51-year-old mother serves as surrogate for daughter struggling with infertility

A 51-year-old mother carried and delivered her daughter’s child earlier this month.

“They say it takes a village to raise a child, but for some it can take a village to HAVE a child,” daughter Breanna Lockwood shared on Instagram in June. “Baby Lockwood will be brought into this world via gestational carrier, and this miracle’s carrier is quite a special one. MY MOM.”

Breanna announced the news on Instagram after years of struggling with infertility.

“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,” Breanna wrote.

51-year-old mother gave birth to her granddaughter earlier this month

Breanna shared that she went through several processes, including having reproductive DNA taken, fertilized, tested and frozen through IVF. She said her mother also breezed through every preliminary test she took in order to become Breanna’s surrogate.

“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,” Breanna wrote.

Halfway through the nine-month pregnancy, Breanna’s mom said it felt comparable to the pregnancies with her own kids. She had fatigue, but the pregnancy was “overall very mild and easy,” Breanna said.

Breanna's mother's pregnancies in 1990 and 2020.

But, Breanna said the trials and tribulations of infertility were undoubtedly the hardest venture she had to face.

Breanna’s mother noticed her daughter’s pain.

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“The last three years have been a gut-wrenching exposure to what women struggling with infertility issues deal with daily and how often they hide their emotional despair and pain from others.” Breanna’s mother shared. “In the past few years, I saw my daughter’s beautiful eyes begin to fill with despair and pain as her dreams of being a mother seemed to slowly slip away from her, and I knew I could help if she wanted me to.”

Breanna’s mother delivered a healthy baby girl, Briar Juliette Lockwood, on November 2. The baby weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce.

Briar Juliette Lockwood was born on November 2. The baby weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce.

“My mom was an absolute rock star through a difficult delivery,” Breanna wrote. “Sharing this experience with my mom has been the most unique and amazing experience. Surrogacy is truly the most selfless gift. She is a 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.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infertility is a common problem. About 6% of married women aged 15 to 44 in the United States are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying. In addition, about 12% of women aged 15 to 44 have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term, regardless of marital status.