I'm not the only one on Earth!

One of the coolest things that has happened as a direct result from this blog is meeting another Growing Generations Surrogate. We connected when she left a comment on my blog and we have become friends.

Stacie's picture is above. In her arms is her surro-baby Alexandra and her own daughter. Stacie just gave birth last week and I'm sharing her story (in her own words) below. You will see first hand why Stacie and I get along so well. Just the other day I asked her how she was doing and she said, "I'm feeling pretty swell. Healing seems to be pretty good (I'm like Claire on Heroes, if her vagina tore)." While reading the email I spit out my drink! So I know you'll love her too.

There were several similarities between the two of us: We both were Growing Generations Surrogates, live in Northern California, were due in December and carrying girls (she with one, me with twins).

*Oh, and Stacie was also told she had a "Beautiful Uterus" . . . she's a friend, so I will agree, but if she were a stranger, I would insist on a "Uterus-Off" . . . think dance off with ultrasound machines.

There were a few differences as well. My Intended Parents lived close enough to come to most appointments, Stacie's lived on the East Coast. I would've been begging for induction by week 37 and Stacie made it to 42 weeks! Can you imagine? Well, I can and I'll tell you one thing, I would've been trying to strip my membranes on 37 weeks 2 days . . . and I think you all know me well enough now to know I'm not kidding.

Below is Stacie's Delivery Story (only changes are the IPs names to initials) You'll see her birth was very different than My Surrogacy Birth Story so I wanted to share.

"So, I had a NST and AFI test on Friday and the doc checked my progress: 4cm and 70%. Not bad for no signs of labor. She schedled me to be induced on Sunday morning, but said she thought an ounce of castor oil would do the trick if I wanted to take matters into my own hands. The dads were with me for the tests and chatted with the doctor and Sunday was decided for the deadline. We agreed that Saturday I'd try the castor oil. Warning, too much information coming your way!

I put off swallowing that shit until almost 5pm. It was nasty and I have this mental block with swallowing liquid medicines. I had to put it in a syringe and have Paul squirt it into the back of my throat and chase it with pepsi. And that took about 30 minutes of coercing on his part!

So I finally get the oil down and nothing happens. 4 hours later we do it again- much easier this time- and go for a walk. I start having some tummy grumbles on the way home and have to poop when we make it home. Could have been the oil or might have been the enchilada I had earlier. After about another hour, I have some mild contractions, like I've had for two weeks now. We started timing them at 11:45- they're mild but 5 minutes apart, and I've been passing more tinged mucus. I check with the midwife on call at 12:30 and we decide together that I should head out- if I'm not really in labor, I was scheduled for induction later in the morning anyway. We leave just after 12:45 and call the dads. They text me at 1:00 that they're on the road.

In the car I started to panic. The contractions were regular, coming faster, and actually hurt at the peak. My other labors were slow enough that I was able to get myself into hypnotic relaxation, so I had very little discomfort. Not this time. I was afraid how quickly everything was happening.

We arrived at the hospital by 1:30 and things were moving along. The dads arrived by two and I got in the tub at some point. The midwife broke my water when I was complete in the tub, which must have been around 4, but there was light meconium, so I got out and back onto the bed. This part all sucked- I though her positioning was off because my hips were BURNING. She was low and the monitor wasn't picking up her heart rate well, so I moved to my hands an knees, but she didn't like that position, although I did. I flipped back over and just though, "I've got to hurry this up," so I pushed HARD for a few contractions and, shit, there was that burning (and some shit- that was great, BTW- crapping in front of the guys). I slowed the pushing and her head popped out (best feeling EVER once that was out) with her arm across her chest and up above her head, and her cord around her neck.

She pinked up immediately and squealed. Dads were right there with their hands on her, loving her, goop and all. I had to be stitched inside because of that arm, but had a "beautifully" in tact perineum. The nurses and midwife were SOOO accommodating with all of us. They're big on natural birthing in Davis, and they were so delighted about the two dads, and stroked my ego about the whole surrogate thing. The nurses are being so helpful with the dads, too, during their stay. It's nice to see.

M has to head back to NY today and D has to stay with the baby at the hospital until tomorrow morning because I tested positive for GBS and didn't manage to get two doses of abx before the birth. I'm going in to see them this afternoon and breastfeed Alexandra again. I did it yesterday at the hospital and it was not big deal at all. They bottlefed her first, the later I did it. You're right about the bonding- she is so clearly their baby that it's not even an issue. I see her and she's beautiful, but so not a part of me. I feel something special for her, but it's more like she's one of my friends' babies who I helped birth as a doula.

Anyhow, there's the long and short of it! The guys are kind of private, so I can share, but can't shout it from the rooftops like it's my nature to do!"

Again, the delivery story above is Stacie's experience as a Surrogate, not mine.

My surrogacy delivery is in November Part 1 and Part 2. My own Children's Delivery Stories are also posted in my "Memory Lane Posts" but Ruby's is by far everyone's favorite of the three. Although Preston and Sawyers were good too.

*Now that it is 2009, all the past posts about my surrogacy are in 2008. If you want to start from the beginning just click on the arrow next to 2008 (it's to the right) and all months will be displayed. Then start from March and work your way up!