The COVID-19 limitations we all face, as individuals and as a community, are among the biggest obstacles we face in current times on a daily basis. Being pregnant with your own child during such times would be a stretch (no pun intended), but imagine if the child you were carrying was for intended parents who weren’t able to join you as much as they had originally hoped when they started this journey? We asked a number of our gestational carriers who are currently (or very recently) pregnant to share their own experiences. This is what they had to say.
“The COVID-19 Pandemic has had a significant impact on me both physically and mentally. I feel the burden of protecting this child more than I ever thought I’d feel. So I don’t go anywhere out of fear of contracting the virus. My prenatal visits are now conducted over the phone, which means the baby hasn’t been checked for weeks, but I’m thankful for the clinics flexibility because I’m scared to go into the clinic. It’s also challenging to adjust to my new normal. My hormones are already all over the place but now I struggle to deal with the stress of homeschooling my children, working at home, isolation, and the potential health threat to my family and myself. I take things one day at a time but I’m definitely more emotional. “
“My entire daily routine has changed as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The schools closing mostly impacted my routine. I found I was not able to work from home full time and homeschool my kids, so I had to adjust my hours. I also cannot exercise at the gym like I used to, so at this point I have not worked out in weeks.”
“As far as support that’s been offered, my doctor has been great. My prenatal visits were changed to phone calls, as long as everything is going well, of course. They want to avoid bringing anyone in unless they really have to. And even though I’m only 15 weeks, I have already started the conversation on what delivery would look like if the restrictions don’t change. I want to do what I can to make sure both parents are able to be there when their child is born and I will advocate for that as much as I can.”
We hope you can take from this whatever is most beneficial to you – whether it be relating to one struggle or another, or simply empathizing with someone else’s surrogacy journey during the pandemic. We hope everyone stays safe and healthy!