I Am Houston: Brandi Pearce and the surrogacy process. Infertility is unfortunately an obstacle that many women face. It can be overwhelming and soul crushing to go through the process of trying to get pregnant naturally or with the assistance of fertility clinics only to be told that pregnancy just isn’t possible for you. What options are left to a woman who desperately wants to build her own family? It comes down to two choices, surrogacy or adoption. Many people talk about their experience with adoption, but we don’t typically hear much about the surrogacy process. Children’s book author Brandi Pearce recently went through her second pregnancy by surrogate and was inspired write a book in an effort to explain the situation to her 4-year-old son in a way that he could understand. We caught up with Brandi to talk about her new book and her journey through the surrogacy process.
What was your inspiration for writing Mommy’s Oven?
After being in the hospital for 6 years fighting Crohns disease, and sometimes only surviving through the strength of others, I knew the surrogacy process would be no different. We would need the support of those around us to handle the ups and downs of the surrogate process. Surrogacy opened my eyes to a new world of miracles. I thought I’d seen them all! Now we have two of those incredible miracles.
What I didn’t know, was how much our journey would help others. As our story began to unfold to our friends and family on social media, I began to have women reach out and share their own stories. The heartaches, the triumphs, the questions, the gratitude for opening up and encouraging acceptance and understanding. I wasn’t just having an impact on them; they were having an impact on me. There is so much unspoken about the world of infertility because it is hard to be vulnerable, it is hard to face pain publicly.
When we started our second journey, we faced a new challenge. How do we explain to our 4 year old that we are growing our family, in a way he would understand. When we came up with this story, he not only loved it, but thought it was so neat that he was the main character. After we told him the story, I realized we are probably not the first parents to go through introducing our child to a new sibling that didn’t come from mommy’s tummy. I was right!
What has been the most unexpected outcome to come out of writing the book?
I have been blown away by the response Mommy’s Oven has received. I haven’t just heard from surrogate families, I have heard from families with adoption, with infertility, with miscarriages. Each one expressing what a blessing Mommy’s Oven has been in helping them communicate and explain these situations to their children.
Will you be writing more books in the future?
This book has meant so much to me and my family, and definitely led me to a world of writing that I had no idea I loved so much! There may soon be a series called The Adventures of Augie and Ollie that helps kids comprehend difficult life struggles, as well as an inspirational personal story of my lifelong battle with Crohns disease and the surrogacy process.
What is your favorite part of raising a family in Houston?
Although my family has traveled all over the world, Houston has been my hometown since I was 2 years old. August has been to 33 states, and yet, Houston will forever be the place where the people are truly kind, the land is beautiful and “yall” is part of the daily vocabulary. My husband and I feel blessed to be raising our children in a place where they are learning respect, compassion, culture, and a serious love for steak, tex-mex, and baseball.
Thank you Brandi for taking time out for us and we look forward to reading your future book series!
Visit mommysovenisbroken.com for more information about the book and to purchase your own copy!
In this true story, young August learns about how he will get a new little brother. He learns of how his little brother will grow in someone else’s tummy, not his mommy’s. Will he look like Augie? Will he grow for too long? Will Augie get to take his little brother home once he is born? Join August on this new, exciting adventure of getting a new little brother in a very unique way. If you are looking for a way to help your children understand that families can be created in many different ways, this is a story to keep on your bookshelf!
GET YOUR COPY
mommysovenisbroken.com
