Mother’s Day is going to hit different on Instagram this year. Normally, if folks haven’t booked a reservation at a poppin’ brunch spot to celebrate their favorite lady, then they know not to bother pulling up after church. And if they do, there will be a three-hour wait.
Still, the quarantine has forced everyone from cousin Pete to celebrities to get creative. So we’ll watch their timelines to see who’s at home igniting liqueur for bananas foster and who’s having their avocado toast delivered.
Recently, Kandi Burruss, a mom of three, took a break from her busy quarantine to link up with ESSENCE’s Webby-nominated Yes, Girl! podcast hosts Cori Murray and Charli Penn. With Mother’s Day a few days away, the conversation turned to Burruss and Todd Tucker’s plans for the second Sunday in May.
“I don’t really plan a lot. I did tell them that I want us to get all dressed up and take a picture together,” said singer and businesswoman about her simple request. “I saw everybody posting their cute pictures on Easter. We were around here looking tired. I barely pulled it together to make us something to eat. After looking online, seeing everybody posting their cute Easter pics, I said, ‘I got to do something better for Mother’s Day.’”
This Mommy Day is super special for the Tucker clan because it marks the first one with baby girl Blaze. The family’s latest addition who was born last November via surrogate Shadina Blunt.
Before conceiving four-year-old Ace via IVF (in vitro fertilization), Burruss had several fibroids removed for this “high-risk pregnancy.” The power couple tried to get pregnant after Ace, but nothing happened. And since they had two remaining embryos from their IVF journey, they decided to research their options.
In the end, Burruss said they made the right choice for their family. “Shadina is an amazing person. She had already [been a surrogate] so she had no drama, no stress,” the singer-songwriter said on the show. “She already knew the protocol of how the situation was supposed to flow.”
Burruss’ OBGYN, Married to Medicine’s Dr. Jackie Walters was Blunt’s physician during that surrogacy. Walters introduced Blunt to the Tuckers, which sped up the process because it can take years to match a surrogate with a family.
The cherry on top was that Blunt lives in Georgia. Some families don’t live in the same state as the surrogate. But Blunt’s location allowed the Tuckers to bond with her and attend all doctor visits.
While some parents don’t keep in touch with the surrogate, The Real Housewives of Atlanta star values her relationship with Blunt. “That was a major thing that she did for us. I just feel like everybody handles it differently. I met people who’ve said, ‘Nah, we don’t keep in touch. We don’t talk,’” Burrus shared. “Some people don’t even know who they’re carrying the babies for. ”
Burruss advises couples to do their research to see what’s really required for the birth family and the surrogate.
Check out the full interview, above, on Yes, Girl! along with a special segment for small business owners from SheaMoisture.