Why I revealed I had twins through surrogacy – Chimamanda Adichie

Chimamanda Adichie

Award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has explained her decision to go public about welcoming twins with her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, through surrogacy.

The 47-year-old spoke during an intimate conversation with media personality Chude Jideonwo at the debut edition of his talk show #WithChude Live on Sunday.

“I felt that there were many women who would then be pressured by people saying ‘look Chimamanda is 47 and she had kids at that age, what about you?’” she said.

She also highlighted how fertility-related issues are often shrouded in secrecy and stigma, saying, “And just in general, 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 issues getting pregnant, and I don’t believe in that sort of shame.”

Adichie also shared that some feedback she received online made her wish she hadn’t disclosed having her twins through surrogacy.

“My boys are so precious to me,” she says.

“And I hated that anything about them would become politicised – so on the one hand I thought ‘I wish I hadn’t talked about it’, but on the other hand there is no way I am going to lie about the process of birthing them.

“I am hoping that if anything good comes out of this, it would be that more women are less ashamed of talking about reaching motherhood through non-traditional means. Because our society is so judgemental, and I don’t think that that is good for anybody.

“But, you know, my daughter and my babies are the greatest gift I’ve been given, so zero regrets.”

Back in February, the Half of a Yellow Sun author disclosed in an interview that she and her husband had recently welcomed twins.

She, however, chose to keep their identities private to shield them from public attention.

Adichie added that many Nigerians were not aware she got married in 2019, a result of her decision to keep her personal life out of the public eye.