International Surrogacy Journeys: From Texas to Mexico with Yajaira and Anthony Zambrano

Surrogacy Journey Overview:

Family Location: Houston, TX

Journey Country: Mexico 

Fertility Clinic: Reprovida 

Surrogacy Agency: Surrogacy Mexico 

Legal Firm: Altamirano 

Estimated Timeline: About 2 years (IVF+preganacy)

Estimated Cost: $90,000 

Yajaira cuddling with Anthony Jr.

Introduction

This is a story about loss, hope, determination, and how two intended parents were willing to risk it all in order to build their family.

Yajaira and Anthony Zambrano are a lovely couple from Houston, Texas.  Their love for each other and their family comes through early on in our conversation.  However, this couple has been through significant family building challenges.  A few years ago, Yajaira and Anthony suffered the loss of their son when he was stillborn.  This tragedy also resulted in Yajaira having a hysterectomy.

Their bereavement for their son was all consuming, and Anthony described the time as a ‘dark path’ where it was challenging to get through each day.

However, they found hope in the possibility of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy.  

This is their journey.

The Beginning

The lovely couple, Yajaira and Anthony 

Yajaira was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and she has been a banker for 15 years.  Anthony was born and raised in Dimmitt, Texas.  He is one of 11 children and has always wanted to have a big family of his own.  He moved to Houston in 2003 to make a better life for himself and his future family.  

While they each have children from previous relationships, Yajaira and Anthony always wanted to have a child together to complete their blended family.  

After the tragic loss of their son, Yajaira was the first to try and find a path forward to having a child.  She did months of research on surrogacy, comparing the feasibility and costs between the U.S. and international destinations.  

She was drawn to both Mexico and Colombia given the cost was about half that in the U.S.  Mexico offered more assurances that she and Anthony could be listed as the parents of record on the birth certificate.  The legal processes around parentage were still evolving in Colombia, and so she settled on Mexico as an option to present to her husband.

Anthony was still working through the loss of his son, but he saw the hope and opportunity that Yajaira was presenting through surrogacy in Mexico.  While he had reservations about the legal complexities, he was persuaded by Yajaira’s research and optimism, and the two began the process in Mexico City.  

Going for it in Mexico

Yajaira and Anthony at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City

The first part of their journey involved embryo creation.  The couple flew down to Mexico City together, but Anthony had to leave after his deposit to get back to Texas for work.  With the egg retrieval, Yajaira had to spend about two weeks in Mexico as per the protocol and procedure for stimulating the ovaries.  

Yajaira has some pre-existing medical conditions, and there were medical complications with the retrieval.  Yajaira’s blood pressure became dangerously low, risking permanent damage or possible death.  However, the medical team were able to stabilize her and finish the retrieval without any serious consequences, but it was an extremely scary event.  Despite this, they were determined to continue.

The IVF resulted in four embryos, with two having successful pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT).  One embryo was a boy, and one was a girl.  The couple wanted a boy given their history, but they were concerned about the first transfer ‘always failing.’  This theory had been shared multiple times in Facebook groups, but they pushed ahead with their male embryo for the first transfer and had a successful pregnancy.

While the pregnancy was uncomplicated, Yajaira and Anthony both expressed frustration with their agency and the restrictive communication with their gestational carrier (GC) or surrogate.  Even though Yajaira is fluent in Spanish and Anthony is conversational, they were not allowed to communicate directly with the GC during the pregnancy.  They attended two ultrasound appointments via Zoom and were present during the birth.  However, at all these occasions, a representative from the agency was present to facilitate communication between the intended parents (IPs) and GC. 

This communication barrier was similar for another American couple, Scott and David, who completed their journey in Mexico.  Like them, Yajaira and Anthony also exchanged numbers and now communicate regularly with their GC via WhatsApp messages.  

Anthony Sr. and Anthony Jr. getting to know each other

After the delivery, there were challenges getting bottles and feeding Anthony Jr. in the hospital, so the couple worked to get back to their place in Mexico City as soon as possible.  Despite this supply constraint, the couple stated that the medical care their GC and Anthony Jr. received in Mexico was great.  Anthony Jr. had issues with acid reflux, and their physician managed to make time to follow up with him while they were waiting to get back to Texas.

Challenges Getting Home 

Anthony Jr. is all smiles

As with the previous interview of an American couple on a journey in Mexico, Yajaira and Anthony confirmed that there were significant issues with the exit process, which seems to have variability depending on the gender of the IPs, the legal support, and the U.S. Embassies in Mexico.

Unlike Scott and David, Yajaira and Anthony did not have significant delays in getting Anthony Jr.'s birth certificate with their names on it.  They mentioned this could be because some judges in Mexico are less amenable to same-sex parentage, further delaying the process for queer IPs.  Scott, David, Yajaira, and Anthony all had the same law firm, Altamirano.  While they all said the firm is amazing, Yajaira and Anthony stated they are increasingly busy trying to meet the demand for surrogacy in Mexico.  This means that constant reminders and vigilance on the part of the IPs is necessary to get attention and action from the attorneys.

Yajaira and Anthony’s exit delays came in obtaining a passport for their child.  Despite having their birth certificate and DNA testing, there was a strike in Mexico City that prevented them from accessing the U.S. Embassy.  The couple had tried everything, including having Anthony’s employer write a letter of support and advocating for his return to work.  

It was through the support of the Surrogacy in Mexico Facebook Group that the couple discovered they could fly to an Embassy in Merida, near Cancun, to obtain an emergency U.S. passport.  At this point, almost two months had gone by, and they needed to get Anthony Jr. home for vaccinations and to continue his treatment for acid reflux.  

Fortunately, the trip to Merida was successful, and they were able to obtain all the necessary documentation to fly home to Houston as a family.

Conclusions

The family with their agency support

Every journey is unique and challenging.  Yajaira and Anthony also made the decision not to share their surrogacy journey with family and friends until one week before they traveled down for Anthony Jr.’s birth.

In asking how their family and friends reacted, Anthony said “Babies only bring happiness and joy.”  Everyone was immediately supportive, including their children from previous relationships who now view Anthony Jr. as the ‘baby out of everybody.’

The couple wholeheartedly recommends surrogacy in Mexico, but they did have some recommendations and considerations to share with other IPs:

• Do your research.  

Leverage the Surrogacy in Mexico Facebook Group.  Not only did this group provide crucial information regarding the Embassies in Mexico, but it helped with infant formula recommendations and Yajaira managed to make friends from Washington while in Mexico City.

• Be patient.  

The couple’s journey took about 2 years, and they recognize that they were fortunate to have success on their first transfer. 

• Spanish helps.

It would be very challenging to navigate the city and life in Mexico without this, so keep this in mind as you will likely spend months there.

• Advocate for yourself.

The process is not uniform or streamlined, and you have to remind everyone - especially lawyers - that you require their attention.

• The street tacos are ‘da bomb.’

Who doesn’t love a good taco?

Happy Zambrano family celebrations

Yajaira, Anthony Sr., and Anthony Jr. have an incredible story.  The couple demonstrated that IPs will do whatever it takes to have a child.  They have showcased the hope, challenges, and incredible reward of having children through assisted reproduction.