Ida and her husband completed the surrogacy process in August 2019 and felt that they had a really good relationship with Tammuz.
In January 2021, Tammuz called Ida and asked her to come work in Tammuz. Since then, Ida has been part of the global Tammuz family and she is here to tell her story.
Hello Ida. I would love for you to share the surrogacy procedure you went through.
1. Why did you decide to embark on the surrogacy journey?
My husband Alexander and I met when we were 30. We already had one son each from previous relationships and our dream was to have a child together. But we knew from the start that it would be a challenging journey – I gave birth to my son in March 2009 and in August of the same year my doctor discovered that I had cervical cancer, so I had to have my uterus removed.
I told Alexander when we met, and we were both fine with the situation. However, we still had a dream to have a baby together. We started to look into adoption but this process can take long time since I had a medical report, we just had a few options of destinations and we were required to do parenting training. This process had taken us 5-7 years so we reached out to a doctor in Sweden who was researching uterus transplantation. After many meetings and consultations, this option also failed to work out – there were many candidates and only 12 spots. But the doctors advised us to look into surrogacy.
2. What considerations did you take into account when you decided to embark on the surrogacy journey?
We didn´t have any other options left – this was our only chance.
3. Why did you choose Tammuz?
We found Tammuz in the Nordics and we had an online consultation – the surrogacy programs fitted us well and we felt secure in choosing Tammuz as they have years of experience in surrogacy.
4. How long is the process?
I used my own eggs since I had my ovaries left.We went through two IVF attempts to create embryos and we became pregnant on our second embryo transfer – so the whole process from deciding to go through the process with Tammuz until we had Jack in our arms took exactly 2 years.
5. What can you tell us about the process you went through?
Of course we wanted to do surrogacy in Sweden, but local regulations made it more complicated there. So we turned to Ukraine as our destination – we had to obtain a medical certificate that proved I wasn’t able to get pregnant the normal way and we had to be married, so there were several documents in the beginning. We liked that with Tammuz we could pay in an installment plan which made us feel more secure. The legal process when Jack was born was easy in Ukraine – we had a birth certificate with both of our names, we were the legal parents in Ukraine. For the return home, we first had to establish the fatherhood for Jack in the court in Sweden – we had excellent help from a laywer in Sweden. After 7 weeks Jack received a temporary passport and we could travel home. Then it was just two steps further, sole custody for Alexander and adoption for me – this is the law in Sweden, the birth mother is the legal mother, so I had to adopt Jack even though he is my biological son. If you are from Sweden, these steps are required regardless of the destination in which you go through the surrogacy process.
6. What support did you receive during the period and did it help you?
We had plenty of support from our local community during our process. We were open about going through surrogacy – we live in a small city so probably everyone would notice if we suddenly had a baby. But we only got positive support from start to end.
7. What obstacles did you encounter during the surrogacy process?
We didn´t encounter any major obstacles during our process, nothing more than my own body 😉 I did IVF twice as the first time the result for eggs and creating embryos wasn’t great. And we didn´t succeed until the second embryo transfer – but it´s important to know that the process must take its course, the clinic and doctors do their best and in the end it is the course of nature. I think it is important to show appreciation to your surrogate mother – and above all be positive and your process will be so much easier.
8. Was there a moment you cried during this exciting journey?
No, we were more excited.
9. What was your impression of the surrogate mother? Were you in contact with her during pregnancy and childbirth? Are still you in touch today?
We still have contact with our surrogate mother today. We first built a friendship when we travelled to Ukraine for the delivery. We are about the same age, have our birthdays in the same month and we have the same workplace. So we really bonded. We are so grateful towards her and hope she will visit us here at home soon.
10. How many children do you have today?
My husband and I have 3 children together, but only Jack was born through surrogacy.
11. How was the pregnancy period, the tests, the ultrasound – were you a part of it?
We were really longing for baby Jack through the whole pregnancy – we got an update every second week – sometimes it was medical reports and sometimes it was with pictures. We also traveled to be with our surrogate mother during an ultrasound in the middle of the pregnancy – where we also found out it was a boy.
12. Describe the birth of Jack. How did you feel?
We were planning to go to Kyiv approximately 3 weeks before the birth – just to be there before Jack was born. We also brought friends with us, over the weekend. On the day we traveled to Kyiv we received the news that the surrogate’s water had broken, so the same day we arrived, Jack also arrived! Our friends had to spend the weekend alone 😉 We were welcomed to the hospital, checked in and got our own room. 10 minutes later, they came with Jack! That was a special moment, our feelings were all over the place, it was a beautiful moment and we still remember it well.
13. What tips do you have for future parents to overcome concerns and pressures as they go through surrogacy?
I truly recommend other intended parents to start their process yesterday 😉 You never know how long the process will take – you will become a parent but no-one can say when. Be positive and calm and rely on the process – but most importantly, research well before so you find a serious agency which can support you through the process.
14. How long does it take for the legal steps to be finalized?
In Sweden, you need to go through 3 legal steps.
- Step 1: Establish the fatherhood, during this step you are still at the destination
- Step 2: Sole custody for father
- Step3: Adoption if you have a partner
These steps take 6-8 months depending on the court – our legal process took exactly 6 months from the day he was born until my adoption was finalized.
15. What other tips do you offer to future parents who are considering going through a surrogacy procedure?
The process may take a while, be patient – you will forget the process and waiting time as soon you have your baby in your arms J.
Thank you very much Ida for sharing your story with us.
We wish you and your family happiness and health.
Tammuz Family
We are an international surrogacy, fertility, and egg donation company. For more information, write to info@tammuz.com
Special Note: This content was created for general educational purposes, only and it might change with time. Speak to your doctor directly with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, as the content here does not replace any care plan as determined by a physician.
