A couple struggling with infertility used social media to find women to be their surrogates, paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for the strangers to carry their children.
Jessie Jaskulksy, 35, and her husband, Michael, turned to Facebook in the hope that they would be able to pay someone to have babies for them after Jessie suffered a miscarriage in 2016 and was diagnosed with infertility .
The couple had desperately wanted to start a family, so Jessie became active in the social media underground surrogacy community.
Jessie (left) with her second surrogate for her youngest daughter, Luna, born in 2022
Jessie and her youngest daughter, Luna, who is now one year old
Eventually, the couple joined and met two women through groups and paid them a combined $300,000, adding that their first baby was more expensive.
They welcomed a daughter in 2020 and another in 2022.
Jessie said: ‘Surrogacy is a beautiful ride and there can be bumps, but it’s amazing and we have great relationships with our surrogates. Finally being a family of four is everything we could have ever imagined.’
Jessie and Michael first became pregnant in 2016, but lost the baby at 22 weeks, leading to Jessie’s infertility.
The couple then agreed that surrogacy was the best and safest option for them. So they joined an agency and were matched with a woman who would carry their child.
However, the surrogate also had a spontaneous abortion. The couple said they lost a lot of money and were forced to start their journey from scratch.
As Jessie became more interested in surrogacy, she began commenting on Facebook posts wishing others luck on their journey. A woman then sent her a private message offering to carry a child for the couple.
Jessie said the two women immediately hit it off, and the mom-to-be had her future surrogate apply through the agency Jessie had previously worked with.
Soon after, the woman underwent an embryo transfer and became pregnant.
An embryo transfer involves taking a woman’s egg that has been fertilized outside the body with sperm – creating an embryo – and implanting it into a woman’s uterus to establish a pregnancy.
This transfer is a process part of assisted reproduction and an embryo can be transferred into the woman’s own body or, as in the case of Jessie and Michael, into another woman’s body for surrogacy.
The practice of surrogacy is controversial, with some arguing that it exploits women, and using a surrogate you’ve met outside of official agencies poses more risks.
Potential surrogates who are part of an agency go through a thorough background check and undergo physical and mental tests as well as medical screenings.
Agencies also help with legal contracts.
Surrogacy is not nationally regulated in America. Instead, each state has its own laws governing the practice.
It is prohibited and any contract between couples and a surrogate is unenforceable in Arizona, Nebraska, Michigan, Indiana and Louisiana, where commercial surrogacy can be considered a criminal offense under certain circumstances.
In some states, the practice is allowed, but only under strict conditions and may have legal obstacles after birth.
“Finally being a family of four is everything we could have ever imagined,” Jessie said
In a dozen states and Washington, DC, surrogacy is expressly permitted and has case law defending the practice.
Maryland, where jaskulkys lived, allows the practice of surrogacy.
The couple said their surrogate lived in another state, but did not reveal where.
Despite the distance, the woman kept Jessie and Michael involved in her pregnancy by sending photos and updates, and they would visit for milestone doctor appointments.
The pregnancy was uncomplicated until 30 weeks, when the surrogate began to suffer from preeclampsia, a serious condition that can be fatal for both mother and baby. It causes high blood pressure, swollen hands and feet protein in the urine.
Because of the potential dangers, the couple’s first baby, a girl named Lily, was born early at 33 weeks in January 2020.
A normal gestation period is considered 40 weeks, and any birth before 37 weeks is considered premature.
About 1.5 percent of babies are born between 32 and 33 weeks, and they can suffer from low birth weight, breathing problems, infections, low blood sugar and anemia.
They will most likely require extra care and spend time in the intensive care unit. However, the survival rate for babies born at 33 weeks is 95 percent.
Jessie said both she and her husband were in the room when their daughter was born, and it was a surreal experience to witness their daughter’s birth after years of heartbreak.
Their baby, now four years old, spent two weeks in intensive care before the new parents could take her home and settle into life with their first daughter.
A few months later, the couple decided they wanted another child, and on Lily’s first birthday, they began looking for another surrogate.
But due to the Covid pandemic, waiting times for surrogacy agencies were long, so they turned to Facebook again and found their second surrogate through a private matching group for intended parents.
They connected with the other woman, who Jessie said was kind and sweet and had two healthy pregnancies.
At 37 weeks, their second daughter, Luna, now one, was born via planned C-section in June 2022 with Jessie and Michael in the room.
The mum-of-two said: ‘Being there when both our babies were born have been the most magical and unforgettable moments of our lives.
‘We couldn’t believe it was happening after so many years of heartache and not knowing if we would have our own family.
‘These women are so selfless. The personal sacrifices our surrogates made to help us complete our family is incredible.
She added that being a family of four is amazing and witnessing her daughters’ first interactions was so special: “They are our true miracles.”
In total, the couple said they spent about $300,000 to have their children, with their first being more expensive.
Jessie’s journey led her to start her own surrogacy consulting firm, Surrogacy Simplified, where she helps women and families navigate the complicated processes.
She said: ‘We have good relationships with our surrogates and are in regular contact, which is always what we wanted.
‘Finding your own surrogates on social media can be amazing. You just need to make sure you do your research, think about the relationship you want to have with your surrogate, make sure you’re on the same page, and all of this will (pave) the way for an amazing experience.
‘It’s a beautiful journey that may have bumps along the way, but it’s all worth it.’