Surrogate Mother Surprises Couple After Unexpected Ultrasound

Pregnancy is a miracle of the human body, but many times, bringing a child into the world can become quite complicated.

Not That Easy

Many couples find that getting pregnant is more challenging than they may have initially expected. That’s where surrogates may come into the picture. Surrogate mom Shaniece Sturdy got way more than she bargained for when she decided to help out a couple. This is their story…

About Surrogacy

Surrogacy has grown in popularity lately for those who are nurturing but have difficulty with conception. Surrogacy takes emotional labor and time, but can also be one of the most fulfilling ways to give back.

Something Strange

That is why, when Shaniece  decided to become a surrogate for the first time, complications with the pregnancy made her nervous. When she noticed something strange during her second trimester, her heart was beating at a mile a minute and she knew she had to get to the bottom of things.

At The Doctor

Pregnancy is uncomfortable enough on its own, but Shaniece was convinced that something was off. She was constantly hungry and had an awful ache in her lower back. She decided it was time to head to medical professionals. Once at the hospital, she shared what she had been experiencing with a nurse.

Some Assurance

The nurse did not seem too worried, which was good as it can be very easy to become spooked during pregnancy. The nurse assured her that everything seemed in order while she prepped Shaniece’s belly for an ultrasound with gel.

What Is It?

The monitor was right near Shaniece’s head, so  clear view when the nurse ran the ultrasound wand over something unusual. Her breathing stopped for second and she looked at the nurse. The room fell silent. What could it be?

Growing Up

Family was important to Shaniece. Her parents were high school sweethearts and her sister married young. So what was stopping Shaniece from wanting and creating her own fairytale? She wanted the memories and stories her family had about love and life.

Moving Out

But things weren’t as simple as they seemed. When Shaniece’s sister, Linda, moved away with her husband, Shaniece became lonely. Siblings may fight and be at odds from time to time, but Shaniece found herself missing Linda more than ever.

Visiting Linda

When she took the bus to visit Linda, Shaniece didn’t think too much when she saw her brother-in-law driving past in his red truck, which was nothing out of the ordinary. However, Wwhen she saw his face, she was knew something was wrong.

He Drove Past

His facial expression made Shaniece nervous. What was happening between Linda and her husband? She thought he had not noticed her when he drove past. Therefore, she continued walking to their house up the hill, trying to shake off the strange feeling she was experiencing.

Crying Sister

She walked to her sister’s house and knew that something felt wrong. When her sister answered the door, Shaniece knew she was right. There was mascara all over Linda’s face. Her eyes were puffy and red. She had definitely been crying.

Assuming The Worst

Shaniece immediately assumed the worst. “Did he hurt you?” She asked her sister. Linda shook her head. “I asked him to leave.” She answered sadly. Shaniece looked at her sister sadly. So many questions were floating around in her head.

Telling The Truth

Linda was too upset to lie. Shaniece thought back to her parents, they met and married young, but maybe still Linda was having troubles? “Why did you ask him to leave?” Shaniece asked her upset sister. Maybe they had a fight.

Trying Too Much

Shaniece thought that maybe they were stressed and things got out of hand, but Linda’s answer was shocking. “You know we’ve been trying for a year now, Shaniece.” Linda said. She explained that they were trying to conceive but IVF was too expensive.

Staying Around

They had struggled to afford the first treatment, and now they couldn’t afford the second. Linda’s sadness shook Shaniece to the core. She did the only thing she knew to do – she put on the teakettle and grabbed a blanket.

Giving Advice

Shaniece stayed for the weekend with Linda, encouraging her and telling her that she should try again. Linda took that advice. Amazingly, two years later, Linda became pregnant! She decided to keep it secret, hoping to surprise everyone in the second trimester.

The Devastating Loss

Then tragedy struck. Linda had a miscarriage and could not have been more devastated. She didn’t leave the house for a month afterwards, feeling all the heartache of losing a baby. Then her husband had a strange and unexpected idea.

A New Idea

Although she felt like the time for ideas was over and hope was lost, she couldn’t help but think that maybe it would work. This time Linda’s husband Josh was going to ask his own sister for a major sacrifice.

The Big Question

Linda was nervous, more nervous than she had ever been in her life. Despite this, Linda and Josh asked his sister if she would agree to be their surrogate. Luckily, she instantly agreed to the suggestion. Surrogacy is a huge commitment, but Josh’s sister was willing to wholeheartedly do it.

An Amazing Gesture

Shaniece was inspired by Josh’s sister’s selfless decision. After all, she just wanted Linda to have what she always wanted. The decision required selflessness, but Josh’s sister didn’t even hesitate for a second.

A New Hope

Shaniece couldn’t believe it. Linda was hesitant to get her hopes high again, but Josh’s sister was so willing that she couldn’t help feeling a little excited. There were other options: they could try again or hey could even foster or adopt.

A Child Of Their Own

However, Linda and Josh wanted a child of their own, and this was their last hope. Shaniece kept Linda in her prayers and so desperately wanted it to happen even if she wasn’t involved. She really wanted Linda to have a baby.

Giving Back In Her Own Way

Throughout the surrogacy, Shaniece was elated for her sister. She wanted to give a couple the joy that Josh’s sister had gifted Linda. She wanted to become a surrogate as well. What Shaniece never expected was a pregnancy that was so rare it made the news.

Becoming A Surrogate

When Shaniece saw what Josh’s sister had done for him and Linda, she knew that was also her destiny. At 21 years old, she met a couple named Joanna and Steve and agreed to be their surrogate! She shared the great news with Linda and Josh, who could not have been prouder.

A Dream Come True

Shaniece was going to show the very same kindness that Linda had needed for her dream to come true. Shaniece flew to Los Angeles and nerves filled her stomach. She was slowly realizing that this was a very real thing that she was about to take on. However, she soldiered on and was excited to bring happiness to a deserving couple.

Mature Decision

At 21, most people don’t concern themselves with other peoples’ happiness. Shaniece knew that she wanted to do something different and impactful. “I wanted to help another couple fulfill their family dream,” she shared. Joanna and Steve were extremely grateful to her.

A Growing Concern

Shaniece began her journey as a surrogate, and it seemed that things were going smoothly. However, at a certain point during the second trimester, she began to feel a little uneasy. She had heard horror stories from Linda’s surrogate about sickness, nausea, and no sleep for the whole pregnancy. This made her even more nervous and got her wondering about if anything was going wrong.

Stakes Are High

Even though Shaniece knew that babies grow almost double in the last stretch of pregnancy, she also knew that the stakes were quite high. She wanted to deliver a healthy and safe baby to Joanna and Steve, who had entrusted this huge responsibility with her, and she wanted more than anything to make it happen.

Calling The Doctor

Therefore, she decided not to wait around and so she picked up the phone and called her doctor. Around that time, her 10 week scan was coming up. This brings us back to the point at which the nurse was looking at something unusual in her ultrasound. What could it possibly be?

The Outcome

The doctor came in, frowning at her paperwork. At this point, Shaniece was quite stressed. What was going on? Once the doctor looked up, Shaniece was downright sweating. When the doctor spoke, she felt faint. “You’re having triplets,” Dr. Ryan informed her.

More Questions

She should have felt relief, but instead Shaniece’s mind raced. This was a three for one deal that Joanna and Steve had not signed up for. What would they do? It was not unheard of for parents to back out, and she began to worry.

Susan’s Story

Would-be parents backing out of a surrogacy happens more often than you might think.. Take Susan Ring’s, for example. The first time she was a surrogate for a couple, everything was great. She recalls that all went smoothly until the birth of the baby.

Red Flag

After the first experience, the couple expressed interest in having more kids via Susan as a surrogate. “The parents weren’t that excited, but they said they wanted to do it again. I felt like I shouldn’t,” Susan shared. This was a huge red flag. What kind of parents aren’t excited for a child? Especially those who go into surrogacy. Susan wasn’t sure what to think.

She Went Ahead

Nevertheless, Susan went through with it. She became pregnant again, but things were quite different this time around. When she went for the ultrasound it was just like Shaniece’s case. She found out that she was carrying triplets, and the mother was quite unhappy to hear the news.

She Must Reduce

The, the couple asked Susan to reduce to twins. “If I didn’t have the reduction, they were going to sue me for breach of contract,” she said. Then things continued to spiral downhill. Susan was really battling to get ahold of the parents.

They Backed Out

This continued until one day the agency contacted her and said that the parents had backed out because they had no money. The parents were not present for the twins’ birth, which is certainly a surrogate’s nightmare. Then, social services decided to step in.

They Still Had Rights

The parents still had legal rights to the twins and wanted them to go into foster care. Within 24 hours, Ring filed for a breach of contract with the parents. They agreed to let go of their rights if she dropped the lawsuit.

She Got Custody

Susan decided to drop the lawsuit and landed up with custody of the twins. She tried her hardest not get attached to them, as she was only the surrogate. She knew that a single mother, who had no idea she would become a mother, there was no way she could afford to take care of two newborn babies.

A New Family

“I was only thinking about finding them a loving family – a mother and father who wanted to have them. I knew there was no way I could have taken them, but I was torn.’’ Susan knew that ultimately they needed a good home and parents who could afford them a good life.

Two Healthy Babies

It was initially difficult to find a couple to take them in, but eventually Ring did find manage to find one. “I just knew that two healthy, beautiful babies were not going to go to social services. I couldn’t let it happen,” she said.

Looking For A Surrogate

The babies are now well into their young adulthood, and even still keep in touch with Susan. She is now looking into getting a surrogate herself. “I decided that I wanted another baby, but this time I’m the one looking for a surrogate.”

A Nightmare

“My fertility was everything to me. A lot of women know when they’re done having babies, and I never got that memo” she says about her experiences with surrogacy. Even though this story ended on a nice note, it was still a nightmare initially.

They Stayed

Shaniece wanted to avoid Susan’s situation. Luckily, the couple were overjoyed when they heard that they would be having triplets, and Shaniece was relieved. They wanted the babies and were thrilled to have more than they originally thought. They now had to get the nursery ready for three babies.

It Makes Sense

Now that things were finally clear, Shaniece could finally calm down and just watch as her belly continued to grow. All the aches and pains finally made sense. Shaniece gave birth to three healthy and adorable babies and they were just as cute as she had pictured them.

She Was Only 21

On the overall experience, Shanieve shared: “Even though I was only 21 and it was a huge responsibility carrying their babies, it was one of the best experiences of my life,” She was ecstatic to bring two girls and a boy into the world and to help a couple that so desperately wanted to become parents.

The Pregnancy Flew By

The babies were named Willow, Daisy, and Harrison. On the pregnancy, Shaniece shared, “I had no morning sickness or cravings, the whole pregnancy flew by and with the support of Joanna and Steve, it was amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone.”

Ready To Go

When the triplets were ready to leave, Shaniece didn’t want say goodbye for good. She knew they were in good hands, but had such a life-changing experience that she wanted to stay in contact. She now visits them on their birthday.

No Doubt

She knew people might take it the wrong way. “I had Joanna and Steve’s embryo inserted in Los Angeles so it’s biologically their child not mine, I was the host womb,” she said.

Too Much Change

The host’s eggs do not need to be used during the procedure, so the children are only related to Joanna and Steve. Shaniece knew pregnancy would change her body, but carrying triplets was much more than she had originally bargained for.

Own Child

Psychologically, Shaniece was more than fine. She was thrilled to have done such a positive thing. But physically, the pregnancy had taken a huge toll on her. Not too long after, Shaniece found herself in a committed relationship and wanted to have children of her own.

Own Miscarriage

Although carrying the triplets was easy for her, she’s not sure if it affected her chances of carrying a child. However, she experienced her own miscarriage after getting pregnant again when trying to have her own child.

More Common

Miscarriages are more common than people may think. 10 – 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriages, but these numbers are shrinking everyday with healthcare advancements. It is very important to be mindful of complications throughout a pregnancy.

Not For Everyone

Shaniece also warns that surrogacy is not for everybody. Researching surrogacy and laws is very important before diving straight in. In Australia, surrogacy for pay is illegal. It must an act of pure kindness, and no money can be exchanged for the ordeal.

In Canada

In Canada, surrogacy is also not allowed to be paid for, but the surrogate can be supported by the intended parents of the baby for expenses. However, such is not the case in countries like Brazil and India, that do allow for surrogacy where the surrogate is paid.

In California

California allows for surrogacy but without pay. “You don’t get paid to be a surrogate – you only get expenses for your travel and so on – so if you’re looking to make money, this isn’t for you,” confirms Shaniece.

In The UK

The laws in the United Kingdom are complicated. It maintains that even if the surrogate is not related to the baby, she gets parental rights unless adoption takes place afterwards. Shaniece is firmly against these laws as a surrogate herself.

More Rights

She believes the parents should have more rights – like in other countries where the surrogacy contract determines their pre birth parental rights. While she was pregnant, a lot of questions were directed to her about the birth, vaccinations, and so forth.

Disliking The Questions

She didn’t like this, so she would always make sure  Joanna and Steve to answer those questions. She wanted her role to be a just as a host-womb, and not to accept any responsibilities, because they were not her babies.

Not My Babies

“…it was my body but they weren’t my babies. If the law could change so the parents could make decisions it would make things easier on both parts,” Shaniece insisted. She wants to change the laws that constrain the parents.

Same Coin

Susan and Shaniece are two ends of the same coin of surrogacy. They show how surrogacy can go so wrong and also so right. Both stories show that it’s more complicated than it may seem, but can always be a solution.