Award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has spoken about her decision to welcome twin sons via surrogacy, addressing the public reaction and societal pressures surrounding non-traditional paths to motherhood.
Speaking during the #WithChude Live talk hosted by media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo, Adichie expressed disappointment over the way her personal decision became politicised online, stating that she chose to be transparent about the surrogacy to counter harmful narratives that could pressure other women.
She said, “There are certain things you cannot hide, you cannot hide the existence of two perfect human beings. People just went off with this thing, ‘She’s 47, she’s had babies,’ and I don’t like to lie about things that can be consequential for other people.
I felt that there were many women who would then be pressured by people and be told ‘Look she’s 47 and she had twins, what about you?’
A viewer said to me that I looked so fantastic for someone who just had babies and I’m not going to say oh, thank you because that’s a lie so I said ‘Well, they were born by a surrogate,’ and apparently, I hear that there was a bit of noise about that.
My boys are so precious to me, and I hated that anything about them would become politicised – so on the one hand I wished I hadn’t talked about it but on the other hand there is no way I am going to lie and claim that I have babies that I didn’t birth myself.”
Speaking about the stigma surrounding fertility challenges, Adichie said, “I think there is so much shame around issues of fertility, that I just think it’s too much of a burden for women.
Women are ashamed when they have fibroids, women are ashamed when they have trouble getting pregnant, and I don’t believe in that sort of shame.”
She also responded to critics who view surrogacy as dehumanising and acknowledged that it can be done responsibly.
They think that you cannot rent a woman’s body, they argue that it’s dehumanising. I think it can be, but I think it matters how it’s done. It can be done ethically.
Also, the same people will say that a woman can do whatever she wants with her body. There’s a contradiction there… that was what all the noise was all about,” she said.
Why I kept my twin boys’ birth private – Chimamanda Adichie
Despite the backlash, Adichie said she had no regrets and emphasised the joy her children have brought her.
She said, “I am hoping that if anything good comes out of this, it would be that more women will feel less ashamed of talking about reaching motherhood through non-traditional means.
There are other women who have babies by surrogates but they sort of go and hide for nine months or people who adopt babies and they go and hide because our society is so judgemental, and I don’t think that that is good for anybody.
I think my daughter and my babies are the greatest gifts I’ve been given, so, zero regrets.”
KUKURUKU Online reported in February that Adichie revealed she gave birth to twin boys in 2024, adding to her family, including her nine-year-old daughter, stating that she was always cautious about revealing too much, particularly when it came to her family.
She also expressed her commitment to raising her twin sons with values that promote gender equality and respect for women.
