Khloe Kardashian criticizes self-serving surrogacy as a transactional experience.

Jordan BoydMay 26, 2023

Khloe Kardashian Opens Up About Struggles with Surrogacy

Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian recently shared some raw and honest truths about the challenges of assisted reproductive technology on families. In the Season 3 premiere of Hulu’s “The Kardashians,” Khloe revealed that she did not immediately connect with her biological son, who was born via surrogate.

Khloe confessed, “I felt really guilty that this woman just had my baby. I take the baby and I go to another room, and you’re sort of separated. It’s such a transactional experience ’cause it’s not about him.”

Khloe’s second child, Tatum, was born in July 2022 after he was conceived via in vitro fertilization with Khloe’s on-again, off-again baby daddy Tristan Thompson. Despite spending years desiring and trying for a sibling for her daughter, True, whom she birthed in 2018, Khloe admitted she felt less bonded with her surrogate-born son than with her daughter.

“It’s a mind f-ck. It’s really the weirdest thing,” Khloe said.

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A post shared by Khloé Kardashian (@khloekardashian)

Khloe Kardashian recently opened up about her struggles with surrogacy. Her feelings are not uncommon, especially among celebrities. In fact, they are all too prevalent among women who pay to outsource pregnancy.

There’s no denying that babies and the women who carry them form a unique and undeniable physical and emotional bond during gestation. Living in close proximity for the better part of a year promotes a connection that studies show leads mothers to positively interact with their children post-birth. Not to mention the fact that unborn babies and their birth moms literally exchange cells that can stay in their bodies for decades.

Why Surrogacy is Problematic

Surrogacy deliberately severs those important and life-changing bonds. In some cases, parents choose to pay thousands of dollars to rent someone else’s womb simply to avoid the symptoms and bodily changes required of carrying a baby.

Surrogacy is a controversial topic that has been gaining more attention in recent years. While some people see it as a way to help couples struggling with infertility, others argue that it is a problematic practice that harms both mothers and babies.

The Harmful Effects of Surrogacy

As Khloe accurately noted in her short reflection, renting a womb violates not just the dignity of biological and birth mothers, it hurts the child whose rights and needs get sidelined by adults’ desires since conception in a lab.

Studies have shown that babies who are separated from the woman who carried them for nine months often suffer from increased stress and even brain structure alterations. Similarly, the women who spend months nurturing infants in the womb only to part ways at birth have a “three-fold risk of developing hypertension and pre-eclampsia” and report feeling heightened anxiety.

Meanwhile, women like Khloe, who play no physical part in the gestational process, are left feeling distant and disconnected from their own blood.

The Need for Change

“I wish someone was honest about surrogacy and the difference of it,” Khloe divulged.

Khloe Kardashian recently spoke out about her experience with surrogacy, admitting that she was not fully informed about the negative effects it can have on babies, mothers, and surrogate moms. While some argue that surrogacy can be a positive experience for all involved, the reality is that it often comes with significant physical and emotional trauma.

Many European countries have already banned commercial surrogacy, recognizing the harm it can cause. It’s time for the United States to follow suit and decommercialize or even ban surrogacy completely. The only way to protect mothers and babies from the harmful effects of surrogacy is to take action and make a change.

Conclusion

Surrogacy may seem like a simple solution for couples struggling with infertility, but the reality is much more complicated. It’s time to acknowledge the harm it can cause and work towards finding better, more ethical solutions for building families.

About the Author

Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and co-producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordan graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow her on Twitter @jordanboydtx.