Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum Kim Kardashian and sister Khloé Kardashian have both opted for the use of a surrogate to welcome children after giving birth naturally to their older kids. Keep reading to find out why the Kardashians choose surrogacy.
Why Do the Kardashians Use Surrogates?
Kim has been very open about the reasons behind the use of a surrogate to welcome children with her ex-husband Kanye West as the SKIMS founder suffered from placenta accreta during her first two pregnancies.
"I had something called placenta accreta where the placenta grows inside your uterus," she told Laura Wasser during a February 2020 episode of her “All Fair” podcast. "It's honestly what people would die from in childbirth, so you have to get the placenta out within a certain amount of time, and you just can internally bleed. So, there's no choice — this is so graphic and gross — but he had to literally cut the placenta off with his hands, with his fingernails, inside of you. And it left a hole in my uterus, and so that muscle doesn't grow back. So, I could not get pregnant with Saint."
In addition to placenta accreta, Kim also had preeclampsia or toxemia during her first pregnancy, “which is basically when the mom’s organs start to shut down,” she revealed in December 2019. “The only way to get rid of that is to deliver the baby. At 34 and a half weeks, I had to go into emergency labor — they induced me.”
Following the birth of their eldest child, daughter North West, Kim and Kanye opted to use an embryo to carry baby No. 2. When Kim suffered the same conditions during her second pregnancy, the former couple decided on surrogacy for babies No. 3 and No. 4.
What Did Khloe Kardashian Say About Surrogacy?
Following the birth of her son, Tatum Thompson – whom she shares with ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson – Khloé opened up about the difference between the births of her two children.
“A surrogate process — Kim knows — is very hard for me. It’s a mindf—k. It is really the weirdest thing,” the Good American founder shared with Scott Disick during the season 3 premiere of The Kardashians in May 2023.
She continued, “People do say it takes a minute to feel connected, but Kim said hers was easy. This is not easy.”
“I definitely buried my head in the sand during that pregnancy and that I didn’t digest what was happening. So, I think when I went to the hospital, I really think that was the first time that it really registered,” Khloé confessed during a confessional.
Following the birth of her son, the Revenge Body alum revealed that she “definitely was in a state of shock from my entire experience.”
“You’re just like, ‘OK, we’re having a baby, and this is my son and I’m taking him home with me,” she added. “I felt really guilty that this woman just had my baby and I take the baby and I go in another room, and we are sort of separated.”
She went on to say that the whole experience felt very “transactional.”
“I wish someone was honest about surrogacy and the difference of it. It doesn’t mean it’s bad or good. It’s still great. It’s just very different,” she said.
Which Kardashian Kids Were Born Via Surrogate?
In addition to Khloé and Tristan’s son, who was born in July 2022, Kim’s two youngest children, Chicago and Psalm, were both born via surrogate.
FAQs
The decision to pursue surrogacy was made after doctors shared with Kardashian that she would likely be unable to carry a baby herself again. “I'm not gonna get into specifics on-camera," Kardashian said in a KUWTK episode, “but they said it's like an 80-something percent chance that I will miscarry.
How much did the Kardashians pay their surrogates? ›
It's thought that the couple have used an agency to source a surrogate, and that they will pay her the US$45,000 (NZ$62,220) in 10 monthly instalments of US$4500 (NZ$6222); The initial deposit for this, that the married couple will pay the surrogate's agency, is said to be a whopping US$68,850 (NZ$95,200), according to ...
Why do celebrities use surrogates? ›
Finally, surrogacy can provide a biological connection to the child. For celebrities who have struggled with infertility or are unable to carry a child themselves, surrogacy can provide a way to have a biological child.
Why did Kim change surrogates? ›
“Since they had another embryo, Kim and Kanye always knew they wanted to try and implant that embryo too,” the insider says. “They hoped to work with the same gestational carrier, but it didn't work out this time. They are working with a second carrier now that is pregnant and will give birth in the spring.”
Why did Khloe not have her own baby? ›
Khloé revealed that her doctor had told her that if she chose to carry another child she would have a elevated possibility of a “high-risk” pregnancy. “They said it's like an 80-something percent chance that I will miscarry. I almost miscarried with True at the beginning.
Why did the Kardashians use a surrogate? ›
Kim Kardashian faced health complications including placenta accreta during her pregnancies with North and Saint. She bravely chose surrogacy as a safer alternative to expand her family.
Did Kim Kardashian have all surrogates? ›
Kim Kardashian, for example, had her first two children naturally and then opted to utilize the assistance of two different surrogates for her second two children.
Do surrogates get paid if they miscarry? ›
Do surrogates get paid if they miscarry? Surrogates are paid as they achieve specific milestones during the surrogacy journey. If you experience an unforeseen event like a miscarriage during your surrogacy journey, you will be compensated up to that point.
Do surrogates look like the baby? ›
So, if the surrogate is a traditional surrogate (meaning she contributed the egg in addition to carrying the baby), then yes — the baby will look like her. If, however, the surrogate is a gestational surrogate (meaning another woman's egg was used to create the embryo), then the baby will not look like the surrogate.
What is the dark side of surrogacy? ›
When the baby is born to the surrogate mother, it is immediately taken away from her, severing the natural maternal bond and exchange of hormones needed for both the baby's development and the mother's healing. In fact, most surrogate mothers never even get to lay eyes on the baby they carried for nine months.
Kim Kardashian West is an open book when it comes to talking about the surrogacy process she used for her youngest two children. The mother of four welcomed daughter North, 6, and son Saint, 4, naturally, but due to health complications, used surrogates for her 2-year-old daughter, Chicago, and 8-month-old son, Psalm.
Can you use the same surrogate twice? ›
For intended parents, a repeat experience with the same surrogate allows for the continued growth of their family and continued relationship with their surrogate. If the intended parents are able to match again with their same surrogate, they often are able to develop their relationship even more.
How old are Kim's kids? ›
About Kim Kardashian's 4 children
| Child | Name | Age |
|---|
| 1 | North West | 10 |
| 2 | Saint West | 8 |
| 3 | Chicago West | 6 |
| 4 | Psalm West | 4 |
Mar 25, 2024
When it came to finding the right name for son Tatum Thompson, Khloe Kardashian needed to take her time. The Kardashians star revealed it took her quite a while to name her and ex Tristan Thompson's now-21-month-old, recalling how she spent a lot of time testing out names and nicknames before settling on Tatum.
Does khloe k have a disabled child? ›
"Amari is 16, and he is severely disabled," Khloe shared in a confessional. "It's just really sad, because we don't know what he knows or doesn't know, cognitively."
Did Khloe actually give birth to her son? ›
Kardashian and Thompson welcomed their son via surrogacy in July 2022. Tatum Thompson was born via surrogate on July 28, 2022. In August 2022, a representative for the television personality confirmed to TODAY Parents that she and her ex, Thompson, had welcomed their son.
What do the Kardashians pay their nannies? ›
"They have a team of nannies on at all times and on-call 24/7, each making a salary of around $100k," a source told Radar Online. "Their routines are so hectic and there's no doubt they need nannies. But they're not making it easy on their bank balance by insisting on the best of the best!"
How much do surrogates get paid in Florida? ›
Surrogate Pay in Florida
In Florida, surrogates can receive up to $60,000, which is paid throughout the surrogacy process. This amount includes the base fee, which is $35,000 for a single fetus pregnancy; a birth consisting of multiple fetuses can earn an additional $5,000.
Who earns the most in the Kardashian family? ›
- While no longer a billionaire, Kylie Jenner was named the world's youngest self-made billionaire by Forbes in 2019, thanks to her hugely successful Kylie Cosmetics. ...
- Currently the only billionaire Kardashian-Jenner, Kim Kardashian earns hundreds of millions a year from her various businesses, including Skkn and Skims.
