Emily Westerfield, a 37-year-old mother of three biological children, has acted as a gestational carrier for 10 healthy babies over the past 13 years. She is currently 28 weeks pregnant with baby number 11 and is the founder of Carrying Dreams, a surrogacy agency that helps egg donors, surrogates, and intended parents navigate their parenting journeys. Despite having had 11 live births and three miscarriages, Westerfield is considering having baby number 12 in the future.
Westerfield’s journey into surrogacy began when she offered to carry a pregnancy for her husband’s cousin who was struggling with secondary infertility. Despite initially being declined by her husband, she eventually pursued surrogacy after the birth of her third biological child. Her first surrogacy journey in 2015 was with a couple who had two children but were unable to complete their family due to the mother’s emergency hysterectomy. This experience marked the beginning of Westerfield’s passion for helping families grow through surrogacy.
Throughout the years, Westerfield has delivered healthy babies for numerous families, finding fulfillment in each pregnancy and birth. She has maintained close relationships with the families she has helped, staying in touch through texts and social media, and even sending birthday gifts to the children. Recognizing the challenges and complexities of the surrogacy process, Westerfield founded her agency to provide education, support, and resources to both surrogates and intended parents.
As a gestational carrier, Westerfield understands the emotional journey entails screenings, contracts, and psychological evaluations. She views her role as that of a “loving aunt” who cares for the baby during pregnancy but is ultimately committed to giving the child to its intended parents at the end of the process. With her agency, she aims to debunk misconceptions and outdated information about surrogacy, drawing from her personal experiences to guide others through the process.
Westerfield’s dedication to surrogacy stems from her desire to help others overcome infertility and realize their dreams of parenthood. She believes that gestational carriers should have completed their own families before assisting others in growing theirs, and she places great importance on matching families with carriers who align in various aspects, such as physical or chromosomal abnormalities, contact preferences, and vaccination status. Despite the challenges, Westerfield finds immense pride in helping families grow and remains connected to them, even after the birth of their children.
Looking ahead, Westerfield is committed to continuing her work in surrogacy, supporting families in navigating the complexities of assisted reproduction. Her journey has been marked by compassion, dedication, and a deep sense of fulfillment in helping others achieve their dreams of parenthood. As National Infertility Awareness Week approaches, her story serves as a testament to the power of empathy, generosity, and love in building families and creating lasting bonds between all those involved in the surrogacy process.
