I do no regret having my twins through surrogacy – Chimamanda Adichie

Abdullateef Fowewe

Award-winning writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has recounted her decision to welcome twin sons through surrogacy.

Speaking during the #WithChude Live talk hosted by media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo, the author addressed the public response and societal pressures which surrounded the non-traditional paths to motherhood.

Adichie voiced her disappointment over how her personal choice was politicised on social media, explaining that she openly shared her surrogacy journey to challenge harmful narratives and ease the pressure many women face.

She said, “There are certain things you cannot hide, you cannot hide the existence of two perfect human beings. People just went off with this thing, ‘She’s 47, she’s had babies,’ and I don’t like to lie about things that can be consequential for other people.

“I felt that there were many women who would then be pressured by people and be told ‘Look she’s 47 and she had twins, what about you?’

“A viewer said to me that I looked so fantastic for someone who just had babies and I’m not going to say oh, thank you because that’s a lie so I said ‘Well, they were born by a surrogate,’ and apparently, I hear that there was a bit of noise about that.

“My boys are so precious to me, and I hated that anything about them would become politicised – so on the one hand I wished I hadn’t talked about it but on the other hand there is no way I am going to lie and claim that I have babies that I didn’t birth myself.

“I think there is so much shame around issues of fertility, that I just think it’s too much of a burden for women.

“Women are ashamed when they have fibroids, women are ashamed when they have trouble getting pregnant, and I don’t believe in that sort of shame.”

She also reacted to those who see surrogacy as dehumanising and acknowledged that it can be done responsibly.

She added: “They think that you cannot rent a woman’s body, they argue that it’s dehumanising. I think it can be, but I think it matters how it’s done. It can be done ethically.

“Also, the same people will say that a woman can do whatever she wants with her body. There’s a contradiction there… that was what all the noise was all about.”