Getting to know BB: Nicky Reid, Client Manager

Nicky is a Client Manager for Brilliant Beginnings. As part of our ongoing series, she shares a little about what brought her to surrogacy and working with us, and what she loves about her role.

Getting to know Nicky

I have been a Client Manager at Brilliant Beginnings since 2021: joining in the midst of the pandemic I worked from home and didn’t actually meet anyone in person for nearly a year. I continue to work from home now, although do meet up with the rest of the team in either the New Forest or London every few months. Being at home allows me flexibility to pick my children up from school (something I couldn’t do previously) and my dog Apollo is never far away, often sleeping right on my feet.

I have been married to Chris since 2011 and we have three boys together. I had always thought about being an egg donor but wanted to complete my own family first. Following my last pregnancy I researched being an egg donor, wanting to be able to help others who weren’t as fortunate as us. However, finding that I was too old, my research led me to surrogacy and I thought why not – I could do that. Being screened and prepared through Brilliant Beginnings before being matched with intended parents in 2020 gave me a real insight into what surrogacy entailed, so when I found out that BB was recruiting, I jumped at the chance to join the team. 

I haven’t looked back since. Although my own journey sadly came to an end when we suffered a miscarriage, I now support surrogates and intended parents on their own surrogacy journeys. My own surrogacy experience, although brief, has helped me understand others who find themselves in similar situations and invaluable insight into what actually happens at various stages, particularly those daunting clinic appointments. I have now supported multiple teams in achieving their goal, and although no journey is the same, each one shows me something new and builds on my experience to help me support others.

My day-to-day role is very varied, supporting teams at different stages of their journeys on our US Surrogacy Pathway and in the UK. Staying in touch and communicating regularly really helps me to know what is happening, what is coming up and what support my teams are likely to need from me. I am a planner, I like to be organised and know what is coming next, so that I can pre-empt as much as possible what everyone needs at each stage of their journey.

 There are so many exciting parts to my role! From initial meetings with intended parents, meeting surrogates, when they come to the end of their screening, successful match calls, positive pregnancy tests, news of babies being born and seeing first-hand the families and extended families that have been made possible. Knowing that people’s hopes and dreams have come true and that I have played a small part in that is truly amazing and the most rewarding experience ever.