Some surrogates discover surrogacy later in life. Others hear about it through a friend, a coworker, social media, or their own experience with infertility in someone they love.
For Nina, the idea to become a surrogate started when she was just a child.
In this episode of Carrying the Conversation, Kayla and Gabby sit down with Nina, a repeat surrogate preparing for her third surrogacy journey and her first journey with Reproductive Options. She shares how she first learned about surrogacy, why it stayed with her for so many years, how her children have been involved in her journeys, and what it was like to carry triplets for intended parents.
Her surrogacy story is full of heart, humor, honesty, and a deep sense of purpose.
Knowing Early That Surrogacy Was Something She Wanted to Do
Nina’s first exposure to surrogacy happened when she was around nine years old.
Her uncle and his husband had asked Nina’s mom if she would consider carrying for them. Her mom ultimately said no, knowing it was not something she felt she could do. But for Nina, the conversation made an impression.
Even at that young age, something clicked.
She remembers thinking that one day, she wanted to carry a baby for someone else.
At the time, she did not know what the surrogacy process looked like. She did not know about surrogacy agencies, matching, medical screening, legal clearance, or transfers. She simply understood the heart of it: someone could carry a baby for another family.
That idea stayed with her.
Years later, after having three children of her own and going back into healthcare, Nina met a nurse who was a surrogate. That conversation finally gave her the missing piece she had been looking for: where to start.
The nurse shared information about the surrogacy agency she had worked with and helped open the door for Nina to begin exploring surrogacy seriously.
Without that connection, Nina shared that she might still not have known where to go or what to do.
Why Real Conversations Matter in Surrogacy
One of the themes that comes up again and again in Nina’s episode is access to information.
Surrogacy exists. It has existed for a long time. But for many people, it still feels hard to find real, approachable, honest information about it.
Kayla and Gabby talk about how social media has made surrogacy more visible, but even now, there are still gaps. Many people only learn about surrogacy because they happen to know someone who has done it.
That is part of why Carrying the Conversation exists.
Surrogacy should not feel like some faraway, unreachable thing. It involves everyday women, everyday families, and real people making thoughtful decisions. The more openly people talk about it, the easier it becomes for others to ask questions, understand the process, and decide whether it may be right for them.
For Nina, one honest conversation with one nurse helped turn a lifelong dream into something real.
Bringing Her Kids Into the Surrogacy Journey
Nina has three children of her own, and they have been a huge part of her surrogacy experiences.
During her first surrogacy journey, her children were still young. She explained surrogacy to them in simple terms: they were having a baby for a friend. As they got to know the intended parents and became part of conversations, the idea started to click.
They understood that their mom was carrying someone else’s baby.
And they thought it was amazing.
In Nina’s first surrogacy journey, the intended parents had a daughter who was almost the exact same age as one of Nina’s children. The two kids became little friends, which created a sweet connection between the families.
In her second surrogacy journey, the intended parents were able to attend every doctor’s appointment. Nina’s children became very attached to them and still ask about the parents and the babies.
That second surrogacy journey was especially memorable because Nina carried triplets.
Even after all of that, her children continue to be excited about surrogacy. They ask questions, they remember the families, and they see their mom as someone doing something incredibly special.
Nina shared that her kids view her as a superhero.
For her, that is one of the most meaningful parts. Through surrogacy, she feels like she is showing her children what it looks like to help others, even people they did not know before the journey began.
The Triplet Journey as a Surrogate
One of the biggest parts of Nina’s story is her triplet pregnancy.
In her second surrogacy journey, Nina carried for two dads. This was especially meaningful to her because of her early childhood connection to surrogacy through her uncle and his husband.
At the time, the journey involved a double embryo transfer. Everyone went into the process hoping for twins, knowing there was also a possibility that one embryo might not implant or that one could split.
Then came the early pregnancy tests.
Like many surrogates, Nina started testing at home before her blood draw. The tests were very positive very early. Her first beta number was high. Her second rose quickly.
Everyone started joking: what if it is triplets?
At the six-week ultrasound, that joke became real.
They saw two babies, as expected. Then the ultrasound tech noticed something else — a tiny flicker tucked into the corner of Nina’s uterus.
There were three.
Nina remembers lying on the table, seeing it on the screen, and having a tear roll down her face. She could not even say for sure whether it was happiness, shock, fear, or all of it at once.
All they could do was laugh.
The Reality of Carrying Multiples During Surrogacy
Nina’s triplet pregnancy also opened the door for an important conversation about safety.
Reproductive Options no longer does double embryo transfers. Kayla explained that while informed consent matters, the risks that can come with twin or higher-order multiple pregnancies are real. For the agency, prioritizing safety means choosing not to take on double embryo transfers.
Nina’s experience shows why that conversation matters.
Even though she describes the pregnancy as surprisingly smooth overall, it still came with added medical complexity. She was referred to high-risk care, had frequent monitoring, developed gestational diabetes, and ultimately had a hospital stay that lasted nearly eight weeks after her cervix shortened significantly.
She also knew she would need a C-section, which was her first.
Nina’s perspective is striking because even after everything she went through, she still talks about the journey with calm, gratitude, and love. She recognizes the risks, but she also feels deeply connected to the purpose behind surrogacy.
As she put it, helping someone grow their family makes her heart feel whole.
Why She Wanted to Do Surrogacy Again
After carrying triplets, many people might assume Nina would be done with surrogacy.
But for her, the desire to continue was still there.
She loves being pregnant. She has had good pregnancies overall. And more than anything, she loves the moment of seeing intended parents meet their baby.
That feeling, she shared, is the most rewarding part.
For many repeat surrogates, that is what brings them back. It is not that pregnancy is always easy. It is not that the process is always simple. It is that the experience becomes part of who they are.
Nina said that if she has to have another C-section, she may decide to stop. That is a boundary she is holding with care and self-awareness. But if she is able to have another safe surrogacy journey without that complication, she could see herself continuing.
Like many surrogates, she knows closing the chapter one day will be emotional.
Finding a Match That Feels Right as a Surrogate
Nina is now preparing for her third surrogacy journey and her first with Reproductive Options.
At the time of recording the episode, she was close to legal clearance and preparing for the next steps with her new intended parents. But one of the most special parts of her current surrogacy journey had already happened: the intended parents came to meet her and her family in person shortly after their match call.
That is not always how matching unfolds.
Many intended parents and surrogates meet in person later, often around medical screening or transfer. But for Nina and her intended parents, meeting sooner felt right.
They flew in, drove several hours, came to Nina’s home, met her children, saw the dogs, the ducks, the chickens, and spent time with her family in their everyday environment.
Nina admitted she was nervous at first. It felt vulnerable to have them come into her home and see her real life, her family, and her “crazy,” as she jokingly called it.
But the visit went beautifully.
Her kids loved them. The intended parents played with them, built magnet tiles, ran around outside, and spent time simply being present with the family.
Later, they even sent Nina’s children a gift, which meant a lot to her. It showed that they were not only connecting with Nina as a surrogate but also respecting and valuing the family surrounding her.
Surrogacy Matching Is Not One-Sided
Nina’s episode also highlights something Reproductive Options cares deeply about: the right match matters for everyone.
Matching should never feel like a surrogate is being handed one option and told to accept it. It should not be based only on who is next on a list, who pays more, or who is easiest to match quickly.
The relationship has to feel right on both sides.
Kayla shared that Nina had experienced some matching hiccups before finding this connection. But sometimes those ups and downs are part of getting to the right fit.
For Nina, the match feels natural. The intended parents connected with her children, respected her family, and made the effort to show up in person.
That kind of connection can set the tone for the entire surrogacy journey.
Every Surrogacy Journey Is Different
One of Nina’s favorite things about surrogacy is that every journey has its own story.
Her fiancé once wondered what would happen if the next intended parents were not as great as the first ones. Nina’s answer was simple: it will not be the same. It will be different.
And that is what makes it special.
Her first intended parents remain some of her biggest cheerleaders. Her second intended parents are excited for her as she prepares to do this again. Each surrogacy journey gave her different memories, different relationships, and different meaningful moments.
That is part of why she keeps going.
For Nina, surrogacy is not just one experience repeated over and over. It is a new relationship, a new family, a new story, and a new opportunity to help someone become a parent.
Making Surrogacy Feel Normal
As the surrogacy podcast episode wraps, Nina shares something that perfectly captures the heart of Carrying the Conversation: surrogacy does not need to be hush-hush.
It can be talked about openly. It can be explained to children. It can be part of normal family life. It can be joyful, complicated, funny, risky, emotional, and deeply rewarding all at once.
Nina’s story shows the many layers of surrogacy: the childhood spark, the search for information, the family conversations, the medical realities, the matching process, the relationships with intended parents, and the lasting impact on everyone involved.
She is a repeat surrogate, a mom, a partner, an animal lover, and someone who has built surrogacy into her family’s story in a beautiful way.
And as she prepares for her third journey, one thing is clear: for Nina, surrogacy is not just something she does.
It is something that makes her heart whole.
Curious About Becoming a Surrogate or Wondering What a Real Surrogacy Journey Can Look Like?
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