The first time Dianna Barindelli carried a baby that wasn't her own was in 2012. "We were done having kids, but I still wanted to be pregnant," says the Modesto, Calif., stay-at-home mom, whose own daughters are 6 and 9. Barindelli signed up with the Center for Surrogate Parenting in Encino, one of the most exclusive surrogacy agencies in the world. In 2014, she matched with a Chinese couple. Unlike many agencies, CSP first shows parent applications to the surrogates, rather than the other way around. "It's little things that you'll connect with people over," says Barindelli, who was attracted to pictures of the couple's extended travels and their traditional wedding photos.
The embryo transfer took place in late 2014. Barindelli emailed the mom weekly, sending updates and ultrasound pictures with WeChat, an app that offers instantaneous translation. The intended parents (IPs) planned to be there for the birth, but the baby boy arrived two weeks early, 24 hours before they arrived. Says Barindelli: "I texted and made sure [the mom] was OK with him staying in my room. I cleared everything with her. I didn't want her to feel bad that she wasn't there." ...
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