Key facts
- Surrogates Liggia Spicer, Christine S., Kristy Alston, and two-time surrogate Kristy Miller shared their experiences.
- Spicer underwent a rigorous screening process including background, financial, and psychological checks.
- Surrogacy contracts detail rights, insurance, medical bill payment, and parental presence.
- McKenna West refused an abortion, violating her contract, and later gave birth in Texas.
- Critics argue compensated surrogacy treats women's bodies as commodities.
- Christine S. received $45,000 plus medical and legal fees for carrying a child.
- Liggia Spicer was paid $67,000, disbursed over the course of her pregnancy.
- Kimber Alston is pregnant with her fifth surrogate child and has completed nine pregnancies overall.
- Surrogates often form close bonds with intended parents and receive updates on the children.
- A common misconception is that surrogates become too attached to the baby and refuse to give them up.
Surrogacy has recently gained public attention due to celebrity announcements and legal disputes, prompting surrogates to share their experiences and perspectives. Four women discussed the rigorous screening, contractual agreements, and emotional aspects of being a surrogate, while also addressing criticisms that the practice can commodify women's bodies.
Liggia Spicer, 34, from upstate New York, researched surrogacy for two years before working with ConceiveAbilities. Her process involved extensive background, financial, and psychological checks, culminating in a surrogacy contract that outlines the rights and responsibilities of all parties. Spicer stated that while surrogates undertake actions they might not in their own pregnancies, it is ultimately not their child, provided the requests are safe.
The case of McKenna West, a gestational surrogate who refused an abortion and later sought conservatorship, has highlighted questions about bodily autonomy. West violated her contract by refusing the abortion after a fetal congenital heart defect was discovered and subsequently gave birth in Texas.
Kristy Miller, 38, a two-time surrogate from Indianapolis who also worked with ConceiveAbilities, emphasized the importance of a trusting relationship with intended parents and avoiding micromanagement of her personal care.
Critics argue that compensated surrogacy treats women's bodies as commodities, with one commenter on Vogue's Instagram post stating, "Let’s not normalize buying humans." Lena Dunham, who recently used a surrogate, has been open about her fertility struggles, including endometriosis and a hysterectomy.
Spicer countered that surrogacy is a personal decision to help another family, stating, "It’s important that everyone should decide what happens to their body, and I wanted to get pregnant to help another family." She now works as a surrogate engagement coordinator at ConceiveAbilities.
Christine S., 38, a former gestational surrogate in New York, carried a child for a same-sex male couple in 2025 via the New York Surrogacy Center. She acknowledged concerns about reproductive exploitation but believes critics misunderstand the process in the US, distinguishing voluntary surrogacy from forced breeding. Christine received $45,000, plus medical and legal fees, for her role.
Kimber Alston, 36, a surrogate in Texas, is pregnant with her fifth surrogate child and ninth overall pregnancy. She has worked with agencies and independently, carrying children for intended parents in Italy, France, Mexico, and elsewhere. Alston finds fulfillment in helping those who cannot have children otherwise and often forms close bonds with intended parents, receiving regular updates.
Miller noted that a common misconception is surrogates becoming too attached to the baby. "I have never known a surrogate who felt like ‘mom’ to the baby [they were] carrying," she said.
Spicer advised aspiring surrogates to have a sense of humor and resilience, acknowledging that understanding the emotional detachment required can be difficult for those outside the process.