ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Marshee Williams is expecting in just a few months. This is Williams’ second pregnancy, following the birth of her twin boys.

“I told my kids second and they were supportive,” surrogate Marshee Williams said. “They're 11 and I have twin boys. They've been supportive so far.”

What You Need To Know

  • According to Global Market Insights, the commercial surrogacy industry is expected to grow tenfold by 2032

  • More same-sex couples are looking to have children among heightened awareness about reproductive options and an increasing number of fertility clinics across the country

  • New York Surrogacy Center was one of the leading groups advocating for the passage of the New York Child-Parent Security Act (CPSA), the law which legalized compensated surrogacy in New York state in 2021

And as much as Williams is looking forward to the birth of her baby, so are the soon-to-be parents.

“I'm a natural gift giver,” Williams said. “So this was like a perfect gift to give someone.”

Williams is just one of the thousands of women who are part of the booming industry of commercial surrogacy. 

“This is my first journey,” Williams said. “So this is new. So I'm learning as I go. I chose gestational, which is their eggs. So it's their embryos. So when the baby pops out, it won't look anything like me or have my DNA.”

The global commercial surrogacy industry grew to an estimated $14 billion in 2022. By 2032, that figure is expected to rise to $129 billion.

But despite driving demand, Williams says many people still do not have an extensive knowledge of what it takes to be a surrogate.

“A lot of people don't know anything about it,” Williams said. “They're like 'a surrogate, what is that?’ But it's exciting to tell people more and more about it.”

Williams is documenting and sharing her surrogacy journey on TikTok, the same platform that inspired her to become a surrogate.

Following the legalization of gestational surrogacy, Williams works with the New York Surrogacy Center. Her agency is one of the leading groups advocating for the passage of the New York Child-Parent Security Act (CPSA), the law that legalized compensated surrogacy in New York in 2021.

“Until 2021, compensated surrogacy was still illegal here in New York state,” New York Surrogacy Center co-founder Casey Copps DiPaola said. “For years, before the law changed, Joe Williams, the co-founder of New York Surrogacy Center, and I lobbied for the change in law to allow compensated surrogacy in New York.”

Williams says she has open and honest conversations with her followers on social media with the goal of removing the stigma surrounding surrogacy and being transparent about her journey with her children. 

“This is how I explained it to them: It’s really cool,” Williams said. “The book explains, sometimes ... the other family needs help, so that's where I come in.”

Williams says her journey remains strong, offering prospective parents a path to parenthood.