Surrogate Mom Thinks She’s Having Twins, Then The Impossible Happens
Surrogate mom gives twins away, then realizes this. But before we start, please make sure you subscribe if you haven’t already, hit the notification bell, and smash that like button. We really appreciate your continuous support.
Back in 2017, Jessica Allen went on ABC News and said this: “No woman in the world should have to live their life without experiencing the love and bond from a mother and a child.” Jessica was already a mother of two boys when she became a surrogate to help a couple who was trying for a baby. Though it started off smoothly, the delivery caused unexpected complications for the people involved.
Jessica said to People, “I’d never do it again. I’m not the only one with a nightmare story, but I am the only one with a story like this.” California resident and mother of two, Jessica Allen, believed she was doing a good thing when she agreed to be a Chinese couple’s surrogate. Surrogacy is not exactly permitted in Asian countries, so the couple came to the United States in order to find someone fitting.
If you’ve ever been frustrated because of failed conception, then you should understand why the couple opted for surrogacy. It was truly kind of Jessica to help people who are in this situation, but it should also be noted that going for surrogacy is definitely not a light decision. Usually, failed attempts at getting pregnant lead to the exploration of other avenues, such as IVF and others.
Before a woman becomes a surrogate mother, she needs to pass a screening process and many tests. Aside from being sure that she’s willing to do the procedure, a future surrogate mother has to decide whether she’ll be doing traditional or gestational surrogacy. Contacting a surrogacy agency, and maybe a surrogacy lawyer, would be something else she needs to do as well.
At the time, Jessica Allen worked for Omega Family Global, a San Diego-based business that connected her and the couple. In April 2016, Jessica underwent in vitro fertilization, and one male embryo was transferred to her uterus. Surrogates have to take estrogen and progesterone to get their womb ready for implantation. Jessica followed the doctor’s directions for what to do before and after the procedure in order to have a successful pregnancy.
But six weeks later, the doctor discovered something concerning. When the six-week scan was finished, Jessica was informed by the medical professionals that she was carrying two babies in her womb. The doctor said it was uncommon for embryos to split, but it did happen. Jessica was relieved to find out this wasn’t out of the ordinary. As for the couple, they were thrilled to learn the news.
Besides the additional expenses, Jessica received $30,000 for being a surrogate. When the couple learned about the twins, an additional $5,000 was added to her monthly paycheck. Things went smoothly, that is, until the delivery date. On December 12, 2016, Jessica underwent a C-section after 38 weeks and delivered two babies.
She wasn’t able to look at them since there was an open screen between her and the babies, who were taken away immediately after the birth. However, she did get the chance to see them in the same night, since the intended mother went to Jessica’s room and brought her a picture of the babies. Jessica told People, “One looked full Chinese, the other didn’t look full Chinese. It was clear that they were not identical, but I didn’t ask questions.”
After the delivery, everybody went back to their lives. Jessica went home so that she could recover from the pregnancy. She and her husband also purchased a new home. However, one month later, before they moved in, the intended mother sent Jessica a text: a photo of the twins with a message of doubt. Jessica told the New York Post, “The intended mother asked these questions: ‘Have you thought why they’re different? And they’re not the same, right?'”
In the following week, the babies had been made to undergo a DNA test, which yielded astounding results. The babies were not twins, and one of them was actually Jessica and her husband’s biological child. The embryos had different gestational ages, and the medical phenomenon that happened is called superfetation, whereby a pregnant woman still ovulates.
That’s right, Jessica’s baby was conceived after the embryo was already implanted. Upon learning this, everybody involved was dumbfounded, since it obviously wasn’t part of the deal. Jessica and her husband followed the doctor’s directions and put off intimacy until there was confirmation the implanted embryo had already taken root. Jessica told the New York Post, “As per my contract, Wardell and I didn’t have intercourse until we were given permission by the IVF doctor, who recommended the use of condoms.” Contraceptive failure was also another rare occurrence that happened.
Jessica and her husband had just learned that they now have a third child. They were shocked, and she revealed to People, “I was panicking. My husband and I were panicking. We had no idea how this came about, and we had no idea how we were going to prepare for a child overnight. We just moved into a new house. We didn’t have any money.” They were still trying to wrap their minds around the news when they were hit with another surprise.
When Jessica and her husband found out that one of the babies was their child, the parents knew they needed to bring their baby home. By then, the situation had started spiraling out of control, and the couple had difficulty bringing their child home. For one thing, as soon as the Chinese couple learned the baby wasn’t their child, they wanted nothing to do with the little one.
Jessica also found out that her child was being taken care of by the surrogate agency’s employee. To make things worse, another surprise was in store for Jessica. The Chinese couple, who got frustrated with the situation, demanded that Jessica pay them back the $22,000 they compensated her.
Needless to say, Jessica was in a really tricky position. “We’d already spent most of the money we earned from the surrogacy contract, but now we were apparently on the hook for thousands of dollars,” Jessica told the New York Post. Besides the $22,000 that the Chinese couple wanted from Jessica, the agency was also demanding thousands of dollars for looking after the Allens’ baby.
Jessica and her husband had just moved into a new house, so they did not have the money to pay the Chinese couple and the agency. There are things a parent should not have to find out in their lifetime, but Jessica found out one of them. She learned that her baby was about to be placed for adoption. Nothing could be more alarming than that. She knew she had to do everything she could to rescue her child.
Jessica revealed to the New York Post, “To my disgust, a caseworker from the agency lined up parents to adopt him and absorb the money we owe to the couple, or if that didn’t work out, the couple were thinking of putting my son up for adoption as they were still his legal parents.” Jessica and her husband were in a tricky situation. Although the child should be ideally handed to them without any problem, the agency was standing their ground. They would not give the couple their child unless they received the money they thought they were owed.
When Jessica and her husband found out the intended mother was putting their child up for adoption, the Allens started losing hope. Jessica explained to People, “I thought I wasn’t going to get him back because they were pressuring me to pay this money back first. Then they were saying that the intended mom was thinking about giving him up for adoption. I thought I had a child out there that I was going to be forced to let go of, all because I couldn’t buy him or because I couldn’t adopt him.”
The real fight started. Jessica and her husband got into debt in an attempt to get their son back. Though they negotiated with the agency after they hired legal representation, there was a need to determine whose liability the situation was. Some people believe Jessica and her husband should have abstained entirely, but others placed the blame on the IVF doctor who gave the couple the go-ahead to get intimate. In the meantime, there were people who thought it was the intended parents’ fault. However, we shouldn’t forget that they paid more when they learned the twins were expected.
Jessica’s camp hired a lawyer to get their son back from the surrogacy agency, since she believed the agency had been manipulating the intended couple. Jessica didn’t really blame her for this situation. “It’s not her fault. The agency put it in her head that I was going to try to sue her. I never said those words. Since she was scared that I was going to sue her, she starts sending me all kinds of text messages,” Jessica said about the intended mother.
It was a lengthy legal battle, but Jessica was able to prove she owed them nothing. However, it was still not easy to gain custody of her son. The couple felt as if they were playing a game of cat and mouse. In an interview with People, Jessica mentioned, “We tried to get him on numerous occasions, but one excuse they gave us was the intended parents didn’t want to sign over the power of attorney, so we didn’t get him. We got another call and we were supposed to get him, then we didn’t because they were thinking about giving him up for adoption.”
If you’re wondering why Omega Family Global put Jessica through a very painful process despite everyone knowing that she was the child’s biological mother, you can check out the statement they issued. They refuted the claims she made, among other things. The New York Post published their answer: “By its very nature, surrogacy is a complicated journey which necessitates the support and care of agencies, parents, surrogates, psychologists, lawyers, and a host of other professionals. As with any pregnancy, issues do arise which require great care, attention to detail, and respect for the process and the emotions of all involved.”
To review, Jessica gave birth on December 12, 2016. After three failed attempts to get her son back, she finally got the chance to hold him two months later. She narrated to the New York Post, “And so, on February 5th, I finally met a caseworker from Omega in a Starbucks parking lot in Menifee, California, where she handed over our son, whom we’ve renamed Malachi. The moment was incredibly emotional, and I started hugging and kissing my boy.”
Jessica hopes her story will warn other people. Jessica said she never wants to be a surrogate again after the experience she had. Nevertheless, she doesn’t regret having become one. “My husband and I weren’t planning to expand our family so soon, but we treasure Malachi with all our hearts. I don’t regret becoming a surrogate mom because that would mean regretting my son. I just hope other women considering surrogacy can learn from my story and that a greater good will come out of this nightmare,” she told the New York Post.
However, things did not exactly end in a happily ever after. After the publication of this unfortunate story, some people made a stand to highlight the fact that the actual victims were the Chinese couple. One comment read: “To comprehend this story, we must also see it from the parents’ side. I can see that virtually no one turns to surrogacy before suffering a tremendous amount of heartache: miscarriages, stillbirths, failed IVFs, failed adoptions, emergency hysterectomies, etc. And because it costs tens of thousands of dollars, no one approaches surrogacy lightly.”
The custody battle had been dealt with, but Jessica and her husband still had to fight legal battles. They had to deal with their debt. She lamented to People, “It’s very stressful financially. It’s put us in debt. We’re barely getting by right now, and it stressed me out emotionally because this agency turned their backs on me, knowing that for the first two months of Malachi’s brand new life that he was in the arms of strangers. That breaks my heart. It’s really heartbreaking.”
It’s not a surprise that a lot of controversial theories surfaced. One theory, which is not that far-fetched, is that Jessica and her husband breached their contract. Allegedly, they engaged in sexual intercourse before the doctor permitted them to. At least Jessica and the whole family are happy to be with her family’s newest addition.
Jessica’s story caught attention almost a year after it happened. By the time, Malachi had already gotten used to his rightful family at home. “He’s a little man. He’s like 10 months going on 10. He’s walking around already, trying to talk. He has an attitude, and he’s funny, and his personality is goofy and bossy all at once. He walks around like he runs the world,” Jessica described the little one to People. You…
