A Surrogacy Story: Bri Buck

Will you have a hard time saying goodbye to the baby? “The way I see it, it’s not my baby at all. This child has none of my genes.  I care for this child and want to do everything I can to build him the best that I can. But the real joy for me will be getting to see the parents’ faces when they meet him,” she says.

Has this pregnancy been different? “I look at it like I’m doing a service for someone and I want to give them a good product, so to speak. I think this has been my healthiest pregnancy. I’m working with a nutritionist. I’ve worked out the entire time. Not that I was unhealthy by any means during my other pregnancies, but I’ve definitely stepped it up this time.”

How did you explain the situation to your children? “We say, ‘This isn’t our baby. Mommy is building this baby and then we’re going to give him back to his family.’ When you’re putting it into its simplest terms, it’s like if your neighbor has all of the ingredients to make a cake but their oven is broken. They can bring them over to your house and use yours.”

Will you have a relationship with the baby once he’s born? “That’s something you talk about with the parents during the initial matching phase. I don’t want to be a part of the child’s daily life, but I’d like to see him grow up.  The baby’s mom and I have a good relationship, so I’m sure I’ll get pictures occasionally. And I do want my kids to get to see him after he’s born.”

Were you hesitant to be a surrogate during a pandemic? “Once we started with the process, I was so excited that not even a pandemic could have stopped me. Though it actually is a good time to be pregnant in terms of lack of FOMO.”