Singer John Legend and his wife, Chrissy Teigen, have joyfully announced the birth of their fourth child, a boy named Wren Alexander Stephens. The couple shared the news of Wren’s arrival, born via surrogate, on June 28, 2023?.
Teigen, a bestselling cookbook author, and Legend, an EGOT winner, had their family expand to six just five months after the birth of their daughter, Esti. Baby Wren was named in part for Alexandra, the woman who carried him, a tribute that will forever connect him to the woman who helped bring him into their lives.
“Wren Alexander Stephens, our new love,” the proud parents shared on social media, accompanied by a series of heartwarming shots including one with all four kids.
Teigen, who had always wanted four children, shared her joy at the completion of their family: “Our hearts, and our home, are officially full,” she wrote on Instagram. This sentiment was echoed in a heartfelt tribute to the couple’s late son, Jack, who they lost at 20 weeks gestation in 2020. Teigen expressed that she knew both their angel kisses were from him.
Chrissy Teigen and Legend turned to surrogacy after experiencing loss. They had reached out to a surrogacy agency in 2021 with the intention of having two tandem surrogates, expressing a desire for a healthy baby boy or girl. After a journey involving IVF and surrogacy, the couple found joy in the birth of their daughter, Esti, and their son, Wren, expanding their family and filling their hearts with love.
Wren, born on June 19, is the latest addition to the family, joining his older siblings Luna, 7, Miles, 5, and Esti, 5 months. His arrival comes as a much-awaited event for the family, and his parents couldn’t be happier to share the news with the world.
Understanding Surrogacy
Surrogacy is a method of assisted reproduction where intended parents work with a gestational surrogate who will carry and care for their baby until birth. There are two types of surrogacy: traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy.
- Traditional Surrogacy: In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate mother is artificially inseminated with the sperm of the intended father or a donor. The surrogate’s own egg is used, so she is the biological mother of the resulting child.
- Gestational Surrogacy: In gestational surrogacy, an embryo is created using in vitro fertilization (IVF), and then transferred into the surrogate mother’s uterus. The embryo can be created using the eggs and sperm of the intended parents or with the help of donors. The gestational surrogate has no genetic relationship to the child because her egg is not used.
Surrogacy can be an option for people who are unable to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term due to various medical reasons, for same-sex couples, or for single people wishing to have children.
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend used gestational surrogacy for the birth of their fourth child, Wren Alexander Stephens. This means that an embryo created using in vitro fertilization (IVF) was implanted into the surrogate mother’s uterus. The gestational surrogate has no genetic relationship to the child, as her egg was not used. In the case of Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, the child was biologically theirs, and the surrogate mother, Alexandra, carried the pregnancy to term.
It’s important to note that surrogacy laws vary widely by country and even within different states or provinces in the same country. In some places, surrogacy is completely legal and regulated by law, while in others, it may be illegal or unregulated. It’s recommended to consult with a legal expert or a reputable agency before starting a surrogacy journey.