both gonna take.

SPEAKER_00 (22:47):
Wow, yeah, look at you being all intuitive.
Wow.

unknown (22:52):
Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 (22:53):
So how soon after that do you know they both take
at the ultrasound?

SPEAKER_03 (22:58):
Um, yeah, heartbeat confirmation.
They found two heartbeats.

SPEAKER_02 (23:02):
Wow, boy, girl, boy, boy, girl, girl.

SPEAKER_03 (23:06):
Boy, boy, so two boys.

SPEAKER_02 (23:08):
Oh, you care.
Were your boy?
Were your beta?
Was your first beta really high?
Do you remember?

SPEAKER_03 (23:15):
Yes, it was like 900 or something.

SPEAKER_02 (23:18):
Oh, okay.
There you go.
I'd be thinking triplets on thatpoint, or twin or yeah, 900
Jiminy Crickets.

SPEAKER_03 (23:26):
That's yeah, after that, it was like in the four
digits, yeah, kept doubling.
Oh my god.
I know they say, Yeah, I'm like,I know they say don't go off of
the bait of the pelogus.
This seems a little excessive.

SPEAKER_01 (23:48):
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, that's a lot.

SPEAKER_02 (23:51):
So, okay, so okay, so you have heartbeat, it's
confirmed that's two.
Are parents like super stoked?

SPEAKER_03 (24:01):
Yes, they were so excited, and there's like this
is the greatest blessing wecould have ever asked for.
You know, we wanted just onebaby, and now we're gonna have
two.
Like, it was so adorable oncethey were told, and I got to see
what their reaction was.
It was I loved it, it was sogreat.

SPEAKER_02 (24:16):
Did you did you get to tell them, or like were they
there and like you all found outtogether?

SPEAKER_03 (24:22):
Um, no, I waited for them to get um like the results
and stuff back from I believethe clinic.
I don't remember if it was theclinic or my agency, but I
waited for them to like notifythem just so it could be like a
surprise.
If I reach out after thisappointment, it's gonna be real
obvious.

SPEAKER_02 (24:41):
That's true, that's true.
Oh, that's fun.
Okay, all right.
So this is a differentpregnancy, right?
How are you feeling?
It's a double, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (24:53):
So it was I've been I'm like an asymptomatic
pregnancy type of person.
I normally I don't get thenausea, the tiredness, the
backaches, the weird foodcravings.
Like I typically I would I'm oneof those people that would like
forget they're pregnant untilthey look down and see the

(25:14):
belly.

SPEAKER_00 (25:14):
Wow, so nice.

SPEAKER_02 (25:16):
I love it.

SPEAKER_03 (25:17):
So yeah, within pregnancy, I felt everything so
fast.
It was like the tiredness hitme.
I couldn't function.
I like at one point set up alittle mat upstairs for me to
take a nap between like at mybreaks at work and stuff.
Because I was so even like theemotional stuff became like

(25:41):
almost immediate.
I remember one time I criedbecause I forgot what food I
wanted.
I want to say it was pizza, itwas probably pizza.
I wanted some pizza, but likethe pizza that I wanted was
downstairs, but I was too tiredto go downstairs, and then I
asked one of my kids to heat itup for me, and they heated it

(26:02):
up, but then they went outsidebefore they brought it to me.
So I'm sitting in my office justcrying my eyes out, and my
husband comes in, he's like,Hey, what's wrong?

SPEAKER_00 (26:12):
I'm like, I want my pizza.
Oh poor thing, so many hormones.
No, poor thing.

SPEAKER_03 (26:20):
I think I might have been like 10 or 12 weeks at that
point.
So I wasn't even like deep intothe trenches yet.
I was just crying.

SPEAKER_02 (26:30):
And does your does your uterus and your tummy like
start to get bigger and biggerand bigger?
Like you're like maybe 12 weeks,but you look like you're six
months.
Did that hit you or no?

SPEAKER_03 (26:40):
Yes.
So like my pregnancy, um, it didit only made it two six months.
Okay, but at six months, Ilooked nine months, right?
Yeah, I kept making this jokethat I was gonna be the new
shamu at Sea World.

(27:02):
Like, I am huge, and you lookpetite, you looked super like
teeny, yeah.
Oh, yeah, when when I gotpregnant, I think I was like
110, maybe 115 pounds.
Yeah, so it it literally lookedlike I had just like a balloon
that was blown to like maximumcapacity.

SPEAKER_02 (27:24):
Wow, okay, so dive into that.
Why why wait, why does it onlygo to six months?

SPEAKER_03 (27:30):
Does your complications obviously so it
was it was a really weirdsituation?
So um I was at an uh at the timeI owned a candle company and I
was doing an event that washappened to be right across the
street from the hospital thatwas supposed to be giving birth

(27:51):
at.

unknown (27:51):
Okay.

SPEAKER_03 (27:52):
And I don't know, something about it, I was like,
this feels like it's a bad idea.
Being this close to my birthinghospital feels like I'm jinxing
it.
Oh and while I'm there, likenothing's wrong, I'm not in any
pain.
I'm not like, you know, there'sthere's no issue.
I just feel like something'swrong.

(28:13):
Okay, and so I go to thebathroom.
Um, and when I wipe, there'slike a big chunk of my mucus
plug in there, and like that'snormally not anything like too
alarming because you could loseit a couple of times while
you're pregnant.
So yeah, and I'm like, it's winsfor you to lose it early, that
makes kind of sense, whatever.
But something just I don't know,it just didn't feel right.

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SPEAKER_03 (29:19):
Good for you.
So yeah, it it had it was like alittle like brown, like it maybe
had like blood in it a littlebit, but like just barely.
Um, so I called my coordinator.
I was like, hey, I know this isprobably nothing, but um, I went
to the bathroom just now and mymucus plug seems to be coming
out.
Um is it okay if I go to thehospital?

(29:43):
I was like, I know this soundsreally stupid.
I'm so sorry to even bother you.
And she was like, Oh no, you'refine.
And you know, just to ease yourmind, yeah, you're right.
You know, when it comes to youknow, mucus plug, you know,
there's nothing to be, you know,super alarmed about.
Um, but just to give us all somepeace of mind, give a call to.
To uh the on-call nurse for ourOB, have let them know what's

(30:04):
going on and see what they wantyou to do.

unknown (30:06):
Okay.

SPEAKER_03 (30:07):
So I called them, um, left message.
They called me back like twominutes later.
Um, they were like, it'sprobably nothing, but because it
does have blood in it, go aheadand go to the ER just to make
sure.
Okay.
So my friend was with me.
So she stayed at my booth.
I called an Uber to get drivenacross the street.
Um and when I get there, youknow, because it's a hospital

(30:32):
and it's it's a baby and like awomen and babies hospital.
So it's a literal birthinghospital.
It's it's almost its wholepurpose is just for birth.

SPEAKER_04 (30:41):
Wow.

SPEAKER_03 (30:42):
Um, so I was like, I know they're not gonna take me
seriously if I just walk in herelike, hey, um, I don't know
what's wrong.
I just feel like something'swrong.
So I start kind of like puttingon a little bit of a show.
I'm just like, oh, it hurts.
You know, I'm I'm feeling somelike pains, you know, and I
forgot what else I said, but I Ikind of like hyped it up a

(31:05):
little bit.
Um, so they then go see me.
The doctor comes in, she's like,let's check, you know, your
cervix just to see what's goingon since you said you're feeling
some cramping.
She barely gets her hand inthere, and she's like slowly
pulling out, like she's a littlenervous, and I'm like, okay.
And she's like, I can feel thesack for the baby.

(31:29):
You're about three centimetersdilated.
Yikes, and I'm like, at thatpoint, I kind of like
disassociated a little bit.
I started like I could my chestgot tight, and I'm like, oh no.
So I reach out to mycoordinator, let her know what's
going on.
She lets the parents know.
Um, obviously, at this point,they're gonna admit me to the

(31:50):
hospital.
Uh, because she's like, it's notjust like you can feel it on the
rim, she's like, it's bulgingout.

SPEAKER_04 (31:57):
Whoa.

SPEAKER_03 (31:58):
And so I get admitted, and I was in the
hospital for about five days,and on day three, I got up to
use the bathroom again, and mywater broke.
Oh, but they keep me on themedication, like they gave me
the shot and everything to helpthe baby's lungs and brain

(32:20):
develop and all that.
They did that the first day.
Um because you're six months atthis point, like 24 weeks.
20 well, not exactly.
I am it's the week before, sixweeks.
Okay, um, so I don't knowwhether it was five weeks and
four days or something likethat, whatever it was.

(32:40):
Okay, I wasn't quite fully sixweeks yet, but they were born
six weeks, uh six monthsexactly.
Okay, okay.
And so I'm there for like fivedays by day three.
My water broke.
Um, but they were like, youknow, we're gonna try to see if
we can, you know, keep them inthere a little bit longer
because the goal was to try toget me to 28 weeks at minimum,

(33:02):
then you know, hopefully 34 atthe best, like best case
scenario.
Um, but typically with you know,your water breaking, because now
that is potential for likeinfections and things like that.
They were like, okay, this isn'tlikely gonna happen, but they
gave it, you know, two more daysjust to let them um develop a

(33:25):
little more.
But like the morning that theywere born, I just remember it
was another one of those, likenothing is wrong with me, but I
just feel like something isn'tright.

SPEAKER_04 (33:34):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (33:34):
So I'm like, I don't feel like contractions, but I
feel like a pinching.
And so I start timing it, andit's like three, four minutes
apart.
And I'm taking screenshots likeof my phone every time I feel
one, so I can see like what timeit is and what the progression
is.
And I show my nurse when shecomes in that morning at like I

(33:56):
don't know, it's the the sixo'clock wake up because um, and
she's just like, Oh, well, Idon't see anything on the
monitors, it doesn't the themonitors aren't picking up any
contractions.
Um, so it's you know, justprobably just some discomfort,
kind of just you know, brushesit off.
And um, and then the I don'tknow, maybe like an hour or two

(34:23):
later, uh, she comes back againbecause the monitor came off.
Um, and the baby they weren'tpicking up one of the heart
rates anymore.
Okay, and I'm like, she's tryingto find it, and I'm like, I I'm
pretty sure I'm havingcontractions.
So she's looking at the monitor,still not picking up anything.
And I'm like, all right, y'allare not taking me seriously.

(34:44):
So I'm like, I do it again.
I crank up the theatrics, like Istart crying.
Now I'm like, oh, it hurts, likethis is I I feel some pain, like
da-da-da-da-da.
So now that I am activelycrying, she calls in the nurse,
uh, calls a doctor, has themcome in and check everything.

(35:06):
Um, oh, and I almost forgot.
A little bit after the firsttime she came in, and I told her
I thought I was havingcontractions, my OB came in to
visit me.
Um, and I told her, you know, II know they're saying it's not
on the monitors, but I feel likeI'm having contractions, blah
blah blah blah.
She said she'll let the uhnurses and staff know or

(35:28):
whatever, and they'll see ifsomeone can come in and check me
out.
But then like an hour and a halfpasses by, and that's when I'm
now talking to the nurse for thesecond time.

unknown (35:36):
Okay.

SPEAKER_03 (35:36):
Um, and then like yeah, like I said, I am I'm like
cranking up the the dramaclasses, you know.
And the doctor finally comes in.
He's like, Okay, I uh you know,you you know, you're looking
uncomfortable.
I uh you know, it seems likeyou're having contractions.
Let me go in and check.
And when they do, they feel thebaby's feet hanging out.
So I'm like, I knew somethingwas wrong.

(36:00):
And so the doctor is just like,we're gonna have to do an
emergency C section.
The room like floods withpeople, right?
And they like lay my bed down,get me prepared to start moving,
and like the doctor whispers inmy ear, you're not crazy, you
were right.
And I'm like, Oh, I knew it.
Look at that! Yeah, so I'm like,Thank you for like giving me

(36:22):
that reassurance because I Ireally felt like I'm here going
crazy because I'm telling youguys something is wrong.
I can't tell you why, I justknow.
Right, they need to listen towomen more.
I'm telling you, they need tolisten.
Yep, they do, they do.

SPEAKER_02 (36:38):
Where are the parents at this point?
Do you mind me jumping in andasking that?
Where are the parents whenthey're feeling afoot and you're
being prepped for C-section?
Where are they?

SPEAKER_03 (36:46):
Um they were uh they were close by, they were at um
their hotel, they had alreadyflown in by this time.
I think they had flown down thesecond day.
Okay I was in the hospital.
Yeah, okay, and they came to themom's mom was with her as well.

SPEAKER_02 (37:03):
Okay, okay, great.
Can I just say good for you foradvocating for yourself?
Because clearly no one else inthat hospital was doing that for
you.
And again, I go back to the theFriday facts that sticks with me
the most was talking with youand Rachel, and um I always oh
my gosh, I always pronounce hername wrong.

(37:24):
I think it's Demetra.
Demir Dem, yes, and um becausethat Friday facts opened my eyes
to a lot of things, and Iremember the comment that you
ladies made after that was womenaren't listened to, but
especially black women in ahospital setting fall through
the cracks, and like it reallystuck with me.

SPEAKER_01 (37:46):
And like your story still stuck with me.
Ugh, okay, sorry.
Wow, so I'm I'd applaud you.

SPEAKER_02 (37:55):
We can take repeat that last part, same again.

SPEAKER_03 (38:00):
It's always expected that black women we have
astigmatism that you know we canbear it all.
And you know, when we complain,it's like it's literally taught
in school that we have a higherpain tolerance.
So when we complain aboutthings, yes, it is literally

(38:23):
taught in school that women thatblack women have a higher pain
tolerance, and medical personnelhear that and think like she can
take it, it's not that serious.

SPEAKER_02 (38:34):
Oh crap.
Is that a real thing?
Like, that's not a real thing,like, but no, no, I mean, like,
I guess it's like a real saying,but it's it's that's not like a
real scientific proof, is it?

SPEAKER_03 (38:45):
No, I I can't I honestly I have no idea.

SPEAKER_02 (38:48):
Everybody tolerates pain so differently.
My pain at a 10 could beKennedy's pain at a three, and
that's right, that that itshouldn't be race-based, like
that's ridiculous.
I can't even like I'm sorry.
Wow, that's horrible.
And for him to whisper in yourear that you were right, that

(39:10):
you were right.
Can I ask, was he was he AfricanAmerican or was he a Caucasian
doctor?
Um he was either white orHispanic.

SPEAKER_00 (39:19):
Okay, too.

SPEAKER_02 (39:20):
Okay, but so for him for him to whisper that in your
ear, kudos to that doctorbecause it shouldn't have gotten
that far.
It you should have been paidattention to you the first time.

unknown (39:31):
Yeah, god dang, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 (39:33):
Oh my gosh.
Okay, so they're they're they'rerushing you.
Where's your husband?

SPEAKER_03 (39:38):
Um, he I believe was at home.
Yeah, he was at home at thetime, um, with our boys, but we
lived like 45 minutes away.
So he we wasn't gonna get therein time either way.
But the one of the nurses um wastrying to like as soon as they
as soon as I left the room, mymind just left.

(40:00):
I I was yeah, present.
I'm like trying to processeverything.
Like I felt like I was walkingnext to my body while it all of
this was happening, likewatching it.

SPEAKER_04 (40:09):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (40:10):
And she's trying to ask me what's the password to my
phone so she can call my husbandand let him know what's going
on.
Oh, and it took me a minute toeven comprehend the question and
then give her the the answer.
But she was able to call him,let him know what was happening.
Um, and I was able to text theparents before I even got out of

(40:32):
the room because I already hadmy phone open and ready to give
them an update because I wasliterally in the middle of
typing one for them as soon aswhen the doctor came in.
Because I was giving them a textmessage like at least once every
hour, once like daylight hitch.

unknown (40:48):
Wow.

SPEAKER_03 (40:48):
Um, but yeah, they rushed me into the to have the
C-section.
Um, they're getting me ready forlike the epidural and
everything, um, and like puttingup the the curtain and all that.
And the anesthesiologist is likepoking my back to make sure that
I'm numb.

(41:09):
Oh and I still feel it.
So I'm like wincing and likemoving when he pokes me.
Um and he asks me, Do I stillfeel that?
And I just like nod my head,yes.
So then I think he I don't know,upped it again or something.
Um but I could still feeleverything.
And the surgeon, I just hear himyell, we can't wait anymore.

(41:34):
And like I hear him yell, cut.
So I was partially numb when theC-section happened.
I wasn't fully sorry, partiallyis not numb.
Okay, but what was numb?
I think just like the top halfof my body, like the bottom, I

(41:55):
could still feel everything.
Oh so I didn't feel him cut, butas soon as his hands went in, I
could feel all of that, and allthat pressure, and yes, and they
at that point tried to put thethe mask on, but it still took
me a while to fall asleep.
Yeah, and I'm like it hurt somuch, I could not even scream.

(42:19):
I was just there with my mouthopen crying.
Did you go into shocking?
I thought I did, honestly.
Right?
I was trying to yell, butnothing was coming out.
But like you could see my handslike flexing.
Yeah, I think you're in shock.
So they all came to hold myhands down to make sure I don't

(42:43):
reach past the the curtain.
Stop it.

SPEAKER_02 (42:46):
I can't.
Okay, so unbelievable.
So many things to say aboutthat, but I'm shocked at the
fact that if you weren't numbfrom like the bottom portion,
how you weren't flailingeverywhere.
Like were well, right?
Because you said they wereholding your arms.
I like I would be no, am Icrazy, Mom?

(43:07):
What you're no, no, no, no, mymicrophone fell.
No, I'm agreeing with you,right?
Her arms were going.
Did they have your legs strappedtoo?

SPEAKER_00 (43:16):
Do you not feel like yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (43:18):
I'm thinking they probably had her restrained at
some point.
Like, I'm just assuming thatfrom the medical field, just
because there could have a lotof stuff could have gone wrong
had she moved the wrong way whenthose babies were being that's
what I'm saying.
Like they didn't even wait, likethat's putting your life in
danger, yeah.
And the babies, oh, I it was anemergency, like an emergency and

(43:40):
emergency, not just oh, we'regonna do an emergency C section.
This was an emergency andemergency emergency C section.
Like, dear God, so do you evenhear?
Well, two questions do thebabies cry when they come out,
and do you hear that or are youknocked out at this point?

SPEAKER_03 (43:54):
So by the time he cut through everything and like
was able to get them out, no, Ididn't hear anything because I
the one of the babies was stillinside the sack, the other one
was they had to like do aclassic incision.
Um, so he had to like reach downand up to get him out, and he

(44:17):
wasn't breathing, so they had tostart working on him
immediately.
Um, but yeah, I was I think Iwas out by the time they got to
the second baby, yeah.
But I finally like fell asleep,but I woke up again while they
were sewing me up.

SPEAKER_04 (44:37):
What?

SPEAKER_03 (44:38):
Yeah, hello, Mr.

SPEAKER_02 (44:42):
Mr.
Anesthesiologist.
Can you please make sure youhave one job that your patient
is completely out until theentire process is done?
Like, I can't.
You just have you ever hadsurgery before?
I'm curious.
Like a like a uh uh like ananesthetic surgery, yeah, where
you're put under, like um, Idon't know, like incision, like

(45:05):
scarring.

SPEAKER_03 (45:06):
I don't know anything, like not only one time
before, which is when I got thepolyp removed.
Um they did have to pay forthat.
Okay.
Um but I fell asleep, you know,the normal count to 10.
Yeah, they had the gas mask.
Yeah, I was out before Ifinished, okay.
And I woke up in uh recoveryroom.

(45:27):
Yeah, okay.
So you clearly it's people say Iwoke up sooner than that than
they anticipated.
They thought I was gonna be outfor a couple of hours.
I went out maybe like minutesafter the procedure was done.

SPEAKER_02 (45:37):
So it seems that anesthesia, like for a not say
for a normal individual, but thenormal dose that's given to a
normal an average-sizedindividual is just not effective
for you.
Like when I get um teeth workdone, I have to have three shots
of Novocaine or I'm not numb.
Like, but that's nothing youwould have known.
Like, it's not.
That's something for theanesthesiologist to have known.

(45:57):
You your heart rate starts to goup, you're starting to wake up,
give her more.
Like I oh my god, I'm so sorry.
So, what happens when you wakeup?
Yeah, are you numb and justawake?

SPEAKER_03 (46:12):
You said, Well, I'm sorry, you cut out a little bit.
I need to go.
Oh, sorry.

SPEAKER_02 (46:14):
When you wake up, are you like numb and awake, or
are you back to like where wewere before you fell asleep?

SPEAKER_03 (46:21):
You're feeling the threading, you're feeling it.
No, yeah, no, no, no.
By the time I woke up, at thatpoint, I think whatever was
supposed to numb me had fullykicked in at that point because
I didn't feel anything anymore,but I was also only awake for
maybe like 10 seconds.
I was awake long enough to ask,where's my husband?
And are the babies okay?
And then I was back to sleep.

(46:42):
Oh yeah, I heard the nurseanswer your we called your
husband, and um they're workingon the babies right now, and
then I was out.

SPEAKER_02 (46:52):
Okay, okay.
Oh my god.
Oh Lauren.
Oh my god, there's two separatechaotic situations going on
right now, Lauren and then thesetwo babies.
No, so do both of the babiesneed to be worked on?
Let's start with the babies.

SPEAKER_03 (47:08):
Do both of the babies need to be worked on, or
is it just the one?
Just the one who had the thesack break the the couple of
days before.

SPEAKER_02 (47:17):
Okay, okay, and now you Jesus.
Oh my god.
Okay, so you go to recoveryagain after you're done with the
we go to physical recovery.
Yeah, that's a lot of mentalthat happened too.
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (47:33):
Yeah, when next time I woke up, my husband was next
to me, and we were in the littlerecovery bay before they take me
upstairs to my room.

SPEAKER_00 (47:42):
Okay, and how do you get the information?
I well, hold on.
Do both babies make it?

SPEAKER_02 (47:50):
Yes, yes, they're both fine.
Okay, so how do you get thatinformation that both babies are
okay?

SPEAKER_03 (47:57):
So initially, um, because when I how do I explain
this?
Um, initially the babies arestill under me until because by
Florida law, I have to sign myparental rights over to the
parents.
Oh so the babies are under mylike medical chart.

(48:18):
So I can check on through that.

SPEAKER_00 (48:20):
Excellent.
Okay, interesting.

SPEAKER_03 (48:23):
Yeah, so I was able to um like still see them and
everything.
And I think once the paperworkwas processed, then they were
removed from my chart, and thenI had to like ask the parents,
you know, how's everythinggoing?
Um, because I couldn't also nolonger get updates from the
nurses or anymore because atthat point they're no longer
mine.

SPEAKER_02 (48:40):
Got it.

unknown (48:41):
Got it.

SPEAKER_02 (48:42):
Okay.
So how you're in recovery fromthis C-section, like your
husband's by you.
We're like maybe an hour or twohours after procedure's done.
When do you find out they'reokay?
Does somebody come and tell youthat?

SPEAKER_03 (48:55):
No, I don't think so.
I don't remember.
I think I just checked my phone.
Okay.
Um saw like there was bothbabies were there, and then they
both had like updates.
So I was like, okay, they'reboth good.

SPEAKER_02 (49:09):
Wow, how are you when you wake up?

SPEAKER_03 (49:14):
Um, I was happy.
I was still very drugged up.
Um I was smiling, but the firstthing that I remember saying
was, I'm alive.
Yes.
Because when I finally did fallasleep in the operating room, I
literally thought I had died.

(49:35):
I thought I had gone into shockfrom the pain, and I thought I
was dying when I fell asleep.
It was wow.
Yeah, I just I felt a lot ofemotions as I was falling
asleep.

SPEAKER_02 (49:48):
I bet you did.
I bet it was terrifying.
Absolutely terrifying.

SPEAKER_03 (49:51):
Yes, all I was thinking about is like, are
these babies gonna get how aremy kids gonna take this?
And like wondering like myhusband, what's gonna go with
happen with him?
And like, because I know theycalled him, I know he called my
parents.
Like these were all thoughtsthat were like swarming in my
brain while this was allhappening.

SPEAKER_02 (50:12):
And as you're trying to be put under all of this, is
oh my god.

unknown (50:18):
Wow.

SPEAKER_02 (50:19):
So how much yeah, sorry, how much time?
And it's a weird question, butI'll explain it.
How much time did you lose?
And what I mean by that is fromthe time you felt yourself going
to sleep and having all of thosethoughts till the time you now
are awake and husband sittingnext to you, is it six hours?
Is it 12?
Uh I lost 12 and I'll never getit back.

(50:41):
And it it haunts me to this daywhen I had a C-section.
Do you know how many hours youlost?

SPEAKER_03 (50:48):
I don't even think it was that long.
Okay, I want to say because theywere born I think at like 10
a.m.

SPEAKER_00 (50:55):
Okay.

SPEAKER_03 (50:56):
9 or 10 a.m.
I wanna say I was awake aroundlike noon, maybe one.
Oh wow, okay, good.
Okay, yeah, so I know I don't Idon't think I made it quite to
like six hours, but okay, I knowI wasn't out for long.

SPEAKER_02 (51:16):
Babies obviously went to NICU, right?
They're like six month, 24weekers, 25 weekers.
They went to NICU.
So when do you get to go up andsee them?
Because they're still under you,as you mentioned, right?
Under your chart.
Do you have access to the NICU?

SPEAKER_03 (51:30):
No, um, by the end of that day, they were taken off
of my chart.
Um, I wasn't able to becauselike they came in and they I
they knew I was a surrogate, sothey were already ready to go to
like yeah, do all the things.

(51:50):
Um and like the like I said, theparents were already there, so
it wasn't even one of thosesituations where it's like yeah,
so I wasn't able to physicallysee them.
Um honestly, I didn't see themin person until January or
February.
It was like a day or two beforethey were scheduled to be um

(52:12):
flown to a hospital.

SPEAKER_02 (52:14):
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(52:35):
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the way.
When what month were they bornin?
November.

(52:55):
November.
And you don't get to see themuntil beginning of January,
right before they're ready tofly to a hospital in the state
they live.

SPEAKER_03 (53:02):
Yeah, I think it was what yeah, I think it was like
end of end of January, earlyFebruary.

SPEAKER_02 (53:09):
Okay, so it's do you get pictures?
Do the parents show you somepictures of them?

SPEAKER_03 (53:15):
So after they were born, um, it was a little weird.
Um, like any communication wasme reaching out to them um to
see how they were doing, to seehow the babies are doing.
Um, I do think they sent me apicture about 30 days after they
were born, and I know I got oneum for New Year's.

(53:40):
And then I think, and honestly,it wasn't until the day before I
came in um to visit that theyeven acknowledged anything.
You know, I got it, wasn't untilthen that I was told, you know,
thank you for what you've done.
We really appreciate everything.

(54:00):
And the message even startedwith, I know it may seem like
there's some animosity here, butyou know, it's actually the
opposite.
And I'm like, the fact that youstarted the message with that
kind of implies that you knowhow this has been going.
Right.
Um, but like I was veryconflicted as you know, the

(54:21):
person that was essentially justhere to do a job.
And yeah, like I was conflicted,and knowing that you know, every
day for them, every minute forthem is uh holding their breath
because of the state that theirchildren were born in.
But at the same time, it's justlike I exist.

(54:45):
I also went through somethingtraumatic for them to even be
here to have that fightingchance.
Yes, and even just theconditions in which I went
under, there was nothing wrongwith me.
I just knew something was wrong,and instead of brushing it off
like I could have, yeah, I putyour kid first.

SPEAKER_00 (55:01):
100%, Lauren.
100%.
Did you say that to them?
No, because I'm I know.
I know, I get it.
I get it that is.
I get it.

SPEAKER_02 (55:10):
I am curious though, Lauren.
So when this whole thinghappened, like the day, the day
after, did they talk to you?
Did they approach you?
Did they they didn't sayanything?

SPEAKER_03 (55:24):
I did not see them again until the day before uh I
mean to the day I went to govisit.

SPEAKER_00 (55:30):
But hold on.
With the C-section, you're inthe hospital for a good three
days, sometimes five, dependingon how that recovery is going.
So how long were you in thehospital after that c-section?

SPEAKER_03 (55:40):
Uh three and a half days.

SPEAKER_02 (55:42):
And their babies were in that hospital as well,
literally a floor apart, maybetwo, who knows?
It's an elevator ride, and theycouldn't come say thank you, and
just like check on you.
No, Lauren, I am gonna cry foryou.
That these very sorry.

SPEAKER_03 (56:02):
Yeah, the only time we spoke was when I reached out
to them to get updates and seehow they were doing and checking
on them, or it was like theywould only reach out to me if
there was like some type oflogistical thing that they
needed me for.

SPEAKER_02 (56:17):
Right.
I'm I don't I I have no words.
I'm I'm so so sorry.
I have words.

SPEAKER_00 (56:24):
Not the words you can say on a podcast, but okay.
I have those words.

SPEAKER_02 (56:29):
Okay, I just want to say one, I'm sorry, because
you're a human being and youdeserve respect.
And while I while I cansympathize with how like the
emotions and like nobody's evergiven a book on how to deal with
this, and their babies are inthe NICU and fighting for their
lives, 100% absolutely.
But you also kind of fought foryours, like let's get real here,

(56:54):
you did, and in order to bringtheir children Earth side.
So the most simple thing thatcould have been done was we
appreciate what you did.
We're like, thank you.
Like it could just be twosentences, and then it's just
like, okay, they acknowledged myexistence, they acknowledged
their the respect for me,they're gonna go deal with their

(57:16):
kids.
And I know you as a person wouldbe like, Yeah, like I'm not
looking to talk to you everysingle day.
Your kids are in the Nick youlike what?
Like, I'm a human, I understandthat I'm a mom.
Like, but it's the simple factof treating one another with
respect and you 100% by thisstory, right?
Because I wasn't involved, butby this story, you're 100%

(57:38):
right.
You could have, and a lot ofpeople not dissing anybody, they
possibly would have just brushedit off and been like, huh, like
I'm gonna go home for the day,like when that happened.
And you were like, I have afeeling I'm gonna go.
A nurse brushed her off alreadywhile she was in the hospital.
Yeah, and before you even wentover, like, because when you
lost the mucus plug, I want tosay your coordinator brushed you

(58:01):
off.
She didn't, but she's like,Yeah, that happens, but you
know, let's just get chuggedout.
You knew you stuck on it, youdid some theatrics to get
noticed, which is so sad youhaven't had to do that.
Somebody should just take yourword for it.

SPEAKER_00 (58:14):
Yeah, you're the reason that they made it as far
as they did you and only you.

SPEAKER_02 (58:22):
Um, you are had you not had those instinctual
feelings, there there could wecould have been talking about a
different situation here, andI'm not even gonna put it out in
the universe, but we could havebeen for sure, and I'm
goosebumpy already.
I I can't like Lauren.
What you did was heroic,superhero, phenomenal,

(58:43):
outrageous.
I'm gonna cry because you arethe re I swear to god, you are
the reason those babies made itso long, and you know you have
to know that if you don't, youhave to know it was you.

SPEAKER_00 (58:54):
Okay, now I can eat it.

SPEAKER_03 (58:55):
It was one of the reasons why it hurts so much to
kind of be brushed to the sidewhen everything was said and
done.
Because even like I can evenunderstand, you know, not
wanting to come to the roombecause what if you know, while
you're in there, somethinghappens to your baby.
I can even understand you notphysically, but you know, yeah,

(59:19):
text me and say, hey, we apprelike you said, two sentences.
We appreciate what you did.
Thank you.
Like, even at the end of youknow, the conversations when I
was reaching out to them, it wasjust, you know, hope you have a
great recovery.
Um, you know, it uh I hope youheal up well, or like on

(59:40):
Thanksgiving, and I kind of tookI kind of took this as a shot at
me, I'm not gonna lie.
Um on Thanksgiving, I sent thema text message, you know, saying
that I was grateful um, youknow, that everything worked out
as well as it could have withthe the kids' birth.
And I'm grateful that, you know,they're still fighting, you
know, and you guys are still.

(01:00:00):
able you know to keep it ittogether as much as you can.
And they were like they sent meback a message saying thank you.
We appreciate that.
You know, and we're so gratefulfor the amazing staff here at
the hospital for doingeverything that they can to help
our kids and you know help us.
Like and that was the end of themessage.

SPEAKER_02 (01:00:18):
We're not thankful for the we're grateful for the
amazing surrogate we had thathelped get our children earth
side and gave them the fightingchance because it just seemed
like something was going to godown with that when what at the
first tinges of you saying thisjust doesn't feel right.
You know like but without you itwouldn't be this scenario.

(01:00:39):
It would have been a waynegative scenario.
Nobody would be talking abouttwo babies.
Can I just put out like a P PSA?
The simple fact no seriouslybecause it's infuriating because
I was definitely not in yoursituation but I was definitely
blamed for an early delivery umeven though 100% not my fault.

(01:01:01):
Just like this is not like 100%not your fault.
And so just like PSA to everyonein the universe we cannot we
women are amazing.
We are awesome we are magicalmiracle workers but guess what
if I could control everypregnancy as a woman there

(01:01:23):
wouldn't be infertility onwomen's side let's just put that
there.
So don't put the blame on awoman who is carrying a baby and
if something happens in thatpregnancy whether it's tragic or
a bump in the road 100% not herfault.
Not her fault.
Maybe the 1% time she you knowbut probably not like let's get

(01:01:44):
real here.
So even if not even if becauseit really does sound like
especially since that was thesentence that they said to you
like oh you know there's noaminosity well if there's none
then why why did you start itthat way because clearly you
felt some way toward you Laurenas like oh well it's her fault.

(01:02:07):
That's how I'm kind of readingthat and I when I disagree I
can't I can't imagine how youfeel because I was there and
they made you feel that way.
Yeah I'm so sorry because thatis to go through a physically
and mentally traumaticexperience to then have to deal
with that like excuse me so sois the agency involved in any of

(01:02:30):
this like did you tell them howthey were treating you like like
were they aware I understandthey have babies in the NICU I
understand that.
But you're a human so does yourcoordinator get involved does
your agency get involved whatnothing they just kind of okay
you guys birthed you're done soI did you know she didn't know

(01:02:51):
you know the extent of what wasgoing on and what happened and
you know I told her how you knowI was feeling but at the time I
was very like I took a pacifistapproach to you know what was
going on.

SPEAKER_03 (01:03:05):
So I didn't you know tell her you know I I feel any
type of way or you know they'renot reaching out to me.
No they're they're not actinglike I matter it wasn't until
maybe a few weeks later okay Iwas that I started to express
like I this is really startingto hurt my feelings and like on
top of that because they wereborn early I also did not get

(01:03:27):
the full compensation forcarrying the pregnancy I
actually got paid less this timearound than I did to carry a
single baby.
And it just she had she she hadthe baby at six months so she
didn't make it to her full endof the contract that's in every
contract and it sucks that it'sthere but yeah and then like I

(01:03:53):
expressed to her that you know Iwas mentally like really
struggling with everythingtrying to process like my
emotions the physical part of itlike every time I breathed it
was like a panic because youjust don't know which one of
those emotions is gonna sendlike that sharp pain through

(01:04:14):
your body and dealing with thatfeeling alone and like abandoned
you know throughout this for thesurrogacy process and not
knowing how or what's okay forme to feel when it comes to the
situation because part of me isjust like I can't blame them.
Their kids are in the state thatthey're in but also I am a

(01:04:38):
person I have feelings I wentthrough something for them and
they forgot about me.
Yes and horrible um she was likeI asked if was it possible to
you know have them um pay forlike me to get like talk to a
therapist because I know thatthat was initially part of our

(01:04:58):
contract for me like while I waspregnant I just didn't know if
it could still do it while Iwasn't anymore.
And she was like yeah thatshould be no problem um let me
just reach out to them and youknow see what they say.
And within like an hour she cameback and was just like actually
so we are just gonna have to seeif we can like look through the

(01:05:19):
insurance to see if we can findsomeone covered that way.
Which basically implied thatthey were like no we're not
gonna do that.
Right.
Wow like you're told strugglingno not really I think when the

(01:05:40):
babies got to about like sixmonths um I just stopped
reaching out because at thatpoint I felt like a bother
because I would wait I wouldliterally like set reminders in
my calendar to make sure like Ididn't reach out too soon
because like I wanted updateslike every week but again I did

(01:06:02):
not want to bother them so Imade sure not to contact them
more than three weeks at a timewow wow was there anything in
the contract about how postbirth would go like contact wise
or the was there anything inthat you'd get pictures every
birthday or holidays no okaybecause I know yeah because when

(01:06:25):
we first started the journeythat was the kind of like
verbalized like this is whatwe're wanting from okay so right
putting it in the contractdidn't really seem necessary I
guess at least not on my end.
Right but after like theyreturned six months I was just
like I asked one more time justto make sure like everything was
still fine and I just didn'treach up again I want to hug you

(01:06:48):
right now.

SPEAKER_02 (01:06:49):
You are and you so strong so strong did you get
something wrong but you're alsoinspirational I'm sorry I just
want to say this you're veryinspirational because even
though maybe this exactsituation hasn't happened to
many others I can relate to youin a certain way and I know a
lot of other girls can too and Iknow that when you have talked

(01:07:10):
about your story especially onthe Friday facts a lot of girls
um felt a type of way and verymuch empathized and sympathized
with you and it's just it makesme really sad that you that you
that no one was there for you.
Nobody like no one was there forLauren and Lauren is a good
person and Lauren deserves that.

(01:07:32):
And we're in 20 was it 2024 or2023 that they were born um they
were born in 23 okay 2023 to nothave support for the surrogate
who's going through somethingvery very traumatic as well as
the parents I get that I getthat that that's just a given
but it's the surrogate you youneed help.

(01:07:54):
Did you get some help?

SPEAKER_03 (01:07:56):
Did you get to talk to somebody yeah and and also
just to make sure that they doget you know credit where it's
due I think like two monthsafter I stopped reaching out I
think they realized that Istopped reaching out um and they
sent me like a really longmessage you know giving me an
update on how the boys weredoing and saying like you know
they've just been very busy youknow our relationship isn't done

(01:08:19):
yet you know they'll come backat some point to Florida because
they want to do like a Disneytrip when the boys are ready.
And you know I responded justany normal way just like oh
that's so great.
I'm happy to hear everybody isdoing well you know definitely
let us know when you guys are intown we would love to you know
say see them and you knowintroduce my family to them and

(01:08:41):
all that wow and I never heardfrom them after that though but
they did at least reach out yeahthat one time I guess once they
noticed that you keep reachingyeah yeah and then I did um post
something on Instagram about umlike kind of sharing my story
just to like put some awarenessout.
Yes and I sent them a message tolet them know like hey I'm about

(01:09:03):
to post about this um that wasnice of you yeah they were nice
of you like at that time I wasnot 100% certain that they knew
what the birthing experience waslike for me because I didn't
know if my coordinator hadshared that with them and I

(01:09:26):
certainly didn't at that point.
And like I was talking about iton my TikTok but I don't know if
they were watching any of thatconsidering what was going on
with their kids.
And then they posted somethingfor the baby's hundred days and
they also reciprocated like giveme a heads up like hey but it

(01:09:48):
wasn't like a we're about topost about babies just to give
you a heads up kind of thing.
It was they were celebrating thehundred days and they weren't
going to mention that they useda surrogate.
So they wanted to give me aheads up that I was not going to
be included in that celebrationand they just didn't want it to

(01:10:11):
like throw me off and like theywanted to let me know like it's
not anything against you.
We're just not ready to let theworld know we needed a surrogate
yet or let our friends andfamily know we needed a
surrogate yet.

SPEAKER_02 (01:10:23):
So was that always the plan not to my knowledge I
didn't I was gonna say becauseusually they're told usually
surrogates are told beforehandlike hey like you know we're
gonna pretend or you knowwhatever it is hide it something
like that.
I've I've heard of stories likethat where everybody's very
transparent up front but notlike that.
That's very interesting.

SPEAKER_03 (01:10:44):
But um you did ask me another question.
We did sorry what it was uh oh Iwell I said are you still in
contact with them so not nowclearly you were sharing you
share you shared your story umand you let them know and we
were like that's that's how Idid they comment on any of that

(01:11:07):
on your feed okay did youcomment on their hundred days um
I did like the post just to belike I saw this but no I didn't
say anything.
Yeah because I am trying to youknow just like normal like
before just trying to berespectful of you know what's
going on in their lives whatthey choose to share has nothing

(01:11:27):
to do with me.

SPEAKER_02 (01:11:28):
Yeah I yeah yeah it's a really hard one it's I
just still don't feel thatyou're you are being looked at
by them in the correct lightlike for what you did for what
you sacrificed your familysacrificed for for what you did
to allow them to now be parentsit's it's huge Lauren and it's

(01:11:53):
just huge any surrogate whogives of themselves and their
families to help up anothercouple or or a or a single
person.
But what you went through that'sa lot layer after layer after
layer after layer and it justand to get no recognition for
them I oh that's what you askedwas I getting help okay there

(01:12:13):
you go yes we got back to it umso this year I actually did
start therapy um and when I toldmy therapist what happened she
was even in shock she could notspeak had no words just she was

(01:12:39):
like I I don't even for you tostill be able to function in the
way that you have been since allthat occurred she was like I'm
proud of you honestly yeah 100%you either you disassociated or
you are so compartmentalizedlike that's what I do it's like

(01:13:00):
uh this trauma isn't gonna stayover here life's gonna go on
over here it'll pop in every nowand then but like it lives in
its own land yeah that'sessentially how that worked I'm
very good at compartmentalizingmy emotions and my feelings so
it was it it was very put on aback burner and like when I'm in
the shower okay feel the feelsyeah yeah I get that yeah but

(01:13:24):
good for you I'm I'm very you'reyou're moving I'm very sad but
I'm very sad that your agencyalso just didn't step up and be
like we're gonna get we aredemanding that you go you could
you reached out to them are likehey I need this to be honest
speaking with agencies like wehave this agency should have

(01:13:44):
been like yep and even if theyhad to pay for it out of their
own pocket rather than theparents they probably should
have to me they should have youcalled you asked they should
have just taken the bird andsaid listen we're gonna give you
so many sessions if you needsome after that we'll talk about
it but here's 10.
Yep we got it go go twice a weekif you have to like to me if I

(01:14:06):
were an owner of an aid thatwould have been no problem do it
wouldn't have been a questionbecause because you're too
valuable as an individual notnot not as a surrogate coming
back to my agency no no no no noas an individual and a human who
just did something miraculousand now you have all this trauma
you have to deal with which is II still I'm still trying to

(01:14:27):
process it.
Didn't even happen to me yeah Ican't Lauren I just you're like
this just little like light likeI don't know I I I am so happy
you're going to nursing schoolbecause I know look at you
you're like you are gonna bephenomenal oh my gosh like
you're gonna listen to everyoneeverybody move out of the way
here she comes she's gonna be ontop yup it was literally the

(01:14:51):
reason why I decided to finallygo to nursing school because
like it's something that I'vealways thought about doing but
like I didn't think that as faras like the studies go I didn't
think I was gonna I was goodenough to keep up with it.

SPEAKER_03 (01:15:02):
You're good but after feeling like I almost died
and the experience that I had Iwas like I can't keep not
allowing myself to a minimumgive it a try.

SPEAKER_02 (01:15:16):
Yeah yeah yeah yeah fantastic so proud you're gonna
make it so happy in labor anddelivery is that what you're
gonna do I was gonna say are yougonna go labor and delivery but
I was afraid to ask yeah yeah Ibet you are that's you go
through my end goal there is tolabor work with all the
surrogates that's like one ofthe one of the nurses that
worked with um in Kennedy'shospital she's like I work with

(01:15:38):
all the surrogates I just lovethem and she was phenomenal
phenomenal yeah I'm like that'sgonna be my whole personality
when I get there is like hey Iwas a surrogate if we ever see
any of those me I love it I loveit thank you for being so I I I
can't think of open honest openand brave to come and share all
this because seriously I didn'teven know the extent of all of

(01:16:01):
that when Kennedy said you werecoming on and I was like and
when you started talking aboutit my heart just went what yeah
yeah I I I all the best to youseriously like all the good
things need to come your way100% they all well they seem
like they are but hopefully theyjust keep stacking up yeah and
how are you feeling likerecovery wise like the whole C

(01:16:22):
section and all of that have youhealed like where you feel like
you're kind of back to you orI'm just talking physically not
mentally yeah um honestly I didrecover uh I don't really I
don't even know what timeline tobe able to say I was very
quickly but I think after like amonth I was able to you know
walk up and down the stairswithout like worrying about you

(01:16:47):
know or anything.

SPEAKER_03 (01:16:48):
Yeah that's pretty good so I was that was great.
I I I expected myself to be youknow down for longer than that
but um I've always been uh afast healer I guess you know
even with my own pregnancies Iwas up walking around with my
kids the same night that theywere born all of my nurses were

(01:17:10):
like ladies sit down take a loadoff your foot we got you just
relax but I'm like okay love itthat's cute wow so um I think I
are we are this is it right thatwas that's the is that the end
to your surrogacy journeys umyeah and at one point I was even

(01:17:33):
considering like if it was youknow enough time passed would I
do it again but honestly withthe way I was treated I just I
cannot get myself to potentiallygo through that again and have
myself dismissed that way againI'm honestly just too scared

(01:17:57):
yeah don't blame you either yeahlike you guys I could have lost
my life yeah and it took youmonths to give me a thank you I
just I can't do that again andwhat a thank you really if it
was kind of half assed thank yousorry but kind of right starting
with the words oh I know thereno it looks like there's been

(01:18:18):
animosity oh come on you don'tstart a conversation that way
you know even if you're thinkingit or you're feeling it that's
not what you say but and itwasn't even until they were
gonna see me in person.
So I don't even feel like theydid it of their own you know
just right fruition right goingto see her so we need to you
know try to make this as littleyou know awkward as possible and

(01:18:45):
even being able to see them if Iwasn't checking in I got there
like a couple of days beforethey were gonna be flown out of
the state so if I wasn'treaching out the way I was I
probably wouldn't have been ableto see them at all.
Right right now that's why allthat's like oh god oh my gosh

(01:19:07):
well I'm sure you have a lot butum do you have any advice for a
surrogate what I have alwayssaid basically since that last
journey is if you are going tobe a surrogate you need to make
sure that your heart is in itbecause if you're doing it for
the wrong reasons when stufflike this happens or things like

(01:19:31):
this can happen, it will tearyou apart.
Yeah.
Because you're going to beconflicted about why you did it
in the first place.
So you really need to make surethat this is something that you
want to do not for the money notfor the opportunity that it
gives you not because you thinkit'd be cool to put on your
stories and you know nothinglike that.
It has to be something yougenuinely want to do.

(01:19:54):
And not even just for the thingsthat can go wrong but also just
because sometimes theseprocesses can take a very long
time like it could take monthsto get matched it could take
months for you know your ummedical clearance to get through
it can take months for contractslike it could be a year or two
before you even get to atransfer.
So some you really need to makesure it's what you want

(01:20:17):
absolutely yes that's absolutelygreat advice because it's great
advice very true.

SPEAKER_02 (01:20:24):
While the long waits are normally not the case they
still can be yes you really keepit in mind.
Yeah keep it in mind no that'sgreat advice yeah do you have
anything else mom?

SPEAKER_00 (01:20:37):
No I just can't thank her enough.

SPEAKER_03 (01:20:38):
Seriously I can't thank you I'm I'm over here
stopped trying to stop crying Ireally really am because I just
want to reach through and justhug you I just I'll get over it
I'll get I'll get over I'll getover the people in a minute but
it just right now seeing you andtalking to you you're so lovely
you're you're so giving you sowonderful I it just isn't define

(01:21:01):
you it doesn't you're you areyou are you are lauren you're
awesome you're phenomenal you'reLauren you're beautiful you're
gonna be a nurse yeah deliverydepartment you are you're gonna
you're gonna you're gonna seeall the happy babies and you're
gonna listen to all the pregnantwomen and be like you don't feel
comfortable girl I got you I'mgonna I'm gonna take care of you
it's all good like you don'thave to put on the theatrics

(01:21:23):
with me okay right you're notfeeling this is right um I got
you yeah yeah tell me your backedges I got it just tell me
where to go perfect I wish youall the best in that endeavor
you're gonna slay it you reallyare you're gonna crush it you
are when does it start when doyou go September okay that's

(01:21:44):
soon yay a couple days before mybirthday I'll be starting right
before you turn 30 yes perfectway to bring in the new decade
that's awesome well thank you somuch for being with us we really
appreciate it we really reallydo and I just want to say so off
topic I'm so jealous that youmet Shelly's dad yeah I can't

(01:22:07):
even tell you how addicted I amto Love Island me and my husband
watch it 247 after this I'mgonna go watch them um you don't
even understand mom it's finebut like so jealous you posted
that and I was like babe lookshe met Shelly's dad literally
the night it was so random myfriend just randomly like we
were like we're gonna go out weweren't even supposed to be

(01:22:29):
there we were supposed to go tothe alehouse by her like pick
wherever you want to go and CityWalk was one of them so um we
went to City Walk and then wewere just also just walking
around there trying to figureout where we were gonna go grab
some drinks and then she waslike well let's go to Bob
Marley's we walk in I walk up tothe bar some girls talking to me
just random don't know her cameup to me and started talking to

(01:22:51):
me about Love Island and then hewas like right there the whole
time and he was like so who didyou guys say you were voting for
and I was like Ace and Shellyduh and he was like I'm Shelly's
dad and oh my gosh we look atI'm like oh my god I see it oh
my gosh how funny like later andI'm like oh yeah you're

(01:23:16):
definitely her parents becauseher mom's twins oh my god how
cute oh that's so her mom islike tiny I was like looking
down at her she well Shelly'spretty tiny because Ace is tiny
exactly like he five ten sorryhe's not five ten he's shorter

(01:23:37):
than five ten he's like five sixif I was using five five and a
half I was giving him a littlebit more but yeah that's so
funny oh my god that's liketotally different tangent but I
was okay that's cute that's sothat was I was like okay nice

(01:23:58):
okay I love that that's so funnyokay all right well I'll let you
go now but I just had to say I'msuper jealous of you thank you
again Lauren thank you so muchLauren have a great evening yes
thank you you too carrying thankyou bye yeah that one I just
yeah she's so resilient and justI know and now look look at that

(01:24:25):
like she now she's gonna go bean L and D nurse right because
of this experience right rightthis kind of made pushed her and
like you know what no I can dothis I can no one was there for
me but I can be there foreveryone else and if that's what
came out of that journey powerto her power to her a lot of
women are going to be blessedwith her being their nurse I

(01:24:48):
would love for her to be mynurse like she's gonna be so
attentive she's gonna be caringshe's gonna be genuine she's
gonna be going giving givinggiving giving giving i and she's
gonna be getting getting gettinggetting from these these women
who are who are in uh yeah it'sbeautiful it's lovely I can't
even I love it I know she'shonestly like it's so it just

(01:25:10):
it's I don't know like there'sthere's not many words to like
go with it because all that goesin my head is like I can't say
it on the one but like no onecould have been there like no
one could have had her said likeher husband wasn't there because
he was at home with the kids solike no one could have been
there and then like this wholetime my situation was nothing
like Lauren's nothing but I meanat times I was like oh my gosh I

(01:25:35):
can't I don't want to I don'twant to advocate right now I
don't want to deal with this Idon't want to do it and so for
that I am very lucky that I hadyou there because it was like at
least I have somebody in mycorner somebody's gonna listen
to me like somebody's here tolike hear me out and I just I
that whole situation is so effedup.

SPEAKER_02 (01:25:53):
Yeah and I'm glad she's has begun therapy and is
being able to process all of itbecause now she does have
somebody who's going to help herwork through all of that so that
and she appears to have workedthrough some of it already
obviously because she's surethis girl is very thriving but
you know it's still it's still along recover it's still you know
trauma's a lot and it stays inyour back of your head and who

(01:26:14):
knows what triggers it like shesaid I get in the shower all the
feels like yeah okay yeah I getto let your walls down like
right yeah right oh my god thankyou so much Lauren that was a
that was a very and we're reallywe're really grateful that you
felt comfortable to share thisto share it with us absolutely
we don't take stories like thislightly it's it's it's we
understand that you're openingyourself up and it and you're

(01:26:36):
vulnerable and we reallyappreciate you trusting us so
thank you so much.
Yes thank you and if anybody ifanybody has any questions or
stories they would like to shareplease feel free to reach out to
us on Instagram at stop periodsit period surrogate or at our
email stop period sit periodsurrogate at gmail dot com and
just just another little PSAthese are thankfully the rare

(01:27:01):
stories yeah right we'renormally go check all the
stories for the past four yearspeople they're normally happy so
when the haters out there wantto be like oh but look at this
and look at that no obviouslythings aren't always gonna go
perfectly this this is this issad and but I'm happy that she's
healthy she's alive those babiesare healthy they're alive like

(01:27:23):
yes so yeah and and thesestories have to be shared as
well because they are going tohappen not and these stories are
the things that help changethings in things like in
surrogacy like oh you know whatI should add this in my
contract.
Oh I should add like everybodyshould be like you know what if
I need therapy afterwardsbecause something traumatic

(01:27:43):
happened that needs to be in mycontract please up to six months
after why the heck not put it inthere if you're not gonna use it
you're not gonna use it butguess what it's gonna be there.
Right not just verbally yeahyeah so it's been another
edition of Stopsit surrogatewith Kennedy and Ellen thanks
for listening.
Bye.
Bye today's episode of StopsitSurrogate is brought to you by

(01:28:03):
Nappy Ending Surrogacy AgencyPaying Itforward Surrogacy and
surrogacy simplified thank youfor supporting the surrogacy
community with us.
If you enjoyed this podcast besure to give us a like and
subscribe also check out thelink to our YouTube channel in
the description and be sure toalso check out our children's
book My Mom has superpowers soldon Amazon and Etsy

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