Award-winning author, Chimamanda Adichie, has narrated the reason behind her decision to announce welcoming her twins through surrogacy.
Speaking during her appearance on the inaugural live edition of “WithChude” podcast, the writer said that she chose to go public with her reality because she does not like the fact that fertility-related issues are often buried in secrecy and stigma.
According to her, saying otherwise would have pressured several women into concluding that they have no excuse not to birth their own child if Chimamanda could deliver her own babies at 47.
Adichie believes the shame that surrounds fertility problems is too much of a burden for women, and it is unfair that victims are mostly forced into hiding their issues instead of speaking out to get help.
“I felt that there were many women who would then be pressured by people saying ‘look Chimamanda is 47 and she had kids at that age, what about you?’
And just in general, 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 issues getting pregnant, and I don’t believe in that sort of shame,” she said.
The author disclosed that while the fear of anything about her sons getting politicised made her wish she had not announced that they became hers via surrogacy, she was never going to hide the truth about the process that gave them life.
Adichie maintained that she has zero regrets about her decision to make the announcement, and she hopes more women would be bolder when it comes to discussions surrounding attaining motherhood via non-regular means.
“My boys are so precious to me.
And I hated that anything about them would become politicised – so on the one hand I thought ‘I wish I hadn’t talked about it’, but on the other hand there is no way I am going to lie about the process of birthing them.
I am hoping that if anything good comes out of this, it would be that more women are less ashamed of talking about reaching motherhood through non-traditional means. Because our society is so judgemental, and I don’t think that that is good for anybody.
But, you know, my daughter and my babies are the greatest gift I’ve been given, so zero regrets,” she added.
