Jenna Herrera, a 32-year-old mother from Anaheim, Southern California, experienced the joy of welcoming two babies just 24 days apart, one of whom was carried by a surrogate mother. After enduring five heartbreaking miscarriages over a decade, Jenna and her partner, Joe, 39, a financial business owner, chose the path of surrogacy to expand her family.
Her trip took an unexpected turn when, four weeks after her surrogate mother in Colombia became pregnant with her biological child in February 2023, Jenna discovered that she was also pregnant. The couple’s surrogate mother, a 32-year-old woman who now considers herself part of her extended family, gave birth to a boy named Alexander Jason in Colombia. Shortly before, Jenna had given birth to a boy named Joseph on October 1 in California.
The proximity of these births has inspired Jenna to raise the children as twins. This decision underscores a unique family dynamic, as Jenna emphasizes the bond shared between the children, regardless of the conventional understanding of twins. She described the situation as “twice the joy, but five times the work,” reflecting the challenges and pleasures of raising two newborns simultaneously, she reported. Sun.
The integration of the surrogate mother into the family has been perfect. She played an active role in the babies’ first days of life, helping them with practical issues such as sorting documents. Jenna’s decision to reveal her pregnancy to the surrogate at 12 weeks was met with joy and support, highlighting the strong relationship built on mutual respect and friendship.
This complex and emotional journey through miscarriages and fertility issues led Jenna to seek medical advice beyond her local options in the US, seeing a doctor in Mexico who diagnosed her with a hormone deficiency. Despite this challenge, Jenna’s perseverance paid off with the successful birth of her two children.
Jenna and Joe are planning to foster a close-knit family environment, involving their surrogate in family outings and raising their children with shared experiences in sports and community activities. Jenna’s story not only sheds light on the possibilities and challenges of surrogacy, but also celebrates the unconventional paths to motherhood and the deep connections that can arise from the shared experiences of pregnancy and birth.
