Intended Father Nick and Surrogate Beth are sharing their thoughts and feelings from the very beginning of their surrogacy journey. Keep reading to find out why they chose to work with Heartland Surrogacy.
Adventures in Extreme Babysitting is a surrogacy blog series compiled by Heartland Surrogacy. In this series, we follow the journey of Intended Father Nick* and Surrogate Beth*. They share their thoughts and feelings at various milestones in their surrogacy journey.
Nick, why did you choose Heartland Surrogacy?
My journey into surrogacy actually started with a different agency – a big, international one – that had apparently done dozens of successful surrogacy journeys. I was fairly set on that agency, but it was so big it did feel a bit (a lot) impersonal. Most of the emails were about money, and didn’t really focus on me and my story. That bothered me because, as I learned more, I realized how important the agency will be in my journey. The agency is going to be there from beginning to end, so it needs to be right and I need to feel comfortable with the people that will help me become a dad.
So I started looking again at other agency choices. I went over website after website but many just seemed the same – very general, very business-like. Then I remembered an agency in Iowa that I didn’t look into fully years ago because it seemed too ‘new’. I quickly found the website for Heartland Surrogacy and thought, ‘Wow this feels much warmer than other agencies.’
The first couple paragraphs on the ‘Become a Parent’ page matched exactly what I was lacking from the larger agencies. As a single male, I need a support team to help make my dream of becoming a father a reality. I need people who could take this journey WITH me, not just tell me the hoops to jump through and where to wire the cash. I was also anxious to be accepted as a single male seeking help with starting a family on my own.
That late evening, I went over every detail of Heartland Surrogacy’s website, and I felt an immediate shift in my heart. I knew this agency was the one for me – so I took the leap and reached out to them that night. I expected to wait a week or two (like I had with other agencies) to hear back, but I got a response the next day. I was shocked, excited, and nervous. It gave me butterflies as Blakely and I chatted and the next thing I knew, a meeting was set up just 2-3 minutes from my home!
The day of my first meeting with Heartland Surrogacy, I reeled in my nervousness and excitement. I told myself to be open and honest with my dream of becoming a dad and see where things go from there. I met Blakely and Brie; both were open and warm, and we just sat and chatted over coffee for a couple hours. It felt so comforting to let out all that was on my mind, share my dream in a nutshell, and explain what led me to wanting to become a single dad. I got positive feedback and support from both of them. I also enjoyed and connected with the openness Blakely and Brie reciprocated by telling me their stories about becoming part of a surrogacy agency.
After the meeting, I went home and enthusiastically talked with a couple close friends about what a great experience I just had and that I had no doubt in my mind that Heartland Surrogacy was the agency for me – if they will have me! Ever since the meeting, we have been exchanging emails (both baby-related ones and sometimes just silly, casual ones!), and the process is chugging along wonderfully. I couldn’t be happier with Heartland Surrogacy. I don’t know where I would be without them.
Beth, why did you choose Heartland Surrogacy?
This is my second surrogacy journey. After working with a larger agency for my first journey, I decided that I wanted a different experience for my next journey. After talking to other surrogates and doing a lot of research, I contacted Heartland Surrogacy. I liked that they are local and that they are intentional about keeping their agency smaller – both in order to provide personalized service and to keep the process attainable for intended parents.
After getting to know the staff at Heartland Surrogacy, I knew that they would be the right fit for me! They got to know me as a person and were very responsive during the entire application and screening process. I knew that they would find the right match for me – not just the first available match. I’m so excited to be on this journey with them by my side!
You can read more about Beth and Nick’s incredible journey in other segments of this series.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.