Baby joy for mother with no womb- thanks to loving family

A WOMAN born without a womb has become a mum thanks to her sister offering to be a surrogate and her parents paying for IVF treatment.

Faye Richards, 31, from Hereford, was born with a condition called Mayer Rokitansky Küster Hauser syndrome which meant she could never carry a child.

As her husband Tony, 41, a decorator, had three children from a previous relationship the couple knew they would have to pay thousands for private IVF and surrogacy expenses to become parents together.

Faye’s younger sister Kim Thomas, 28, stepped up as an IVF surrogate – and her parents Dave, 66, a plasterer, and June, 58, a nurse, offered to foot the £22,000 bill for private treatment.

Faye said: “Kim and I were always close, but when she offered to be my surrogate I was staggered.

“It was the most generous offer she could have made, when my parents gave us the funds to make it happen our dream of being parents was finally within reach.”

Kim, a health care assistant who is mum to six-year-old Harry, added: “Being a mum was so important to Faye I knew I’d do anything to make it happen. I know she would have done the same for me.”

After two unsuccessful rounds of IVF with Faye’s eggs and Tony’s sperm, Kim – who is engaged to partner Jason Baginski – fell pregnant on her third attempt. Baby Ralphie was born in May.

Faye, who works in mental health, added: “Every time I look at my son I feel so lucky my family helped me have him.

“When Ralphie’s older I’ll tell him that we wanted him so much his Auntie Kim and Grandma and Grandpa stepped in to make it happen.”

Faye was diagnosed with MRKH and polycystic ovaries at Hereford County Hospital aged 19 when her periods still hadn’t started.

She said: “Put simply, I was born without a womb. I have ovaries and produce eggs, but have no Fallopian tubes or uterus so will never carry a child.

“It was devastating. Even as a teenager I knew I wanted to be a mum someday.”

In January 2011, Faye started dating dad of three, Tony. They discussed having children together through an IVF surrogate – meaning Faye’s eggs would be fertilised by Tony’s sperm and implanted in a surrogate womb.

But in December 2012 they were refused IVF surrogacy on the NHS as Tony was already a dad.

Faye said: “We knew private surrogacy would cost thousands in expenses on top of the £6,000 quoted per round of IVF. There was no way we could afford it.”

That month the couple got engaged and Faye asked her sister to be her bridesmaid. Then in June 2013 Kim made the huge decision to offer her womb as a surrogate for her sister.

What’s more, June and Dave offered to lend Tony and Faye money to pay for IVF.

June said: “We used our savings but there was nothing more we wanted to spend that money on.

“Tony promised to pay back every penny, but we told him we’re in no rush to see that money.

“It was our first present to our grandchild.”

Now, Kim and Jason plan to get married next year, and Faye said she can’t wait to attend the ceremony with her husband and son.

Kim said: “Faye kept asking how I was feeling. I told her I felt like I’d just carried my nephew so my sister could be a mum.”

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Uterine cancer victim searches for surrogate mother

‘I’ve always held on to hope’: Cancer survivor who had a hysterectomy at 25 opens up on her search for a surrogate mother to carry her children

• Venera Wilson lost her uterus and ovaries to cancer at just 25 years old 
• She froze her eggs before the hysterectomy in the hope of having children 
• Her partner of nine months agreed to fertilize the eggs for her
• Five years after the hysterectomy they still have not found a surrogate  

 

A woman who lost her uterus and ovaries to cancer when she was just 25 has spoken of her quest to become a mum.

Venera Wilson, now 30, from Sydney, NSW, lost all chance of becoming pregnant after a hysterectomy to remove an aggressive uterine cancer five years ago.

Determined to be a mother, Mrs Wilson froze four fertilized embryos before the procedure in the hope she would find a surrogate to one day carry her children.

 

Five years since she lost her uterus, Mrs Wilson and her husband have decided the time is right to try for kids.

The decision has been brewing since 2012, when husband Dan agreed on the spot to help his partner have children – despite only having known her for nine months at the time.

‘We had been together for nine months and he was in the navy, which meant it took a lot of effort to keep our relationship going and we got quite serious quite quickly,’ Mrs Wilson told Daily Mail Australia.

 

‘Saying that, I was still surprised when I went to see the IVF consultant and he [Dan] agreed on the spot to help me out with the embryos.

‘I was beyond belief that he would do that for me. Wow. Dan decided that if the worst came to it and we split up, he was still prepared to be a donor.’

At the time the fertilized embryos had a 50 per cent chance of pregnancy success, while freezing unfertilized eggs had a success rate of just five per cent.

‘Extremely positive’: Mrs Wilson said she was blown away when her husband Dan offered to help in her search for a surrogate

Mrs Wilson’s battle with uterine cancer began at the unusually young age of 23.

‘When I was diagnosed at 23 we were under the impression that it was a hormonal cancer and quite stable,’ she said.

‘My case was quite unique. It doesn’t usually happen to people my age. The doctors figured I could find someone, have a child and then have a hysterectomy.

‘This was the case for about a year and a half then, all of a sudden, it was like the cancer woke up.

‘It was a huge shock. I remember yelling hysterically at the doctors that I didn’t want the hysterectomy.

‘I didn’t really understand at the time that if I didn’t get it, I wouldn’t be here right now.’

Well aware that finding a surrogate mother would be an arduous process, Mrs Wilson and her partner recently decided the time was right to begin their search. 

‘The thought of finding a surrogate was starting to really get me down, but Daniel said I should go ahead and put it out there,’ Mrs Wilson said.

‘Half of my friends didn’t even know I was going through this. But the response has been extremely positive and helpful.’

After posting her story on Facebook, a number of kind-hearted strangers had been in touch to offer support, she said.

‘I’m quite overwhelmed with it all. I’ve read that people do this, but it’s usually a family or a friend. These are complete strangers.’

Australia’s restrictive surrogacy laws had made the process extremely difficult so far, she said.

However, she was confident that she would eventually fulfil her dream of one day becoming a mother.

‘I’ve always held on to hope because I thought that if I didn’t everything would crumble.

‘I’ve got four embryos. It’s not like I’ve got nothing.’

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These Sweet Birth Photos Show There’s No ‘Right Way’ To Become A Family

Johan Holmgren, 42, and Jakob Bruntse, 41, longed for years to become parents, but they weren’t sure it would ever happen for them.

“I’ve sort of wanted to become a dad as far back as I can remember, but I almost gave up the dream when I realized that I was gay,” Bruntse wrote in an e-mail to The Huffington Post. “Fortunately, I fell in love with Johan who didn’t only share my dream; he was determined to make it come true.”

The couple eventually settled on a plan of building their family by using a surrogate. They worked with an agency in the United States, as surrogacy is discouraged in their home country of Sweden. After a year-long search to find their perfect match ― Alexandra Burns, 24 ― followed by a devastating miscarriage, the thrilled fathers finally welcomed their baby girl, Ellen, into the world last month.

Kansas-based birth and family photographer Tammy Schmit of Little Leapling Photography was on hand for the birth (as well as pregnancy and newborn sessions), and the emotional images she captured are proof that there are many ways to become a family. Congrats, all!

• 1

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Johan (right): We talked loosely about becoming parents for years, but we really started getting serious about our options about five years ago. A couple we are friends with had two babies with a surrogate in the United States, which inspired us.

  Jakob (left): We contacted an agency that helped connect us with our wonderful surrogate. It took almost a year to get the perfect match. She is not the biological mother. We used an egg donor from Kentucky. We now know her well, and keep in touch.

• 2

  

  Tammy Schmit, Little Leapling Photogrpahy
  Johan: Before the birth, I was super excited, almost ecstatic. And, to be honest, I was quite nervous, too.

  Jakob: I was surprised it was so un-dramatic. In movies, births are often panicked situations, with all of this extreme pain, and screaming and doctors and nurses running everywhere. Of course, it was far from painless for our surrogate, but she was so calm.

• 3

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Alexandra: Johan and Jakob were wonderful. They were trying to make sure I was comfortable, but I told them that of course they should be in the room and close to me. There was no way I was not going to have them in there while I had their baby.

  I had hoped to give birth without pain medication, but it was just too much for me. Before I got the epidural, there was a moment where I was freaking out, and I did have them leave for a little bit. I was overwhelmed. But as soon as it was time to push, I wanted them there.

• 4

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Johan: She was amazing. She actually calmed us both down. At one point, she jokingly said to the doctor: “This one knows what he’s doing,” pointing to Jakob. And then, pointing to me she said: “This one might faint.” She was right!
• 5

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Alexandra: The pregnancy was hard. I had really bad morning sickness to the point where I couldn’t even really eat for a while. But the birth was so easy — easier than the births of my own children. Once I got the epidural, I was able to rest. I fell asleep. When the doctor came to check me and told me it was time, I was like, “Really? I’m not ready. I was taking a nap!” Johan was standing behind me, maybe a little more freaked out about the stuff that was going on. But Jakob grabbed one of my legs. He was right there.
• 6

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Jakob: I can’t really pinpoint any one detail from the birth, but I do remember the whole day so vividly. It’s almost like I can rewind the whole thing and play it again in my head. I do clearly remember when I saw the top of our daughter’s head appearing. I think that was the moment I truly understood that she was here, for real.
• 7

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Johan: I clearly remember our daughter’s first cry. It came seconds after she came out — at the same moment when I started to cry!
• 8

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Johan: I couldn’t believe that she was finally here after all the years we’d spent longing for her.
• 9

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Birth Photography
  Alexandra: I’ve wanted to be a surrogate for a while, but I’d been told I had to wait until I was done having my own kids. My daughter is 5 and my son is 2, and they understood what I was doing. My son wasn’t that happy with the idea of me having another baby, but my daughter adored her before she was born.
• 10

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Alexandra: My interest in becoming a surrogate came from my ex-stepmom. She had breast cancer and before she started treatment, she froze some of her eggs. Even after she beat it, they told her there was a chance she wouldn’t be able to conceive, so I offered to be her surrogate if she wanted. She said she was really grateful, but she really wanted to carry her own child if she could, which I completely understand. But it made me think, like, if I can’t do it for her, I can do it for someone else.
• 11

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Johan: In Sweden, we generally like to think of ourselves as super progressive and open-minded, but when it comes to the different ways of becoming parents, the United States is in the lead in many ways. Imagine, surrogacy is still not possible where we are from!
• 12

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Jakob: We have experienced such openness and kindness here. I’m already looking forward to traveling back here with our daughter when she’s older to visit the woman who carried her for nine months.
• 13

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Alexandra: The first transfer we tried resulted in a miscarriage at seven weeks, and it was awful. I remember telling the fertility clinic because I didn’t know how to tell the guys. It was sad, and I was worried they’d blame me or something. Of course, they didn’t at all. I’m so happy we tried again, and that it worked.
• 14

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Alexandra: I loved being a surrogate. I did tell the guys that if they wanted to try for another baby, I would for sure do it.
• 15

  

  Tammy Schmitt Little Leapling Photography
  Jakob: I don’t know if I dare say it, but life with a newborn has been surprisingly easy so far. She is so calm and seems to be in a good mood all the time. We might not be getting the sleep we’re used to, but getting out of bed in the middle of the night to make her happy is no problem at all. We almost compete to be the first to get to her!
• 16

  

  Tammy Schmit Little Leapling Photography
  Jakob: We have both totally fallen in love with this little girl.

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Women who obtain baby through surrogacy entitled to maternity leave

In a welcome move, Bombay High Court recently directed maternity leave to be granted to a woman who had attained motherhood through surrogacy.

The Bench, comprising Justice Anoop V. Mohta and Justice G.S. Kulkarni observed, “Having considered even Rule 551 (C) and (E) of Child Adoption Leave and Rules, we find that a case is made out for grant of interim relief in terms of prayer clause (b) as there is nothing in rule 551 (C) and (E) as referred above, which would disentitle maternity leave to a women who has attained motherhood through surrogacy procedure.”

Accordingly, the Court directed the Central Railway to grant 180 days maternity leave to its woman employee.

The petitioner had given birth to twins through the procedure of surrogacy and thereafter applied for Maternity Leave relying on Rule 551(C) of the Indian Railway Establishment Board. The application was however rejected on the ground that the petitioner, before entering into an agreement of surrogacy, did not take permission of the Railway Board.

The Counsel for the petitioner, Sandeep Shinde and Tanya Goswami had brought to the notice of the Court a Division Bench judgment of Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court in the case of Dr. Mrs. Hema Vijay Menon v. State of Maharashtra & Ors.,Writ Petition No.3288 of 2015, where it was specifically observed, “A woman cannot be discriminated, as far as maternity benefits are concerned, only on the ground that she has obtained the baby through surrogacy. Though the petitioner did not give birth to the child, the child was placed in the secured hands of the petitioner as soon as it was born. A newly born child cannot be left at the mercy of others.

A maternity leave to the commissioning mother like the petitioner would be necessary. A newly born child needs rearing and that is the most crucial period during which the child requires the care and attention of his mother. There is a tremendous amount of learning that takes place in the first year of the baby’s life, the baby learns a lot too. Also, the bond of affection has to be developed. A mother, as already stated hereinabove, would include a commissioning mother or a mother securing a child through surrogacy. Any other interpretation would result in frustrating the object of providing maternity leave to a mother, who has begotten the child.”

Agreeing with the Petitioner, the Court granted the relief and posted the matter for disposal on March 11.

Last year, Kerala High Court had delivered a similar ruling, observing that women employees cannot be discriminated against for maternity benefits, solely on the ground that they obtained the baby through surrogacy. Justice Dama Seshadri Naidu had considered the dichotomy of maternity- pre and post natal. He had upheld the proposition, and observed, “From day one after the delivery, the petitioner is required to be treated as the mother with a newborn baby. Thus, without discriminating, it can be held that the petitioner is entitled to all the benefits that accrue to an employee after the delivery, as have been provided under the Act or the Staff Rules. Nothing more; nothing less, for the petitioner cannot compel the employer to place her on a higher pedestal than a natural mother could have been placed, after undergoing the pregnancy.”
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Father’s hopes for single parent surrogacy law change