Renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has addressed the backlash surrounding her decision to welcome twins via surrogacy, emphasising the need to break the stigma surrounding non-traditional paths to motherhood.

Speaking with Chude Jideonwo, Adichie revealed her initial reluctance to discuss the matter publicly, fearing it could be politicised.

However, she said she chose to be honest about her experience, hoping to help reduce the stigma surrounding non-traditional paths to motherhood.

She criticised societal judgment, arguing that women should not feel ashamed of difficulties with conception or seeking alternative family-building options.

Adichie highlighted the undue burden placed on women dealing with fertility issues such as fibroids or pregnancy struggles.

With conviction, she described her children as the greatest gift she has received, firmly stating that she has “ZERO REGRETS” about her decision.

She said, “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 judgmental, and I don’t think that is good for anybody.

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

“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?’.

“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, the interviewer said to me that I look fantastic for someone who just had babies and I’m not going to say thank you because that would be a lie. They were born by a surrogate”.