Nancy and Justin Rohde went through years of infertility treatments, only to get pregnant right as their surrogacy plans came together. That meant the couple had two daughters—both with their DNA—just five weeks apart, making them “Twinblings.”
In an exclusive interview with Cosmopolitan, the Rohdes discussed their early attempts at having children—which consisted of five failed rounds of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and a surrogate who miscarried. Finally, in August 2015, they found a new surrogate, 30-year-old Ashley Brown,who got pregnant just as their last treatment was successful.
“We were pretty scared when we found out I was pregnant,” Nancy told Cosmo. “We were so worried she wouldn’t want to continue on with us. We didn’t tell Ashley that I was pregnant until we saw the heartbeat, around seven weeks.” Once they revealed the news, though, Ashley was excited for both women to go through the experience together.
Cosmo tracked the trio’s personal journeys throughout the two pregnancies: Nancy gave birth first, delivering their daughter Lillian Quinn on May 2 with various medical complications. The couple able to attend the birth of their second daughter, Audrey Eleanor, on June 7.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com