A Gift of Hope for Intended Parents

We’d like to introduce you to Mira, Alcea’s Intended Parent Advocate! Mira understands what our clients have been through because she’s been through it too. After years of trying to conceive, Mira had an unexpected turn of events that led to a successful surrogacy journey with two babies born only one month apart! We’ve interviewed Mira to share her story and give you hope on your surrogacy journey.

Why did you choose surrogacy to start your family?

My fertility journey started when I was about 30 years old. I was recently married but, with a significantly older husband, (who froze his sperm when he was younger) so we originally planned to use IVF to start our family. I also believed that since I was young, it would be quick and easy. However, after initial testing, I was told that I had high FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) levels and the egg count of a 42-year-old ready to start menopause. The window was closing for us, so immediately after hearing the news of my levels, we started trying naturally and with IVF treatment. But even after 6 IVF cycles using a total of 8 embryos, we still hadn’t had any luck. We later did an IUI (intrauterine insemination) from which I got pregnant but unfortunately it ended in a miscarriage. After 4 years of trying with what seemed like every option possible, we switched to surrogacy. We felt that we needed to try something completely different before we ran out of time and money.

Did you do any testing to explain why the IVF cycles did not work?

When we started IVF, the doctors thought it would be a problem making embryos but that wasn’t it. I had the doctors conduct every test I could to get to the bottom of why I wasn’t getting pregnant and carrying a baby to term. We tested for endometriosis, checked my cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and several other tests. The ones that stood out the most were my ERA analysis (to determine the best time for transferring my embryo to improve the chances of implantation), the EMMA test (to determine the composition of microbial species in the uterus), and the ALICE test (an analysis of infectious chronic endometritis). We even went to Mexico to explore options that weren’t available in the US to ensure my body wasn’t fighting off my husband’s genetic material. But even after all the tests, we still weren’t getting pregnant which also helped us decide that surrogacy was the best option for us.

How did you choose Alcea as your surrogacy agency?

Once we finally decided we would proceed with surrogacy, I made a post in a matching group on Facebook, hoping we would match with a surrogate independently. I wanted a surrogate who was politically and ideologically aligned with me. Angela (the CEO of Alcea) saw my post and reached out, I didn’t know that she was a surrogacy agency owner at the time. She explained that she owned Alcea Surrogacy, and it turned out that we were not only ideologically aligned but I also was really impressed with Alcea’s ethics around surrogacy. While I found a potential surrogate that I brought with me to Alcea, that cycle unfortunately resulted in a failed embryo transfer which ultimately led me to work with one of Alcea’s surrogates. We received a positive pregnancy test after the first embryo transfer with the surrogate that Angela rematched me with.

How did you end up with 2 babies on the way?

After we had a failed transfer with our initial surrogate, I was so scared that, even with surrogacy, we wouldn’t end up taking home a baby, so my husband and I continued doing IUI’s. We had experienced so much failure, I assumed that the IUI didn’t work either but, when I went back to the clinic to start another IUI after my surrogate was pregnant, it turned out I was already pregnant. People tell you that it happens when you relax, which is annoying but that might’ve been it. It was the first time that I wasn’t as obsessive over having a baby because I knew my surrogate was pregnant. My daughters are IUI #13 and embryo #10. 

What was delivery like for you and your surrogate?

I was convinced that I would have complications with the delivery, so I scheduled a C-section at 38 weeks pregnant. I no longer trusted my body and just felt like my baby was safer outside of my body. Even during the C-section, I was convinced that they weren’t going to hand me a healthy baby. However, the C-section went well, my baby was healthy and in that moment is when I realized she was real. I started crying while I said to my husband, “She’s real! She's here!” My C-section recovery went well so I was able to go to the delivery of our other daughter. One month later we drove to the hospital with our 1-month-old for the delivery of our surrogate. Our surrogate delivered a healthy baby girl, and that night we slept in the hospital with both babies where we finally believed, dreams do come true. Our family was complete.