Erika Hammond of “The Real Housewives of New York City” spoke in an exclusive clip People obtained from the show’s November 3 episode about the moment she connected with a surrogate on her journey to become a mom.
The 35-year-old, a season 16 newcomer, married Bilt Rewards founder and CEO Ankur Jain in 2024, and now they say they’re ready for kids.
In the scene, Erika and Ankur are on a date when Erika says, “I am so excited about the call we had today,” and Ankur remarks that his wife seems “sold.”
Erika says she’s nervous the pair won’t be selected by the surrogate after feeling thoroughly impressed with the encounter.
“I’m in a weird space because I immediately said yes to them and I haven’t heard back, and I kinda thought we would hear back by now,” she tells Ankur.
In a confessional clip, she talks about the emotional ups and downs of the vetting process, which can take longer than some people might realize. Ankur and I had a call finally with a potential surrogate that we really, really, really like. And now it’s just a waiting game. I’m just literally praying that she says yes because every time we have to have a new match call it’s three weeks later. It’s another month process. Even after you match, it’s a couple months until you’re able to implant.”
She then tells the camera she’ll feel “really defeated” if the candidate she felt such a strong connection to turns down her offer.
Erika Hammond Reveals Egg Quality Concerns
After talking to her husband about her nerves while waiting to hear a decision from the surrogate she wants, Erika says she was told a week prior that her egg quality “isn’t good.”
“Our embryos, like the grading is not good on them,” she reveals. Ankur tries to reassure her by saying, “We have 12 embryos that we can try.” But Hammond points out each one has only around a 10% chance of success.
Still, Ankur remains hopeful. “But guess what? 10% of 12,” he says. “It’s still over 1. We’re gonna do everything we can to get the best possible shot. If we need to, we can do another round of IVF.”
He then supportively acknowledges, “I know it’s hard,” and laughs that he gets to do “the easy part.”
Erika is One of 4 ‘RHONY’ Newcomers
Erika is one of four new ladies in the “RHONY” lineup for season 16. She kicked off the season with fellow newbies Daisy Toye and Hailey Glassman, and Devyn Simone was added mid-season in a “friend” role.
In a September Bravo interview, Erika admitted she finds the reality gig harder than she expected. “It’s a lot of work. After the cast trip, I was like, ‘I need like three days to decompress. No one talk to me. I just want to rot.’ It’s fun, but it’s a lot. It’s definitely a job. You don’t realize how tough it is until you’re in it,” she shared.
Preview: Erika Hammond Reveals Why She’s Nervous After Call With Potential Surrogate as She Embarks on Baby Journey