BUNDABERG mother-of-two Melissah Smith knows the joys of being a parent, but she knows many others will never get that chance.
That is why when she gives birth to a baby girl on Thursday, she will hand her over to a New South Wales husband and wife who are unable to conceive their own child.
Mrs Smith is a surrogate, a woman who has given up more than a year of her life to go through testing, psychiatric assessments, nine months of pregnancy and finally birth, all so two strangers can have a family.
"My auntie could never have kids and did IVF in the 80s, but she still never fell pregnant, so it was something I always wanted to do," she said.
Mrs Smith first came into contact with the intended parents last year after leaving her name with a law firm in Brisbane. Months later, after plenty of tests and consideration, she became pregnant using the couple's egg and sperm.
"I had never met them before all this started, but now we speak nearly every day," she said.
"The first time I met them, it was like I already knew them - I think we were meant to meet each other."
Mrs Smith, who has two boys aged 11 and six, said under the Surrogacy Act, she could at any time choose to keep the child.
"Even though it's all their DNA and they have spent tens of thousands of dollars, I could just turn around and say, 'I'm keeping this baby'," she said.
For Surrogacy Service
Read more...http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2012/05/19/surrogate-mum-set-for-lifes-toughest-journey/
That is why when she gives birth to a baby girl on Thursday, she will hand her over to a New South Wales husband and wife who are unable to conceive their own child.
Mrs Smith is a surrogate, a woman who has given up more than a year of her life to go through testing, psychiatric assessments, nine months of pregnancy and finally birth, all so two strangers can have a family.
"My auntie could never have kids and did IVF in the 80s, but she still never fell pregnant, so it was something I always wanted to do," she said.
Mrs Smith first came into contact with the intended parents last year after leaving her name with a law firm in Brisbane. Months later, after plenty of tests and consideration, she became pregnant using the couple's egg and sperm.
"I had never met them before all this started, but now we speak nearly every day," she said.
"The first time I met them, it was like I already knew them - I think we were meant to meet each other."
Mrs Smith, who has two boys aged 11 and six, said under the Surrogacy Act, she could at any time choose to keep the child.
"Even though it's all their DNA and they have spent tens of thousands of dollars, I could just turn around and say, 'I'm keeping this baby'," she said.
For Surrogacy Service
Read more...http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2012/05/19/surrogate-mum-set-for-lifes-toughest-journey/
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