Nigerian chef and public health scientist Nancy Umeh has opened up about her long and emotional journey to expanding her family, revealing that she suffered eight miscarriages before finally welcoming her third child through a surrogate in 2024.
Umeh shared the deeply personal details of her seven-year struggle with secondary infertility during a recent appearance on the “Diary of a Naija Girl” podcast. While she had previously announced the arrival of her daughter, Talia Tobechukwu Umeh, and cited her battle with secondary infertility as the reason for choosing surrogacy, this was the first time she fully detailed the extent of her repeated losses.
During the podcast, the chef disclosed that she endured a total of eight miscarriages, which occurred both before and during the surrogacy process. The devastating cycle took a significant physical and emotional toll on her, prompting her to seek professional help.
“I was having miscarriages a lot at that time. There was a time I had to talk to a therapist because of it,” Umeh stated. “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.”
The trauma of the repeated pregnancy losses led Umeh to develop intense anxiety, even after opting for surrogacy. She admitted that she began to harbor fears that her public lifestyle and oversharing might have contributed to her misfortune.
“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 confessed.
Umeh also spoke warmly about the surrogate mother who helped bring her daughter into the world. She noted that while she does not have a personal relationship with the woman, she remains overwhelmingly grateful for the life-changing gift.
“I really wish I could meet her, hug her and say thank you,” Umeh expressed. “I have a child because of her. On her birthday, I cried.”
