How I built a bond with the woman who carried my child – Ini Edo opens up

Nollywood sweetheart Ini Edo has opened up about motherhood, pain, healing, and the quiet power of a woman’s decision.

Speaking recently at the Meet Surrogate Mothers free IVF conference, the movie actress bared her soul as she walked attendees through her deeply personal journey to motherhood via surrogacy.

For Ini Edo, the choice wasn’t born out of luxury or convenience. It came after enduring multiple heartbreaking miscarriages. She said;

“I wanted to be a mother, married or not.”

But while many may assume surrogacy is all about paperwork and payment, Ini shut down that narrative real quick. “It wasn’t transactional. It was intimate,” she explained.

According to the 43 year old, the woman who carried her child wasn’t just a name on a document. She had her own life, values, and dreams, and together, they bonded over the miracle they were creating. Ini Edo stressed:

“She wasn’t just a vessel. I was involved in everything — emotionally, medically, personally. We walked the journey together.”

The Shanty Town actress also used the platform to call for a change in how society views surrogacy, especially in Nigeria, where stigma still lingers. She commended the Nigerian House of Representatives for proposing a bill that bans commercial surrogacy while allowing for strictly altruistic arrangements. She added:

“I was happy when I saw the proposed ban on commercial surrogacy… but more importantly, the bill also seeks to protect both the surrogate and the intended parents.”

Ini emphasised the need for legal backing, informed consent, and protection against coercion in all surrogacy arrangements. In the mother of one’s words:

“Surrogacy is not a baby factory. It’s a bridge between despair and joy, between strangers who become family, between the impossible and the miraculous.”