[Fertility & Birth] An IVF and Surrogacy Rollercoaster Birth Story

Parijat Deshpande’s first pregnancy was extremely complicated and risky, with her micropreemie son being born at 24 weeks. So when it came to doing it again, the seemingly easier option was to use a surrogate. Or so they thought.

Listen as Parijat takes us on an unbelievable rollercoaster of emotions that led to her taking home a healthy, full term baby girl. Check it out.

What we talked about:

• Parijat’s fertility journey
• A very difficult, high-risk first pregnancy
• Fighting for his life during his first 109 days
• Do I want to do this again? Is it even safe to do it again?
• The relief from getting confirmation that her body shouldn’t do it again
• Now what? Exploring surrogacy
• Going through several rounds, several agencies, several miscarriages
• “Something is not right.”
• Going from 9 embryos to 1, seemingly overnight
• “Can we live with that?”
• Riding the extreme emotional rollercoaster, once again
• All down the the slowest growing embryo
• Giving up hope
• “Could you double check you’re speaking to the right person?”
• The uniqueness of experiencing a pregnancy through a surrogate
• “That’s our baby? We get to take her home?!”
• Feeling like first time parents
• Parenting a fully grown newborn, mourning the differences from the experience with her son
• Learning to reshape her identity as a mother

First night home with her baby girl!

Related resources*:

• A Baby Does Not Heal The Wounds of Infertility, post by Parijat Deshpande
• Pregnancy Brain: A Mind-Body Approach to Stress Management During a High-Risk Pregnancy, book by Parijat Deshpande
• Learning to Stand Again: A NICU Mom’s Postpartum Recovery Process After Bed Rest, Parijat’s recovery from her first pregnancy, after months on bedrest.
• Successful Surrogacy: An Intended Parents’ Guide to a Rewarding Relationship With Their Surrogate Mother, book by Susan Fuller

Second night home!

Related Birthful episodes:

• The Fertility Rollercoaster
• Surrogate Birth Stories
• Effects of Stress During Pregnancy
• Your Anxious Mind During Pregnancy

Courtesy of Parijat Deshpande

About Parijat Deshpande

Parijat Deshpande is the leading high-risk pregnancy expert, mind-body health specialist, speaker and author who guides women to manage their pregnancy complications so they can give their baby a strong start to life. Her unique approach has served hundreds of women to manage pregnancy complications and reclaim a safety and trust in their bodies that they thought was eroded forever. Parijat is the author of bestselling book Pregnancy Brain: A Mind-Body Approach to Stress Management During a High-Risk Pregnancy. She is also the host of the popular podcast Delivering Miracles®, that discusses the real, raw side of family-building including infertility, loss, high-risk pregnancy, bed rest, prematurity and healing once baby comes home.

Learn more at parijatdeshpande.com