Today we are so excited to sit down and chat with Emily Westerfield about her new company Surrogacy Journeys. As a mother of three and active gestational carrier, Emily Westerfield knows the ins and outs of surrogacy. If you’re considering hiring a surrogate to help you on your journey to grow your family, or you’re considering becoming a gestational carrier yourself, Surrogacy Journeys is a beyond valuable resource.
GG: How did you decide to launch your business? Tell us a little more about Surrogacy Journeys.
EW: I decided to launch my business because there’s so many people out there who don’t fully understand how the Surrogacy process works. There’s so much that goes into this journey for both the Intended Parents and the carrier. Surrogacy Journeys does just that. SJ explains fully how the process works, what to expect, provides resources and even matches carriers and Intended Parents so they can begin to form a warm and close relationship to begin their journey.
GG: What’s one piece of advice or one tip you’d give someone who is considering working with a surrogate?
EW: From the moment you begin this journey you’ve already been through so much. Know that this is about you and it’s YOUR journey. You’re going to live on communication, trust and hope throughout the whole process so trust your gut and follow your heart.
GG: What’s one piece of advice or one tip you’d give someone who is considering becoming a carrier?
EW: Ensure you have support. Whether that be your spouse, family members, friends or a support group – you need others to rely on throughout this journey. You are doing a wonderful thing for someone else, but you also need to take care of yourself too.
GG: How do you balance work and family?
EW: Setting boundaries and batching time. As my children grow older and are getting more involved in extra-curricular activities, I am becoming more involved in extra-curricular activities too! 🙂 Ensuring I am honest and upfront about working hours and setting boundaries for both my clients and my family sets a clear understanding and level of respect as I tackle both. Also ensuring I am able to tackle all my to-dos during the day, I batch my time to work on particular items at particular times and focus on those without distraction or disruption.
What’s the best part of being a mompreneur?
EW: The best part of being a mompreneur is the flexibility. If there’s ever a school field trip, a doctor’s appointment or an early soccer game, I can always be a part of it. Our children are young for such a short period of time – I don’t want to miss a thing. By being able to set my own hours and build my business on my own time, I am able to hustle to help others in my business, but always be there for my kids when they need me. My kids are my “why”. They are the reason I work so incredibly hard to give them a life they so deserve.
About Emily Westerfield
As a mother of three and active gestational carrier, Emily Westerfield knows the ins and outs of surrogacy. Carrying for both singletons and multiples, she’s experienced in the processes, legality and emotion that surrogacy entails. Knowledgeable, resourceful and having helped numerous families (and counting) throughout their journeys, Emily’s ability to guide you through the options and process will make your journey less stressful and more manageable.
1 comment
Watching your blog and admiring it! You are a beautiful and positive surrogate mother! I used the services of surrogacy but not in the USA, just in Ukraine (Feskov Human Reproduction Group). Thanks to this, I now have a son, my own! Before your blog, I did not betray such a great importance to the feelings and emotions of the surrogate mother, but now I understand how deeply she experienced pregnancy, how many events and thoughts are associated with it. I bow low to all surrogate mothers!