When I tell my story about being a surrogate for my brother and Ivan to friends, one of the questions I get asked a lot is how the conversation came up … if I’m completely truthful I can’t really remember as in the whole scheme of things that part of the story is insignificant. What is significant is that I said yes, obviously there was a lot of questions to be asked and plans to be put in place both personally and legally but once that was done the, uh hum, fun began.

After googling ‘artificial insemination at home’ the turkey baster and ovulation kit were purchased, and once said kit showed the correct two day window of opportunity I travelled to Steve and Ivan’s house. I think it’s true to say we were all a little awkward but after some rather boring small talk Ivan disappeared alone into the bedroom (I should add I made the decision to use my egg as it would just be wasted otherwise and it was that part of my brothers DNA, therefore we clearly couldn’t use Steven’s sperm) several minutes later Ivan put a cup of his sample in my room (in a pink spirit glass) and after half an hr I disappeared to inseminate myself with said turkey baster (without going into too much detail and embarrassing everyone .. it’s safe to say the practicality of the turkey baster was lost on me but all went technically well after an embarrassing to the chemist to purchase a syringe.

Waiting for the couple of weeks until I could take a test were awful and I was so excited to give “the boys” their first child that when the first two months produced negative tests I cried for hours. After the third month I knew I was pregnant … and took the test a few days early, even before I got the call from my little brother who was finding it very hard to control his excitement and anticipation. When the test came back positive we bundled straight into the car and drove an hour to the boys house and presented them with the test.

If I could frame that moment and look at it every day I’m sure I would never feel down again, it was amazing and emotionally exhilarating … we were having a baby – two men and a tummy mummy – and we toasted that moment with champagne in pink glasses!

xx