A FULL-TERM GIG

Hiring someone to carry your baby to term is a booming business. The market for surrogacy is expected to expand to $129 billion by 2032, fueled by older parents, rising infertility, and more same-sex families. Silicon Valley contributes to the growth too: Tech companies like Google, Meta, and Snap pitch in up to $80,000 toward the six-figure cost of the process.

Yet it's still controversial to "rent a womb" (as detractors call it). One human rights expert for the United Nations said that commercial surrogacy "usually amounts to the sale of children." Critics claim the practice exploits poor women who are not fully informed of the hazards; in fact, the United States is one of the only developed countries that allows pregnancy for profit. ¶ The stereotypical gestational carrier is a stay-at-home mom who wants to earn income without leaving her kids. Many surrogates do fit that mold, but backgrounds and experiences vary greatly. One West Coast surrogate who has carried two sets of twins for parents in California and China opens up about what it's been like for her.

"IN 2010, MY best friend died of an accidental overdose, and I found his body a few days later. After that trauma, I went through a long period of examining my purpose. As a mother, I thought it would be really cool if I could give other people their reason for getting up in the morning. I also loved being pregnant: Surrogacy sounded like the world's greatest part-time job.