Emily Westerfield, a 37-year-old mother of three, has delivered 10 healthy babies, three of which are her own biological children, and acted as a gestational carrier for families for others. Her success in surrogacy led her to create Carrying Dreams, a full-service agency to help egg donors, surrogates, and intended parents in their parenting journey. Westerfield has had three miscarriages and 11 live births and continues to consider having more children.
Westerfield’s journey as a gestational carrier began when she offered to help her husband’s cousin, who was struggling with secondary infertility. Despite initial resistance from her husband, Westerfield pursued becoming a gestational carrier and connected with a couple through an online forum. The couple, who had endured past struggles with pregnancy, had two children but were unable to complete their family due to the mother’s emergency hysterectomy.
Since then, Westerfield has helped numerous families grow by carrying children for them in successful pregnancies. She has delivered healthy babies for couples in need in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022, with an upcoming birth in 2023. Despite the challenges of the surrogacy process, including screenings, contracts, and evaluations, Westerfield finds fulfillment in helping others start or complete their families.
As a gestational carrier, Westerfield ensures that the end goal is to deliver a healthy child for the intended parents. She acknowledges the emotional aspect of the process but maintains a loving aunt-like attachment to the babies she carries. Westerfield started her own surrogacy agency, Carrying Dreams, in 2023, to provide support, education, and resources for both potential surrogates and intended families.
Westerfield emphasizes the importance of finding suitable gestational carriers who have completed their families before assisting others. She takes pride in helping families grow and stays in touch with the families she has worked with, sending birthday gifts and maintaining connections via text or social media. Despite the challenges of the surrogacy process, Westerfield finds fulfillment in making a difference in the lives of families in need of help to grow their families.
Overall, Emily Westerfield’s journey as a gestational carrier is a testament to the power of compassion, generosity, and selflessness in helping others achieve their dreams of becoming parents. Through Carrying Dreams, she continues to support and guide individuals and families on their parenting journeys, making a lasting impact in the world of infertility and surrogacy awareness.
