Jamie Chung confesses why she used a surrogate for her twins' birth

In an interview, Jamie Chung opened up about why she opted to use a surrogate for her twins’ birth. She also explained why decided to prioritise her career over bearing a child in her womb.

Why couples resort to surrogacy to have kids

Surrogacy involves an agreement between a couple and a woman who agrees to carry their baby. On some occasions, single people who want kids also hire surrogates.

After the baby’s birth, the surrogate follows the agreement and grants full custody and guardianship to the intended parents. 

Additionally, surrogacy involves complex legal and medical steps. It is essential to know and be aware of the process, seek professional advice and build supportive networks.

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Jamie Chung confesses why she used a surrogate

Jamie, 39, and her husband Bryan Greenberg welcomed their twin boys in October 2021. Even though the twins are their biological children, the couple welcomed the babies into the world through a surrogate. 

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The American actress revealed the reason behind her decision to pursue surrogacy in an interview. According to her, she was “terrified” of becoming pregnant because of its potential effect on her career.

She believed that pregnancy could significantly affect her acting career. Jamie's work includes movies and TV shows such as The Real World, Lovecraft Country and Big Hero 6.

“I was terrified of putting my life on hold for two-plus years,” said Jamie. 

“In my industry, it feels like you’re easily forgotten if you don’t work within the next month of your last job. Things are so quickly paced in what we do.”

Jamie described surrogacy as a “compromise” she made with her husband.

Additionally, Jamie went on to talk about how surrogacy is stigmatised in general. 

“I think there’s a little bit of shame,” the American actress said. “It’s still not a very common thing, and we weren’t ready for judgment.”

Before everything that happened, she already knew what people might think about her. She was able to prepare herself and knew how complicated it could be. Despite all of it, Jamie Chung chose to go ahead with surrogacy.

“For me, personally, and I will leave it at this, it’s like, I worked my a** off my entire life to get where I am. I don’t want to lose opportunities. I don’t want to be resentful.”

9 reasons why people are using a surrogate mother

There are a variety of reasons why people choose surrogacy to expand their family. Many couples go for surrogacy when they face difficulties in conceiving a child naturally.

Aside from that, there are lot more reasons why people decide to find surrogates. Here are some of the common reasons why people choose surrogacy over natural pregnancy:

• Infertility or physical problems

There are many reasons a couple or an individual may struggle with infertility. However, infertility is one of the main reasons why would-be parents go for surrogacy.

In some cases, a hysterectomy or congenital uterine abnormality often causes infertility. Women with physical problems might choose to look for surrogate mothers instead.

• Same-sex couples

Same-sex couples are unable to conceive a child naturally. Because of that, they often look for surrogate mothers to help them in their journey to parenthood.

• Single individuals

A single unable to conceive a baby to full-term will require help from a surrogate mother. The same goes for a single man; he will need a surrogate regardless of his fertility status.

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• Age

Age is a considerable factor affecting a woman’s ability to conceive and carry a baby—a woman’s likelihood of getting pregnant drops by age 40.

• Medication

There are a lot of drugs and treatments that are off-limits during pregnancy.

• Couples who don’t want adoption.

Cruel as it may seem, some couples prefer a child with blood relations. It may be a reason for them to choose to go for the surrogacy route over adoption.

• Traumatic experiences

We can’t discredit hopeful parents with traumatic experiences. Some women suffer from pregnancy-related physical and emotional trauma. Others also choose surrogacy to avoid recalling tragic memories.

• Unable to carry full-term

Some women can become pregnant quickly but cannot carry a baby full-term. Conception may happen quickly and frequently, but the foetus may not develop past a certain point.

• Personal decisions

There are many instances wherein infertility is no longer the issue for choosing surrogacy. For example, a woman is at the peak of her career or would want to maintain their physique. This applied to Jamie Chung’s decision.

This article was first published in theAsianparent.