Melissa Kayser and her husband, Court, tried to have a baby for years. Multiple IVF rounds and nine miscarriages later, the couple decided to try a new approach.
Kayser’s doctor suggested they try surrogacy—and that’s when things clicked into place. While most couples have to go through a long, financially draining process to find surrogates, Kayser found the perfect one a little bit closer to home.
“When my doctor advised me that I should look into the prospect of surrogacy my sister offered to carry for us,” Kayser told Parents.
And that’s exactly what happened. Kayser’s sister, Lisa Auten, underwent the surrogacy process—and she recently delivered Kayser’s healthy twin daughters, Tierney and Ashlynn.
“When my sister told me she needed a carrier I immediately offered. I didn't think twice. It was a very easy decision for me,” Auten, who doesn’t have or want children, told Parents.
The girls were conceived using two of Kayser’s eggs and her husband’s sperm—but Auten is listed as their birth mother.
“I will always struggle with the emotions of not being able to carry my own child,” Kayser said. “But the surrogacy experience was amazing. My sister worked very hard to include my husband and [me] in everything.”
While the process of conception was unusual, Auten told us the pregnancy itself was not. “It was a fun experience,” she said. “We learned about pregnancy together. I had a fairly uneventful pregnancy with very few complications. I carried them to 36 weeks which is full term for twins.”
Not surprisingly, both sisters said that while they’ve always been close, this situation brought them together like nothing else ever has.
“I think the experience made our relationship stronger! We went through a lot of intimate and emotional things together throughout the journey and it only strengthened our relationship,” Kayser said.
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Auten echoed her sister’s statement. “My sister and I were extremely close at the time we started the journey,” she said. “This experience has only brought us closer. I really enjoy getting to watch her be a mom!”
