Patient Stories
Sutter Women's Services
Lisa – Two Parents, Twins and a Surrogate
After seven years of trying to conceive a baby, Lisa* and her husband turned to surrogacy. Unlike most cases which are matched through an agency, they opted to use a close friend as their surrogate.
“Even though she was one of my best and trusted friends, the process was incredibly detailed,” Lisa said. “There was legal paperwork, medical testing, psychological testing, and insurance issues. One of my priorities was to make sure we could use Sutter Roseville Medical Center and my ob-gyn, Dr. James Maher.”
With the research, tests and paperwork completed, two of Lisa’s embryos – fertilized with her husband’s sperm – were implanted into the surrogate. Both embryos took and the surrogate was soon confirmed to be pregnant with twins. Her pregnancy progressed without complications, under the care of Dr. Maher and his staff at Sutter Medical Group.
As the due date grew near, Lisa worked out the details of delivery with the Family Birthing Center at Sutter Roseville Medical Center. “I was a little apprehensive,” Lisa admitted. “Our surrogate and babies were the patients. I wasn’t sure how my husband and I would fit in.”
Her anxiety was relieved after talking with Patty, a nurse coordinator assigned to her case. “Patty talked me through the details of the day and arranged a tour of the birth center. I could tell they had experience dealing with surrogate births, it was a big relief – especially since I was occupied with preparing for the arrival of my twins.”
On the day of the scheduled C-section, Lisa and her husband were permitted to wait just outside the operating room – so close that they could hear their babies’ first cries. When the nursing staff brought the babies through the OR door and handed them to Lisa and her husband, they insisted on taking a family picture. “I was so touched they did that!” Lisa said. “I didn’t even think to ask and am grateful the nurses offered that thoughtful gesture.”
There were no complications, the surrogate and Lisa’s fraternal twin girls were healthy and discharged the next day. “They let me spend the night in the hospital with my twins, in a room right next to my surrogate,” Lisa said. “It felt like everything was happening as it should.”
Lisa says she is grateful to Dr. Maher and the staff at Sutter Roseville Medical Center. “In addition to their wonderful medical care, they understood our situation. They made sure the babies’ bands had our last name instead of the surrogate’s; they helped me change my first diaper. They were very accommodating – we were in good hands.”
Today, a few months after the twins’ birth, Lisa happily spends her days caring for her daughters. “I have a routine. It involves feeding, burping, holding and changing the twins – and it’s repeated through out the day,” she laughs. “And laundry, I do an amazing amount of laundry!”
When asked if she has any advice for those considering surrogacy, she emphasized choosing experienced professionals. “Of course there’s a huge emotional contingent, as well as legal and medical issues. Once you’re sure surrogacy is your best option, I recommend you use a doctor and a hospital that have experience dealing with surrogate births. No matter how prepared you think you are, you will need a compassionate medical team to make this complicated process go smoothly.”
* Name changed to protect family privacy
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