A woman who followed in her mother’s footsteps to become a surrogate has earned over £122,000 ($150,000) – across three pregnancies.
Kenedi Smith, 28, was five when her mum decided to become a surrogate – someone who carries and births a baby for someone who cannot.
Her mother began the process for a second time and the then eight-year-old Kenedi knew that she wanted to do the same.
Kenedi’s own son was born when she was 20 – and after turning 21, the legal minimum age for surrogacy in California where she lives, she signed to an agency.
Now over the past eight years Kenedi has been through three surrogacy journeys – and is beginning her fourth now.
Kenedi now shares her story online via her social media pages, @stop.sit.surrogate, in order to offer advice and education to people interested in surrogacy.
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“I became involved with surrogacy because of my mum,” Kenedi said.
“When I was five years old, she started her first surrogacy journey.
“When I was eight, and she was on her second surrogacy journey, something clicked inside me – I just knew I wanted to do what she did.
“I wanted to help people grow their families.
“When I was 20, I had my son, and when I turned 21, my mum jokingly said, ‘So, are you going to be a surrogate now?’
“Shortly after, I found an agency – I signed up and started my first surrogacy journey.
“Some of the most enjoyable parts about being a surrogate in my opinion are that you are helping to create life and helping a family grow while also helping my own family with the compensation.
“The best part of it all is when you reunite the baby and parents during or after the birth.
“To watch and be a part of that interaction is indescribable, and the most amazing feeling that you can’t recreate or find anywhere else.
“I’ve now been a surrogate three times, and I’m starting my fourth journey.
“In total, I have been compensated over $150,000.”
Laws around surrogacy compensation throughout the UK are strict, forbidding parents from providing surrogates with anything more than ‘reasonable expenses’ – with Surrogacy UK estimating a typical payment of between £10,000 to £15,000.
In California, however, commercial surrogacy is fully legal, with the California Surrogacy Center suggesting that the average first-time surrogacy compensation is around $50,000 to $60,000 (£40,342-£48,415).
Debate over commercial surrogacy has been ongoing for years, and Kenedi believes that there are many misconceptions people have about the process.
“People have misconceptions about surrogacy – that surrogates sell their body, or that the surrogate baby is going to be traumatized, or that the biological children of the surrogate will be negatively impacted.
“Let me just combat those and speak the truth for a second.
“We are not selling our bodies – we’re providing a service, just like a nanny would for a child who is earth-side. We surrogates are the nanny for the child before they are earth-side.
“The baby will not remember anything from that day – they’re not going to be traumatized as they get older and are told how they were brought into the world.
“Children of surrogates are not negatively impacted by their mother helping another family to grow – I’m living proof of that.
“I’m a child of a surrogate, and it affected me in a positive way.
“One of the most challenging parts of surrogacy can be the misinformed people who like to share their concerns and opinions.
“So, my mother and I have started a podcast titled Stop Sit Surrogate in the hopes of sharing our stories for others to learn from – we offer advice, support and education, so that anyone who wants to learn about surrogacy can do so.”
Despite the backlash Kenedi can receive for her surrogacy, she wouldn’t change it – as she loves being able to help families grow.
“Surrogates know and feel within our hearts that we want to help families bring their own baby into the world.
“The whole reason we do this is to unite the baby with their parents – it’s the most amazing feeling.”
