Nigerian chef and public health scientist, Nancy Umeh, has opened up on how she suffered eight miscarriages before finally welcoming her daughter via surrogacy in 2024.
Umeh, while speaking on the Diary of a Naija Girl podcast, disclosed that the emotional turmoil she endured over seven years was a journey marked by repeated loss and eventual hope.
When Umeh announced the birth of her daughter Talia Tobechukwu Umeh, she explained that she chose surrogacy after struggling with “secondary infertility” for seven years following her last child.
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On the podcast, Umeh shared that she experienced eight miscarriages, both before and during the surrogacy journey.
“I was having miscarriages a lot at that time. There was a time I had to talk to a therapist because of it,” she said.
“I had eight miscarriages. One was up to four months. I was gaining and losing weight. I had people congratulating me — and the baby just dropped the night before.”
She said the emotional weight of the experience led her to fear that her public sharing might have been a factor.
“Even when the surrogate was pregnant, I was praying that nothing would happen to the baby. Somehow, I thought it was because I was sharing too much,” she said.
Umeh also revealed that she does not have a personal relationship with the surrogate.
“I really wish I could meet her, hug her and say thank you,” she said. “I have a child because of her. On her birthday, I cried.”
