When she was a teenager, Shaniece Sturdy, from Carshalton, Surrey, became interested in surrogacy after watching an eye-opening TV documentary.
Following the birth of her son Rylee, now four, Shaniece experienced the joys of motherhood.
Wanting to help some hopeful parents, Shaniece contacted a surrogacy center where she came across a loved-up couple, Joanna and Steve. As the pair struggled to have children, Shaniece, who runs her own cleaning business, was determined to help them fulfill their dream.
After meeting Joanna and Steve in Los Angeles, selfless Shaniece had their embryo inserted at a specialist clinic. Following the successful procedure, Shaniece went to hospital for a routine check-up. The proud mom was shocked when a midwife revealed that they hadn’t found one heartbeat… they’d actually found two.
Shaniece remembered: “I was only supposed to be helping the family have a brother or sister for their little girl but I ended up giving them three babies at once.”
“At our first scan at just a few weeks pregnant, we were all told I was carrying twins, Joanna and Steve had already picked their twin pram.”
“At the 10 week scan I joked, ‘I wonder if they will find another heartbeat,’ and just minutes later, they did.”
A few months through her pregnancy, Shaniece noticed how her baby bump had swollen to was bigger than her previous pregnancy.
She explained: “I was now expecting triplets and at just a few months pregnant, I was already bigger than I had been with Rylee at eight months, I looked huge.”
33 weeks into her pregnancy, Shaniece’s waters broke and she was rushed to hospital.
The caring mum recalled: “Joanna came down to theatre with me and although I was nervous all I cared about was ensuring the babies were delivered safe and healthy.
“The triplets were taken to intensive care but Willow, Daisy, and Harrison, were all perfectly fine, weighing 4lb 2oz, 3lb 7oz and 3lb 11oz.”
Every year, Shaniece visits the adorable triplets on their birthday to catch up with the family.
She revealed: “I always get so emotional when I see them, not because I miss them or want more children of my own but because I’m so happy that I was part of their journey.”
She said: “Even though I was only 21 and it was a huge responsibility carrying their babies, it was one of the best experiences of my life.”
“I would advise anyone thinking about becoming a surrogate to do it, I can’t wait to do it again.”