Paris Hilton's Surrogacy Journey—And What It Actually Takes to Build Your Family This Way
When Paris Hilton announced the birth of her son, the moment looked simple—but the journey behind it wasn’t. Surrogacy involves months (often years) of planning, screening, and coordination. In this guide, we break down exactly how gestational surrogacy works, what the process looks like step by step, and what intended parents should realistically expect—from timelines to costs to choosing the right agency.
When Paris Hilton posted a photo holding her newborn son's hand in January 2023, the caption was just six words: "You are already loved beyond words 💙"
Within hours, 1.5 million people had liked it.
But behind that quiet, tender moment was years of planning, an IVF journey that started during COVID-19 lockdowns, and a gestational surrogacy process that most people know very little about.
If you're here because Paris Hilton's story made you curious—or because you're already exploring surrogacy—this post is for you. We're going to walk through exactly what happened in her journey, what the surrogacy process actually looks like, and what you need to know before you take your first step.
What Paris Hilton's Surrogacy Journey Actually Looked Like
Paris and her husband, Carter Reum began their IVF process during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with People magazine, Hilton shared that the global slowdown gave her a rare window to freeze her eggs—something that would have been nearly impossible given her typical schedule of traveling two-thirds of the year.
Once the couple celebrated their one-year anniversary, they were ready to move forward. People confirmed the couple welcomed their son via gestational surrogate.
What Paris Hilton did is called gestational surrogacy. Her embryo—created through IVF using her own egg and her husband's sperm—was transferred to a gestational carrier. The surrogate carried the pregnancy to term. Paris is the biological mother. The surrogate has no genetic connection to the baby.
This is the most common form of surrogacy in the United States today.
What Is Gestational Surrogacy, Exactly?
An embryo is created through IVF using either your own or a donor egg and either your partner’s or donor sperm. That embryo is then transferred to the uterus of a gestational carrier—a woman who carries the pregnancy but is not genetically related to the child. When the baby is born, the intended parents take their child home.
People choose gestational surrogacy for many reasons:
- A medical condition makes carrying a pregnancy unsafe or impossible
- Recurrent pregnancy loss after multiple IVF attempts
- Same-sex male couples building a family
- Single intended parents
- Uterine abnormalities or absence
Whatever the reason, surrogacy is a deeply personal decision. And it's one that takes time, intention, and the right support to navigate well.
The Real Surrogacy Process: What Happens After You Decide
Paris Hilton's announcement made it look effortless. It wasn't. Surrogacy involves a lot of moving parts—and the families we work with at Roots deserve to know exactly what they're signing up for.
Here's how the journey unfolds.
1. Choosing Your Agency
Your agency is the project manager for one of the most important experiences of your life. They coordinate your surrogate, your clinic, your attorneys, your escrow, and your case management. A good agency is a guide, a partner, and an advocate.
At Roots, every journey starts with a one-on-one Zoom call with our co-founder, Brooke Kimbrough—herself a former surrogate. She walks you through the full process, introduces the team, and answers every question you have. No sales pitch. No pressure.
2. The Waitlist
We'll be honest with you: there is a surrogate shortage in the United States.
Every reputable agency has a waitlist. Wait times range from a few weeks to 18 months, depending on the agency and the plan you choose. At Roots, our plans are designed to give you options—whether you're comfortable with a longer timeline or you need to move faster.
3. Surrogate Vetting (This Is Where Standards Matter Most)
Before you ever see a surrogate's profile, she has been through four months of rigorous screening. We accept approximately 1% of surrogate applicants who come to us.
Our vetting process includes:
- Full medical records review—pregnancy history, delivery records, and health history
- Comprehensive lab work—infection screening, STI panel, toxicology screen
- Background investigation conducted by a private investigator, covering every adult in her household
- Driving record review
- Social media audit across Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok
- Two-part psychological evaluation—a licensed mental health professional interview plus standardized psychological testing
We don't cut corners here. The surrogates we put forward are educated about the process, committed to the timeline, and emotionally prepared for the journey.
4. Matching
Once you reach the top of our waitlist, we present you with one profile at a time. There is no database to scroll through. No comparison shopping.
We consider personality compatibility, clinical fit, communication expectations, lifestyle, and values alignment. If you pass on a surrogate, you stay at the top of the list. If you'd like to move forward, your profile is shared with her. If both parties agree, her full records go to your clinic for medical approval.
Then we do a match call—all parties together—to introduce everyone, set expectations, and talk through the timeline.
Roots matches approximately 150 intended parents and surrogates per year.
5. Surrogate Prep and IVF
Several things happen in parallel during this phase:
- Medical screening at your IVF clinic—transvaginal ultrasound and labs
- Legal contracts—your attorney drafts the Gestational Carrier Agreement; her attorney reviews it with her; all parties sign and notarize
- Escrow funding—a holding account that covers all future payments (surrogate compensation, OB care, hospital bills, insurance, etc.)
- Medications—your surrogate begins a protocol to prepare her body for the embryo transfer
Transfer happens at your clinic. We test for success ten days post-transfer.
6. Pregnancy
If the transfer is successful, your IVF physician manages the surrogate's care through the first trimester while she remains on medications. Around 12 weeks, she transitions to her OB for the remainder of the pregnancy.
You are expected to be at the birth. Most intended parents are allowed in the delivery room. It is, without question, one of the most extraordinary days of your life.
After delivery, you go home with your baby—typically 24 to 48 hours post-birth if there are no complications.
7. Parentage Order
We only work in states that allow Pre-Birth Orders (PBOs). This means your legal parentage is established before your baby is born. Your name—or names—go directly on the birth certificate. No adoption process. No legal ambiguity.
We work with attorneys in your surrogate's state to secure this order well in advance of delivery.
What Does Surrogacy Actually Cost?
This is the question everyone has and not enough agencies answer directly. We do.
Here's what surrogacy costs at Roots Surrogacy in 2026:
Harmony Plan is built for families who want a thorough, supported experience on a steady timeline. You get a dedicated case manager, weekly updates, and full coordination with your clinic and legal team.
Premium Connection Plan adds faster matching, expedited coordination, conflict resolution support, and enhanced logistics management.
Executive Bliss Plan is our most personalized service short of Total Assurance. It includes clinic and egg donor agency selection support, NDA coverage for all parties, executive team involvement in your case, attorney and escrow fee coverage, and executive attendance at your anatomy scan and birth.
Total Assurance is exactly what it sounds like: fully all-inclusive, maximum predictability, no surprise costs.
Payment is structured across milestones—agency contract signing, legal contract signing, and embryo transfer—so you're not paying everything upfront.
What Paris Hilton's Story Teaches Us
Paris Hilton had access to every resource imaginable. She still had to go through IVF during a global pandemic. She still had to find the right surrogate. She still had to navigate legal contracts, medical screenings, and the emotional weight of building a family through someone else's body.
Surrogacy is not a shortcut. It's a path.
What makes the difference is who walks it with you.
We've been doing this since 2015. We've helped build over 500 families. Our co-founders bring the perspective of a former surrogate and a parent through IVF. We built Roots to be the agency we would have wanted for ourselves.
Ready to Start Your Surrogacy Journey?
If Paris Hilton's story resonated with you—or if you've been quietly researching surrogacy for months and you're finally ready to talk to someone—we'd love to meet you.
Your first conversation with us is a no-pressure Zoom call with Brooke. She'll walk you through the process, answer your questions honestly, and help you figure out if Roots is the right fit for your family.
Schedule your intro call here.
Every family's story starts somewhere. Yours can start here.
Roots Surrogacy is a full-service surrogacy agency serving intended parents and gestational carriers across the United States. We work only in surrogacy-friendly states and only with families and surrogates who align with our values.
