Pregnant at last: “My twin sister is having my baby”
After many years of struggling to have a baby, Amy Fuggiti and her husband have now found success through a very unexpected source. Or the next best option as far as Amy is concerned.
A long struggle to conceive
After four years of trying to fall pregnant through IVF, Amy’s identical twin sister Courtney put up her hand to be her sister’s surrogate and Amy could not have been more thrilled. “I didn’t even have to ask her to be our surrogate,” Amy reported to The New York Post. “We’re so intrinsically tied, it felt like something that was supposed to happen.”
Both of the 36-year-old twins have a chromosomal disorder known as Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome, and as a result were diagnosed with glaucoma at the age of 12. With a 50% chance of passing the gene to their offspring, the woman went down the path of genetic testing. “We are identical mirror twins (hence the pseudo-names Lefty and Righty),” Amy wrote on Instagram. “And have both been pursuing IVF to help prevent our genetic condition from passing down.”
A sister’s love
While Courtney successfully gave birth to two children, it has been a little more challenging for Amy with more retrievals than she can even count. Until last July when she and her husband were finally told that they had, in Amy’s words, “one normal glorious embryo”. Without even being asked, Courtney stepped up to be her surrogate. The process went to plan and with much sisterly joy, Country’s pregnancy was confirmed.
“Having my twin sister offer to be my surrogate is SO special,” Amy commented on Instagram. “I get to see my baby everyday and I know that she’s in the best hands. We call it “9 months of babysitting”. As I’m sure you all know, infertility blows and can at times be mind melting. Having a buddy to go through it with, even just to scream into the existential void about insurance issues…is incredible, especially when it’s your favorite person on earth.”
You’re not alone
The sisters were interviewed on podcast Pregnentish about their situation and were featured in the New York Post, with the hope of offering support to others out there facing infertility issues. As a spokesperson from Pregnentish commented on Instagram, “these amazing sisters weren’t seeking celebrity. They are sharing in support of infertility advocacy.”
Amy has also turned to Instagram to share their their journey as they speed towards the much anticipated birth of their daughter: “My name is Amy, and yes, after a grueling six year IVF journey of hope and despair, my identical twin sister Courtney is now carrying our “golden embryo”, and we’re having a baby girl in October!” Amy also offers updates for her readers with comments such as “We’ve officially hit 20 weeks! It’s unbelievable that after six years of trying, by tomorrow, we will be less than five months away from meeting our baby girl.” Followers are posting delighted comments such as “I’m so happy you guys are sharing this journey!” and “You guys are sweet! So excited to connect with you!!”
A shared family
At the end of the day, this heartfelt story is one that shows how for many people, having a bay is far from easy, and that families can come in many different ways. As far as Amy is concerned she is having a baby with both her husband and her sister. ‘When I say “We’re pregnant’ I mean myself, my husband and my sister,” Amy told the Post. “It’s a beautiful celebration of life, because all three of us did this together.”
