The First Heartbeat: A Story of How Lana Became a Surrogate

So many people wonder what it’s really like to be a surrogate. While every journey is different, here’s a story that gently explores what it can feel like to say yes.

Lana had never thought much about surrogacy until her sister-in-law lost her third pregnancy. The grief that folded into their family wasn’t loud. It just sat there, in corners and under the kitchen table, in the silence after laughter.

It took months before Lana started reading more, not because she thought she could fix anything, but because she kept wondering what it would feel like to help someone carry hope when their body wouldn’t let them.

She didn’t jump in right away. She read articles. She joined a group. She asked questions that made her feel a little strange. She wasn’t looking for a sign, but when her son asked if babies grew in every belly the same way, she didn’t have an answer ready. That night, she filled out a form.

The screening process was longer than she expected. There were medical charts and phone calls, with long pauses in between. Still, she kept moving forward. The intended parents were a couple in another state. They’d been trying for years. Their voices cracked sometimes when they spoke, but not from sadness. They were just careful with hope.

When transfer day arrived, Lana felt more nervous than she had anticipated, not because of the procedure itself, but due to the implications if it did not succeed. It did, though. It worked. 

A quiet yes. 

A flicker on the screen a few weeks later. 

A first heartbeat.

Lana didn’t feel like a hero. She didn’t feel brave. She sensed a connection, as if she had extended a hand in the darkness and someone had grasped it.

The baby was born on a rainy morning in April. The parents cried, then laughed, and then cried again. Lana held the baby for a moment, not because she needed to, but because it felt right. She whispered something soft, then let go.

If you’ve ever thought about surrogacy or just want to know what it’s like from the inside, this story’s for you.