The stunning Corinne Oestreich with her son Hunter (3.5 years) and daughter Emma (20 months). Corinne is just a week postpartum from delivering a baby she grew and birthed as a surrogate. Her first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage while her husband, a former Marine, was deployed in the Middle East. She feels that high levels of stress knowing her husband was on the front lines every day may have contributed to her loss and is thankful her husband was able to come home to be with her on emergency medical leave. About one year later, she conceived Hunter and had a relatively uneventful pregnancy. She was able to have a vaginal birth without complication and breastfeed Hunter via exclusive pumping for about 9 months. She got pregnant with Emma soon after and had another great experience. Emma nursed until Corinne needed to start taking hormones to carry her surrogate baby. Corinne felt that the shock of seeing her body after her first child was very real, and for a long time after, even into her second pregnancy, she was mourning the body she had before children. Acceptance of her new body took time, and effort, but it was her husband who helped her to love her body the way it is now. Corinne told us, "He said to me in one of my weak moments 'You are even more beautiful, even more sexy to me now when I look at your stretch scars and loose skin, it's a constant reminder to me of the pain and agony you put yourself through to bring us children, and THAT is sexy. I look at your body and now I see a Woman.' From that moment on, I looked at myself differently in the mirror. Instead of seeing a failed body, I saw a warrior, and because my body became my strength, I decided to carry children for other women who longed to become mothers as I was." The mother Corinne became a surrogate for had miscarried 20 children before exploring other options. Corinne had another healthy and happy pregnancy with this baby and says that knowing she was carrying her for someone else was a very different experience. The intended mother held her hand during her birth, and they cried together as she was born. Corinne is currently pumping and shipping milk to her surrogate baby and if/when they don't need anymore she plans to donate to preemies in need.
marine