Courage to Carry
Description
What drives a woman to risk everything-her body, her emotions, her safety-to carry someone else's child?
In Courage to Carry: A Surrogate's Unconditional Love in Conditional Circumstances, Jennifer Hansen delivers a raw, riveting, and deeply compassionate memoir that answers this question with unwavering honesty.
As a young mother and survivor of abuse, Jennifer had already defied the odds. But it was her lifelong desire to help others-especially those struggling with infertility-that led her to become a gestational surrogate for a couple she didn't know. What began as an act of generosity quickly evolved into a transformative journey of love, loss, resilience, and personal growth.
With warmth, wit, and remarkable vulnerability, Jennifer guides readers through the entire surrogacy experience-from her first application to the emotional aftermath of birth. Along the way, she confronts stigma, builds a community of support, and learns that creating life is about far more than biology. It's about trust, courage, and an unshakable belief in the power of human connection.
Courage to Carry is more than a memoir. It's a call to compassion and a rare, behind-the-scenes look at what it truly means to give the gift of life.
More details
Person
Content
Author's Note 10
Part One 11
Chapter One: A Yearning to Give Back 13
Chapter Two: Little Feet 19
Chapter Three: Determination 27
Chapter Four: Linemen 30
Chapter Five: The Agency 35
Chapter Six: Chalk Talk and Film Study 40
Chapter Seven: Looking for Support 45
Chapter Eight: My Medical Team 53
Chapter Nine: Surro-Sisters 60
Chapter Ten: Profiles 65
Chapter Eleven: Match Meeting 76
Chapter Twelve: The IVF Doctor 79
Chapter Thirteen: Signing My Life Away 81
Chapter Fourteen: Logistics 85
Chapter Fifteen: A New Variable 93
Chapter Sixteen: Yellow Penalty Flag 98
Chapter Seventeen: Red Penalty Flag 107
Chapter Eighteen: The Transfer 112
Part Two 123
Chapter Nineteen: Pregnant! 125
Chapter Twenty: First Ultrasound128
Chapter Twenty-One: Christmas 135
Chapter Twenty-Two: Grandma Hansen 140
Chapter Twenty-Three: Under Pressure 144
Chapter Twenty-Four: Impostor Syndrome 154
Chapter Twenty-Five: Amniocentesis 161
Chapter Twenty-Six: Hungry 168
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Family 171
Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Healing Power of Milk 177
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Deployment 183
Chapter Thirty: Visit to Cornhusker State 188
Chapter Thirty-One: An Unwelcome Request193
Chapter Thirty-Two: The Final Countdown 200
Part Three 207
Chapter Thirty-Three: Not All Heroes Wear Capes 209
Chapter Thirty-Four: Let's Have a Baby ... or Two 212
Chapter Thirty-Five: Omaha 222
Chapter Thirty-Six: Flowers 224
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Recovery 232
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Adoption Papers 241
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Postgame Analysis 244
Chapter Forty: Reviewing the Tape 253
Chapter Forty-One: Healing 262
Part Four 269
Glossary 273
Further Reading279
Questions for Book Clubs 281
Praise 283
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
You Might Also Enjoy ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
