Bumps Everywhere!

It seems everyone is pregnant around me lately and although I'm envious, I'm not bitter since I don't know their story for the most part - Perhaps they are a surrogate or maybe they had 4 failed previous IVF attempts, multiple miscarriages etc, I don't know so I simply think how pleased and excited someone must be, at the growing bump and go on with my business.

I have several surrogate friends who have recently fallen pregnant, which is great of course. We all know that people don't just one day decide to 'recruit' a woman, who was once a complete stranger, to carry their baby, on a whim. No, it's the end of a very long road for almost all IPs and that bump represents the realisation of a long-held dream. No, no begruding of that here.

I also found out that my first IPs have just had their BFP, with their new surrogate. Obviously it stings a little on a personal level and probably more so because of my current match situation but I'm still happy for them. They deserve it as much as anyone.

And if anything, all of these pregnancies have just made me want it that bit more!

I've been making contacts and talking to some lovely couples, it still doesn't come easy to me to be almost marketing myself but it's all part of the surrogacy journey. It might just be me but it seems there are a lot more surrogates out there lately too, I feel with 2 matches behind me so far, I'm carrying a bit of extra baggage for any potential IPs but it is what it is, I would never lie about my experience to date and there are positives to be had from picking someone who has been there, done that but not quite got the BFP t-shirt.

Sometimes fast doesn't 'win' the race, I know of some friends who got matched, felt they had found the couple and although they got pregnant quickly, it was anything but plain sailing, sunshine and rainbows. On balance, I'm happy to take my time, pick carefully and well and hopefully cross the chequered line with the same excitement and enthusiasm that I started with! Though of course, as I well know, taking your time does not equal a trouble-free path...things (and people) can turn in an instance and your perfect match isn't quite as solid as you thought.

Luckily, I'm being supported by some lovely friends in the surrogacy world and when I'm feeling like I'm fighting an uphill battle, I hear of another match or of another pregnancy and it spurs me on to try just that little longer for my turn.