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US mom to give birth to her own grandchild

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A 58-year-old US woman is set to give birth in a few weeks — to her first grandchild.

Julia Navarro is serving as a gestational surrogate for her daughter and son-in-law after the couple struggled with fertility problems.

Navarro's daughter Lorena McKinnon said she began trying to have a baby with her husband, Micah McKinnon, three years ago.

The 32-year-old, from Provo, Utah, said she's had about a dozen miscarriages, with the longest pregnancy lasting 10 weeks.

After several tries, the couple began looking for a surrogate. McKinnon said a friend and sister both considered carrying her baby, but ultimately decided against it.

Read: If your mother took synthetic oestrogen, you may be at risk for fertility problems

A mother's help

That's when her mother offered to step in.

"As a family, we have to help each other," Navarro told The Salt Lake Tribune.

Navarro had to undergo hormone shots for three months before an embryo fertilised by her daughter and son-in-law could be implanted. Because of her age, doctors had warned there was only a 45% chance the implantation would be successful.

But the procedure was a success, and Navarro said she's had a smooth pregnancy carrying a developing baby girl.

Counselling needed

As with other surrogacy arrangements, the couple and Navarro needed three months of counselling.

"The psychologists wanted to make sure we knew what we were getting into that we were mentally prepared," McKinnon said. "Mostly, surrogacy contracts are with people you don't know. It was weird to have a contract with my mom."

Read: Surrogate pregnancies increasing

It's unclear how rare it is for a woman to carry her own grandchild, but recent news reports have detailed similar relationships.

Last year, a 53-year-old Iowa woman gave birth to her twin granddaughters. And in 2012, a 49-year-old woman in Maine gave birth to her grandson.

Mother and daughter bonding

McKinnon said she was grateful and overwhelmed by her mother's offer, which eases some of the obstacles and financial burdens for parents using a gestational surrogate.

Both she and her daughter said they've bonded over the experience.

The baby girl is due in early February.


Read More:

Surrogate granny gives birth

Surrogate mothers tell their tales

Being a surrogate mom


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