Chula Vista resident Rose Lucero has given birth every two years since she was 25 years old. “The first surrogacy was twins, two little boys … and the second surrogacy was a little girl. My third surrogacy was two little boys,” said Lucero.
Lucero has delivered six children as a surrogate mother. She has one child that is biologically hers. “I love being pregnant, helping a couple to be able to be parents is just worth everything,” said Lucero.
While she said money alone isn’t enough to justify delivering a child for someone else, Lucero said she has been compensated — even for a down payment on a home. “It did allow me to save money for a home, pay off debt and do a lot of things with my son that I wouldn’t have been able to do before,” said Lucero. Thomas Pinkerton of the National Fertility Law Center said surrogate mothers could earn up to $30,000 for carrying a child. “For many surrogates, that’s pretty much going to double their family income,” said Pinkerton.
Surrogacy has also been popular among military wives. Elizabeth Nila of Serra Mesa is carrying her seventh surrogate child. She said it is becoming the “in” thing to do among military wives. “I used to live in military housing and just in my cul de sac or just in my street alone, there was at one time four of us, plus my mail carrier,” said Nila. The military’s main medical provider, Tricare, is one of the few health insurers that does not ban the coverage for surrogate pregnancies. That means military surrogates avoid paying several thousand dollars in deductibles and co-payments.
Reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Lori Arnold said having more than four surrogate pregnancies has its risks. “After one has delivered a few cases of twins by Cesarean section, then there’s potential risk of the pregnancy,” said Arnold.
It’s a risk both Nila and Lucero are willing to take so they could give the gift of life to someone else. “I just don’t know how to explain it; it’s just that I’m able to do this and feel proud and honored to be able to do it for somebody,” said Nila. Lucero said, “Going through the whole pregnancy is nothing compared to what you get to give at the end.”
California law gives intended parents all parental rights and obligations.
