Meet Jessica!
Q: What led you to become a Surrogate?
I over produce breastmilk and donated to couples in need throughout Covid. Along this journey, I met a lot of women who were surrogates in my overproducer support group. Donating made me feel good about who I was as a human being and made me feel that I could make a difference in the world. Pregnancy and delivery were always very easy for me, and the idea that I could help a couple to grow their family was an easy choice for me.
Q. Who was the most significant support person throughout your journey?
My husband and kids are my biggest supporters throughout my pregnancy. My husband always supported my choice and ended up being really good at giving me shots in the backside, lol. My kids asked a million questions, named the baby Popcorn, and made sure to kiss my belly and say good night to her every night. It was great to watch my kids meet and play with my IP‘s older child (also delivered via surrogate, but not me), to see them process this journey through their own eyes to see them learn to empathize with others.
Q. What made you decide to choose your Intended Parents?
My intended parents had expectations that lined up with mine. I lead a very active lifestyle and genuinely believe that my pregnancies and my deliveries have gone as smoothly as I have because I maintain my active lifestyle. I wanted to find parents who would support that I felt a warmth and connection with.
Q. What are some of the highlights of your journey?
Our journey took longer than expected, (thank you Covid), but once we got going, I was absolutely wonderful. My IP’s were super supportive, and I wanted to give them the journey that they didn’t have with their first child (their oldest was a premie and their surrogate lived far from them so they were not there for his birth.) I really wanted to give my IP’s the chance to be there, so we had a planned induction. I wanted to be able to give them that first skin to skin bonding experience. It was so special to me to get to watch them with her she was born.
Q. Do you have advice for women who are interested in becoming a gestational surrogate?
Go for it!!!! Be that person who makes another families dreams come true. Teach your kids about empathy, compassion, and commitment. And yes, take care of yourself and your family, because a little extra money never hurts and can make a big difference in your own family’s life.
Q. How do you feel about your experience working with Family Source Consultants?
Family Source has been phenomenal throughout this entire experience and I really appreciate everything they have done for me. Not only that, but I didn’t feel like at any point in this journey that I was on my own.
Q. What did you find was the biggest misconception people had about surrogacy?
Everybody worries about you bonding with the baby and not wanting to give it up. Surrogacy is a completely different experience from having your own child. You go into it knowing the parents of this child, knowing how important this is to them, knowing that you were just there to take care of this child, while you help a family, reach their dreams. Because you go into it, knowing that it’s not yours, it’s very easy to separate those emotions.
Q. What was the funniest/strangest/most common question you were asked as a surrogate? How did you answer?
How could you give up your baby!?!
My answer : Not my egg, not my husband sperm, I’m just the babysitter.
Q. How has becoming a surrogate impacted your life?
I feel good about who I am, and how I contribute to the world. I feel like gave my children, a unique perspective on empathy, and a unique understanding of human reproduction. (They asked 1 million questions about all the shots, anatomy scans, delivery ,and about pumping breast milk) From a financial perspective I was in a job that I really hated, and surrogacy gave me the financial flexibility to leave that job, and the time to look for something better.
Q. Was this pregnancy different than your other pregnancies? If so, how?
This pregnancy went just as well, and just as seamlessly as my first two.
Q. How did you prepare yourself for separating from the baby after birth?
Honestly, I didn’t really have to worry about it. I went into it, knowing she wasn’t mine, and talked about it regularly with everyone, my new, including my family and my kids. By the time she was born, I was really looking forward to not having to be awake all night, lol!
Q. What would you like someone who is considering working with a surrogate to know?
Surrogacy is a partnership between intended parents and the surrogate. Find someone you can get along with. Someone you can go out to dinner with, or have a cup of coffee with. Talk about your expectations of the journey, and what you want to expect during and after delivery.
Learn more about becoming a surrogate by submitting a request for information, or start your surrogate application today!
Staci Swiderski, CEO and owner of Family Source Consultants, has been a prominent leader in reproductive medicine for over two decades. Through her strategic vision and dedication, she has developed Family Source Consultants into a globally recognized agency specializing in comprehensive egg donation and gestational surrogacy services. Under Staci’s leadership, the agency has become a trusted partner for intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors worldwide, known for its rigorous standards, compassionate support, and commitment to excellence in third-party reproduction.
Her professional insight is uniquely informed by her own family-building experiences. As an intended parent, Staci welcomed her son via gestational surrogacy in 2005, and as a known egg donor, she assisted an infertile couple in expanding their family. These experiences lend a rare depth to her leadership and have fueled her ongoing dedication to ethical, empathetic, and professional support within the field of reproductive medicine.
