German politician Jens Spahn resigned after announcing he had a baby via a surrogate in the US. It's brought surrogacy back into the headlines as it's illegal in Germany, but legal in the US. This story is based on an interview with Katherine Reinhart, 31, a stay-at-home mom with three children from Midwest Ohio. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Five years ago, a close friend confided in me that she was battling infertility. It was heartbreaking to hear her story.
She longed for a baby, while I was lucky enough to have three children, who are now 12, 8, and 6.
Each pregnancy had been easy for me, and I enjoyed the whole nine months. My friend eventually decided on adoption, and her delight about growing her family got me thinking about helping other couples start a family.
My husband was supportive
I knew some other women who had been surrogate moms, and in June 2022, I reached out to the Ohio-based agency Carrying Dreams because I knew the owner, Emily Westerfield, through mutual friends.
Of course, I consulted my husband, Jordan, a 31-year-old machinist, first. He was apprehensive. Then, after doing some online research and seeing how passionate I was, he was supportive.
The intake involved filling out a lot of forms about what I expected from the experience. They asked if I wanted a relationship with the intended parents, known as IPs, and the baby, and the type of delivery I'd want to have.
Next, there was a psychological evaluation to ensure I was emotionally ready. The agency employs women with kids of their own who, preferably, have completed their families.
The psychologist wanted to know that my motivation wasn't money and whether I had a history of depression or anxiety. I was cleared on all fronts.
The agency sends the medical records to potential IPs and their fertility clinics. Once I'd been preapproved, it was time to meet remotely with a handful of IPs.
I bonded with the very first couple, professionals who lived in my neighboring state of Michigan. We were on the same page, and I was touched by their situation.
The agency provided an attorney
The woman told me she had a genetic condition that she didn't want to pass down to her children. Her husband, who was adopted, was keen to have a biological family.
Next steps included drafting legal contracts between their attorney and the agency's attorney. The clauses often stipulate certain conditions, such as good nutrition or the taking of preferred prenatal vitamins, but the couple trusted me to make the right choices myself.
We settled on a base compensation of $35,000, plus around $7,000 in contingent compensation, including a $250-a-month allowance, maternity clothing, IVF medication, and travel.
They used a donor egg and her husband's sperm. I got pregnant after the first embryo transfer at their fertility clinic. It was very moving because both IPs were there for the procedure.
The IPs checked in a lot to make sure everything was OK. They went to the important appointments, like the anatomy ultrasound. They were as much a part of their baby's journey as they could be.
The pregnancy went smoothly, and I gave birth to their baby boy in January 2024. It was a straightforward delivery, and I'll never forget the mom and dad's faces when he cut the cord, and the baby was placed on her chest.
I've been asked if I had mixed emotions, but I felt only an overwhelming sense of happiness. It was so incredibly rewarding.
I wanted to be a surrogate again
My kids visited me in the hospital, where they gushed over the couple's son. They'd understood that Mom was having a baby for people who couldn't and accepted things for what they were.
Our entire family traveled to Michigan to see the baby when he was three months old and plan to visit again. Meanwhile, his parents have kept me updated, whether sending me a video of his first steps or pictures of every birthday.
I've gifted him things, such as a special Christmas ornament and a wooden puzzle. I still feel as if I'm part of his life.
I knew that I wanted to repeat the process before I delivered him. The agency matched me with another couple, this time from Ohio, who were in a second marriage.
The woman, already a mom of two, had undergone a partial hysterectomy. She desperately wanted a baby with her new husband. Her ovaries were intact, so they were able to use her own eggs and his sperm.
As an experienced surrogate, I received $45,000 for this second pregnancy, plus a similar amount for expenses as before.
Things went well, and I delivered another boy in November 2025. The IPs, who were in the labor suite, were overcome with emotion and lost for words. I felt euphoric.
The sense of pride is priceless
We've kept in touch ever since, and their son is healthy and happy.
I'm in the early stages of being a surrogate for the third time. The agency has my medical records, and I'm about to have another psychological evaluation.
The amount of compensation hasn't really entered the equation for me. Jordan and I have used the $75K I received for a house remodel, and the rest has been put into savings accounts.
No amount of money can buy the pride and satisfaction of presenting a fellow human being with a brand-new life to love.
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Jane Ridley is a correspondent on the Life team at Business Insider.She was a senior features writer at the New York Post from 2012 to 2022 and previously worked at the New York Daily News for six years.Ridley was born and raised in the UK. She arrived in the US in 2005. She moved across the Atlantic after spending seven years at The Daily Mirror in London.
