Meet Our Moms: Glozell Green- Is You OK? My Journey Through Surrogacy

You probably know her by her infamous tag line " Is you ok? Is you good? Cause I want to know", Glozell, self proclaimed "Queen of Youtube" is normally the one bringing the laughter with her off the wall videos. Her sensational YouTube channel has close to 350 million views combined, she has a social media following of over 1.3 million and has sat down to interview our wonderful President, Barack Obama. Talk about goals? I have been a long time fan and follower of this funny woman for years so when she agreed to do an interview for Black Moms Blog, you cannot imagine how floored I was. I mean seriously? GloZell, you rock. Like most women though, GloZell has faced fertility issues and decided to go the alternative route of surrogacy to have a child. You are all probably familiar with surrogacy through the movie Baby Mama starring Tina Fey and Amy Pohler, two women from different lifestyles coming together so that one can become a mother to a child being carried by the other. But rarely do we see surrogacy being discussed in our community.

"For those who are unfamiliar, surrogacy is the practice by which a woman (called a surrogate mother) becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby in order to give it to someone who cannot have children.(www.merriam--webster.com)"

The surrogate mother carries the hopeful mother's egg and father's sperm so in no way is the child related to the surrogate but belongs completely to the parents. Join us as we talk to GloZell about her experience thus far.

Black Moms Blog: Hi GloZell! Thank you for joining us at Black Moms Blog. I have been watching your series on your experience thus far and I love how you have managed to make something so serious still funny. Did you ever imagine you would be taking this route to parenthood?

GloZell Green: Thank you for having me. No, I never imagined that I would be taking this route into parenthood but I am so thankful I have been able to. I didn't know I knew anybody who went through this but it did not matter to me because I had to do what I had to do. Since being public about fertility issues, freezing eggs, and IVF, people I have known have come forward and let me know secretly that they have gone through it too.

(credit: www.glozell.com)

BMB: In 2014, the New York Times ran an article which stated that "Black women face infertility more often than White women but are less likely to seek help" (www.nytimes.com) When you discovered you were unable to have children, what were your steps of acceptance and how did you come to the idea of surrogacy?

GG: I never accepted it, it was just a matter of finding what was going to work. I didn't know I was supposed to be embarrassed!

BMB: Black women are constantly faced with the glaring public perception that we already have too many children. How did your family and friends react when they found out you were going through such great lengths to actually become a mother?

GG: They found out publicly because I didn't care about their opinion. I didn't have too many kids, my sister doesn't have any, and to my knowledge no one had fertility issues in family but they also did not try to have kids after 40 to my knowledge.

"I was told to do everything you want to do in life before you have kids, because once you have them you won't be able to do NUTHIN!"

(Um...thanks mom). By the time I had accomplished a lot, it was kind of late. My overnight success took over 40 years.

GloZell and her mother (credit: www.facebook.com/glozell)

BMB: What was your process of choosing your surrogate and how did you come to the decision to have Shawna Johnson carry your child?

GG: I went through Gifted Journey Surrogacy Agency run by Wendi Wilson Miller who paired me up with Shawna. What I liked about Shawna is that we are shaped alike: she was little in the middle but she got much back! Our personalities clicked and when she said she would play my videos to her growing belly after she got pregnant, I knew she was the one. She was concerned I would not pick her because she was white, but love has no color!

BMB: I have to be honest, I laughed at the visual or Shawna birthing this little brown baby wearing green lipstick! Do you get a lot of questions about why you chose a White surrogate mother for your baby?

Photo'd: GloZell, her husband, and Shawna Johnson (credit: www.facebook.com/glozell)

GG: First of all I appreciate you laughing at my life! I do get a lot of questions. Some uninformed people assume that this child will be mixed or white, but why would I go through all this time, money and effort to not have my own biological child? I could just adopt!

BMB: I always think about the movie Baby Mama when it comes to surrogacy. Do you and Shawna plan on going to Lamaze classes together? Are you monitoring her every move and what she eats? I'm laughing a little GloZell!

GG: I'm glad you are joking! But no, she lives in a different city. If I trust someone to carry my child, then I trust them to carry my child. I'm obsessed with cupcakes, and I am sure she is eating healthier than I am.

BMB: I bet you are a huge help in this process for Shawna too. It has to be intimidating for both of you. What are some surrogacy myths you would like to squash? Any when it comes to Black women and surrogacy?

GG: A surrogacy myth would be that the surrogate adds to the child's DNA, which is not true. Shawna will not be biologically related to my husband or my child. If you have more questions in particular I would answer them, but I don't personally know any other black women going through surrogacy. I also don't know any white women going through surrogacy either.

BMB: You are the Queen of YouTube. How much of your child's life are your fans going to get to be a part of? Do you and Shawna plan on filming the birth?

GG: Awestruck has been documenting my fertility journey so I am sure they will film the birth, but the birth won't be on my YouTube channel.

"I still owe money to the surrogate agency and my kid is on layaway. I don't know if its going to have its own YouTube channel, but I do know it's going to have to get a job!"

BMB: Do you have any advice to any women who are considering surrogacy?

GG: Number one thing, freeze your eggs and do it early so you don't feel the pressure to rush into a marriage or a relationship because the biological clock is ticking!

BMB: Can you tell everyone where they can find you to follow your journey to motherhood?

GG: Go to GloZell.com, @GloZell on Twitter, @GloZell on Instagram and of course GloZell on YouTube.

With love,

-Shanicia

*Editor's Note: We are having a Mommy Meet up tomorrow to attend GloZell's book signing here in Atlanta, GA. If you are in the city, come out and join us at Barnes & Noble (Edgewood location) at 6pm to support this amazing woman! Take a peak at the flyer below for details.