A mother has revealed she is pregnant with her own son's baby after he and his wife struggled to conceive for years.
Nancy Hauck, a 56-year-old mum-of-five and administrator from St George, Utah, decided to be a surrogate for her 32-year-old son Jeff and his wife Cambria, 30, as her daughter-in-law was unable to carry more children after undergoing a hysterectomy.
Knowing Jeff loved being a father and wanted to grow his brood, Nancy tentatively volunteered to carry a child for the couple, but had concerns it wouldn't be possible due to her age.
However, the embryo successfully transferred earlier this year, with Nancy due to give birth to her grandchild in November.
"I never imagined I would be pregnant at 56 or that this would be possible, but it is the most beautiful thing," Nancy told the British news agency South West News Service (SWNS), as quoted by the Daily Mail.
Jeff and Cambria had long struggled with fertility issues, undergoing IVF treatment for six years before falling pregnant their now-three-year-old twins, Vera and Ayva. Not long after, the couple conceived another set of twins, 11-month-old Diseal and Luka.
However, the traumatic birth meant Cambria was required to undergo a hysterectomy, an invasive procedure that surgically removes a woman's uterus. The procedure may also involve the removal of the cervix, ovaries and fallopian tubes, meaning the woman will no longer be able to get pregnant. As per Health Navigator, hysterectomies are often carried out to treat conditions that affect the female reproductive system, including bleeding problems, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, prolapse or cancer.
Despite being unable to carry more children, the couple had remaining frozen embryos they were hoping could be implanted into a surrogate - and Nancy decided to volunteer.
"I just had a feeling a few months after that I should offer to do it," she said.
"I told my son, and he teared up and was shocked - I hadn't even told my husband at that point, but he was really supportive.
"I feel very powerful carrying my son's daughter... I think this is quite a rare thing to do. I never planned for it, but I am so glad I chose to carry my son's baby."
Surrogacy is when a woman carries a baby for a couple who are unable to conceive or carry a child themselves. Such couples may include those who have suffered recurrent miscarriages, repeated IVF failures, premature menopause or a hysterectomy.
Straight surrogacy involves using the surrogate's egg and the intended father's sperm; the least expensive and simplest form of the procedure. Host surrogacy, which is the case for the Hauck family, requires IVF with either the intended mother's eggs or donor eggs, rather than those of the surrogate. In this case, the surrogate is typically unrelated to the baby, and donor eggs can be from friends or relatives, or anonymously donated.
After approaching fertility experts with their proposal, doctors had concerns about Nancy's age; however, an exam found she could still be a viable carrier for the couple as long as they acted before she entered menopause.
"I left the choice up to Jeff and Cambria. They'd just had their twins, so it was very quick after to have another baby. But they decided to go for it."
Nancy began hormone treatment in January 2022, injecting herself daily for 12 weeks with the help of her husband and Jeff's father, Jason. The fertilised embryo was transferred into her uterus a month later - and 26 years after Nancy's last pregnancy.
Speaking to the news service, Jeff said his mother's selfless act has left him in awe of her "kindness, love, strength, attitude, wisdom, and dedication".
"She is sacrificing so much for us, and our family and we just feel so grateful. It has been so miraculous and beautiful," Cambria added, as quoted by the Daily Mail.
In May, the family discovered they were expecting a baby girl, who is due to be born on November 5.
"There is no repayment for something like that - all I can do is follow the example my parents have set and try to give that same level of love and devotion to my own family and to others," Jeff concluded.
