As a first-time surrogate excited to start her journey, Veronica knew she wanted to document the entire experience. She searched on Amazon and Etsy for surrogacy journals but couldn’t find one that she really liked. After seeing a TikTok video where a woman explained how to publish a book on Amazon, Veronica decided to create a journal herself and make it available to other surrogates.
“Most of the journals I found were for intended parents; there were very few for surrogates,” Veronica says. “I decided I would create a journal that works for me. If others liked it, and I could sell it, then that would be great, too.”
Veronica spent two weeks diligently working on the journal to bring her vision to life. Aptly titled Pregnant with a Purpose: A Surrogacy Journey, the journal includes dedicated pages for photos and descriptions of the intended parents and the surrogate and her family, as well as pages for the medical and psychological screenings, contacts, important dates, and tracking injections. Other thoughtful additions include transfer day traditions, surrogacy affirmations, and plenty of blank pages for journal entries.
Veronica used Canva to create the artwork for the front and back cover, which features sketches of different pregnant women to illustrate how all kinds of women serve as surrogates. She completed the journal in February, submitted it for publishing, and received the final product from Amazon in March.
“I created this for myself, and when I was done, I fell in love with it,” says Veronica, who was so excited when the journal was delivered that she created a video to share with her family and friends.
Veronica’s desire to help create a family through surrogacy was inspired by her years as a foster parent and the experience of building her own family through adoption and with the help of a donor. She and her wife, Cie, have five children, ages 8, 9, 11, 12, and 21.
They spent several years building their family – first adopting their oldest daughter, then conceiving their youngest son, whom Veronica carried, with the help of a friend who served as their sperm donor. Their middle three children, like their oldest, were adopted through the foster care system. Once they had completed their family, Veronica began to seriously consider the idea of becoming a surrogate. She joined Facebook groups about surrogacy and began researching the process to determine if it was right for her and her family.
“My wife and I are very grateful for our donor and the ability to have our children through adoption,” Veronica says. “I enjoyed being pregnant and decided that if I could help someone else who also wanted to have a family, then it was something I wanted to do.”
Veronica and Cie, who live in the Dallas area, were matched with intended parents in the Cayman Islands. Veronica had a successful transfer in April and is due in early January. So far, the surrogacy journey has been a wonderful bonding experience for Veronica and her family as they all share in the joy of knowing they are helping to create a happy family.
After receiving confirmation of the pregnancy from the fertility clinic and sharing the happy news with the intended parents via FaceTime, Veronica says, “I lay down on the bed with my wife, and we talked about how relieved and excited we both were.” She also shares how the experience has been positive for their children. “Our kids are learning a lot as we answer their questions and explain the process.”
Veronica and her family recently had the opportunity to meet the intended parents in person when they traveled to Dallas for a visit. “We had a wonderful weekend,” Veronica says. “My wife and I were able to spend one-on-one time with them, and I was also able to spend time with them alone. They were also able to meet our kids. I truly feel like we left the weekend as a family and that this match was meant to be.”
When asked what she’s most looking forward to throughout the rest of her journey, Veronica says, “I look forward to sharing every detail [of the pregnancy], so the intended parents can feel like they are right here with me.” To help enable that connection, Veronica recently purchased bond bracelets for herself and her intended parents.
“They are designed for couples separated by distance, but I bought them with the idea that once I start to feel the baby move, I can tap the bracelet in the manner that I am feeling the baby, and whichever intended parent is wearing the bracelet will get to ‘feel’ when the baby moves or kicks,” Veronica explains.
If the remainder of Veronica’s journey is as amazing as the beginning, she will surely have many more memorable moments and milestones to document in her surrogacy journal. We look forward to sharing an update on her journey in the future.
Our team at Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions is grateful for all our incredible surrogates, like Veronica, who are selflessly helping to create happy families. Pregnant with a Purpose: A Surrogacy Journey can be purchased for $12.99 here on Amazon.
We help Intended Parents Create Happy Families via Egg Donation & Surrogacy with the help of caring Egg Donors & Surrogates.
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