Woman Who Can’t Conceive Uses 51-Year-Old Mom As Surrogate

Breanna Lockwood and her husband Aaron got married in June 2016 and hoped to start a family together soon after. However, that proved more difficult than they’d hoped. After seeking fertility treatment, Breanna suffered two miscarriages and got Asherman’s syndrome after scar tissue built up in her uterus. When her endocrinologist suggested the couple look into surrogacy, the $100,000 pricetag put them off. That’s when Breanna’s 51-year-old mom, Julie Loving, stepped up to carry the child for them.

 

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you ladies heard it first! but announced today on our personal page. This was a big step for me. Thinking and praying for each and every one of you! They say, “It takes a village to raise a child”, but for some it can take a village to HAVE a child… ⠀ ⠀ We are happy to announce, finally, …⠀ BABY LOCKWOOD IS ON THE WAY! ⠀ ⠀ Made with a lot of love, and a little bit of science…⠀ Baby Lockwood will be brought into this world via GESTATIONAL CARRIER, and this little miracle’s carrier is quite a special one. ⠀ ⠀ MY MOM.⠀ My mom will be carrying and delivering our baby!⠀ ⠀ The biggest supporter in my life is giving us our biggest blessing. My beautiful mama is carrying her first grandchild, Aaron and my biological child, as a gestational carrier!⠀ ⠀ Aaron and I had our reproductive DNA taken, fertilized, tested, and frozen via IVF, as my mom breezed through every preliminary test she took, to be able to give us this gift. Defying the odds at 51 years old, she’s pushing reproductive science out of the box, as ONE of only a handful of surrogates NATIONWIDE to deliver their grandchild via gestational surrogacy!⠀ ⠀ The trials and tribulations of infertility was undoubtedly the hardest venture we have had to face in our lives. ⠀ ⠀ In short that included…⠀ ⠀ 1311 days⠀ 476 injections⠀ 64 blood draws⠀ 7 surgical procedures ⠀ 3 rounds of harvesting eggs⠀ 19 frozen embryos ⠀ 8 IVF frozen embryo transfers total⠀ 4 failed embryo transfers⠀ 1 singleton miscarriage⠀ 1 twin miscarriage ⠀ 1 ectopic pregnancy ⠀ Countless tears⠀ ⠀ Sharing this adventure with my mom has been the most unique and amazing experience. Surrogacy is truly the most selfless gift. She is the pure example of “you would do anything for your kids”, and if i can even be half of the mother she is, I know i’m doing something right…⠀ ⠀ I want to give a special thanks to Dr. Kaplan with @fertilitycentersofillinois for his compassion and care in this field.⠀ ⠀ Baby Lockwood we can’t wait to meet you…⠀ See you in November!

A post shared by Breanna Lockwood (@ivf.surrogacy.diary) on Jun 5, 2020 at 5:34pm PDT

1. Breanna was reluctant to let her mom be her surrogate at first. It was Julie who won her daughter over in the end with her enthusiasm about helping the couple start a family just like they always dreamed. “I kind of felt like I went through this with her from the beginning,” Julie told OprahMag.com. “I felt all of her grief and her struggle. I knew that I was healthy as a 51-year-old, and I knew I could do this for her, I took good care of myself. I actually don’t feel 50, I feel 30!”
2. Julie might be a bit older but she’s in incredible health. When Breanna first brought her mom to see Dr. Brian Kaplan, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist at Fertility Centers of Illinois, she could tell Dr. Kaplan wasn’t sure about going ahead with things. “I could see a look in his eye and I could see his wheels beginning to turn a little bit,” Breanna recalled. However, after a series of tests that Julie passed with flying colors, the plan was full steam ahead.
3. It’s a unique situation but one that is being monitored closely. Dr. Kaplan admitted that it’s a “very unique scenario” and that it’s only happening because of “very careful personalized medical, psychological and ethical considerations.” Kaplan added, “The family dynamic, unconditional support and sacrifice and the resilience of the human spirit was humbling for me as a physician.”
4. Julie is about 21 weeks into the pregnancy now. That’s just about halfway! In fact, just last week they felt the baby kick and even found out that they’re going to be having a little girl. Congrats to all of them and way to go Julie for being such an awesome mom!

 

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Baby GIRL you are so loved 💕

A post shared by Breanna Lockwood (@ivf.surrogacy.diary) on Jun 23, 2020 at 12:35pm PDT