New Journey

I am very excited for this new journey my family is embarking on. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would share with too many people because I wasn't sure what would be everyone's reaction. When I first opened up about it, I had some that just didn't get it and others that were so engaged and excited with me. I have felt inspiried to share and hope for support along the way!

So what is this new journey?

I am becoming a Surrogate Mother

Just before we were pregnant with our youngest, I heard about the opportunity and the need for surrogate mothers for families who medically could not have children on their own. This really intrigued me. I spoke to my husband about what he thought about it and he was actually very supportive of the idea.

It wasn't until our youngest turned one when I brought up the idea again. We prayerfully considered it together and individually. I read my patriartical blessing and was completely overwhelmed with the spirit. My blessing was so clear about this journey it brought me to my knees sobbing. I felt such peace and calm about moving forward as being a surrogate mother.

Later the next week I started to look into a few different agency's and even prayerfully consider which one to contact. When I found NWSC, I started by filling out an intake form about myself. The next day I received their call and was surprised at how personal and helpful they were. For me, it just confirmed that this was right!

About a couple of weeks later we made an appointment to meet them. It was a really fun and exciting experience to talk about my family and why I wanted to become a surrogate mother.

Why do I want to be a Surrogate Mother?
I feel so incredibly blessed to have had two healthy, easy pregnancies. The thought of not being able to carry or have my own children would be devastating. I have seen friends and family struggle with getting pregnant and having to go to extreme, long measures to have a family of their own. I couldn't help but recognize that I have a great gift and strong desire to give to a family in need. 


After a few more months of background checks, medical records reviewed, psychological evaluation, questionnaires, and a profile set up… FINALLY We began the wait for a family. I honestly thought my list for the Intended Family was sort of long and possibly hard to come by. BUT about a week later I received a call that we were MATCHED!

They sent the families profile over and I was bursting with excitement!! After I read the families profile, I was amazed by how much more real this journey was. Things about the family that I absolutely loved and couldn't have imagined a better fit. We decided to pray and sleep on it before moving forward.

A little about the Intended Family:
Amazing Husband and Wife who have 3 beautiful daughters of their own. After her last pregnancy, which was through IVF, doctors told her she could no longer carry any more children. This was devastating as coming from large families, they wanted a large family of their own. Truly an amazing couple and family!


We woke up with such clarity and decided this was the right family. The following week we went to the office to have a Skype interview. I was nervous yet calm. We had a great conversation, getting to know each other better and many questions, concerns were answered.

A few weeks later the father flew here to deliver their embryo's and we were able to meet up with him for dinner. We talked for a couple of hours at dinner, which was so easy and natural. He brought gifts for my little girls which was so thoughtful and generous. It really felt more like close friends, if not family that we were just meeting for the first time!

We both decided to continue moving forward. At this point we also had an in home visit by social services and met with attorneys to sign a contract between the families. I have been so amazed at how thorough each step of the process has been. As much as I thought this would be a quick and easy process, its been longer than anticipated but I am grateful for each measure that is taken into account.

Next step?

Set up a visit with the fertility clinic. Hopefully within the next week or so. Holidays are just around the corner so we are hoping this doesn't slow down the process from here!


We are very passionate about our journey and cant wait to share what this next year brings!  I know not everyone understands this journey but I will answer many questions I have received throughout these last 6 months in the process thus far in my next post.

love,
Ashley Dawn


**If this has at all intrigued you to see if being a surrogate mother is right for you - Please contact me and I can put you in front of the right people**