Joe and I had four kids. My new friends Hayley and Paul had none. Was there something we could do to help them? By Michaela Fuller, 31
I looked down at the little bundle in my arms and my heart melted.
I’d just given birth to my son Fable.
Even though he was my fourth child, the thrill of holding my new baby for the first time was every bit as wonderful as it had been with the other three.
‘Look at our little man,’ I said to my husband Joe.
‘He’s perfect,’ he replied. ‘Just like the others.’
I brought Fable home, and he met his siblings Aoife, Everly and Arwen.
With four kids, I felt so lucky.
I’d read so many stories about other women who’d struggled to conceive, and it was heartbreaking to think of them being denied this joy.
And a thought struck me.
I turned to Joe and said: ‘I’d like to look at being a surrogate.’
After having Everly, I’d read about surrogacy. But Joe and I had agreed that we’d have all of our children first.
Now, I knew the time was right.
‘I fully support you, love,’ Joe said.
'I fully support you, love'
I chose not to go through a surrogacy agency. I didn’t want money, but I did want to make a connection with a couple.
So I found a Facebook group called Missing Piece Surrogacy Community UK, and spotted a post from a lady called Hayley Smith.
She was new to the group, and explained that she and her husband had been desperate to have a baby, but she’d lost her womb to ovarian cancer.
Though she’d had the all-clear since, Hayley was still heartbroken because being a mum was her dream.
My heart went out to her.
I’m sorry for what you’ve been through, I wrote. Welcome to the group.
Two weeks later,
I got a message from her.
Hi Michaela, how are you? she said. Thanks for your warm welcome.
We got chatting and clicked. Hayley was bubbly and friendly, and before long we were messaging every day.
Then a few months on, we met up near my home in Overton, Hampshire.
We went for a walk and Hayley told me that being unable to carry her baby was more painful than getting the cancer diagnosis.
Her story really touched me, and later I told Joe: ‘She’s the one.’
Hayley and I started meeting up every month. She brought her niece to meet my kids, and we got Joe and Hayley’s husband Paul involved too.
We had picnics in the park, and did arts and crafts with the kids. Hayley and Paul became part of our family.
‘You’re like a sister to me,’
I told her.
We even met each other’s parents.
A year on, Hayley and I were shopping one day when she said: ‘Would you be our surrogate?’
We hadn’t actually discussed it much, but there was no doubt in my mind.
‘Of course I will,’ I replied.
Tears fell as we hugged.
I explained to my kids that I was going to have a baby for Hayley, and they were so excited about it.
Hayley and I drew up our own agreement, and a few months later, I travelled to London for the transfer. We were using donor eggs and Paul’s sperm.
Sadly, the embryo didn’t take.
However, we tried again, and 10 days after the second transfer I had some wonderful news.
‘I’m pregnant!’ I told Joe.
He scooped me up into his arms, hugging me tight.
Shaking with excitement, I created a display board decorated with snowflakes and a picture of the pregnancy test result, and I snapped a photo of it.
Then I sent it to Hayley.
Within seconds, my phone rang. It was Hayley and she was in tears.
‘You’re having our baby!’ she cried.
Hayley came to every appointment, and Paul joined us
for every scan.
They held a
gender-reveal party
at their home in Kent, inviting my family and theirs.
I ordered two cannons full of colourful confetti to be released.
Hayley and Paul held on to one, and Aoife and their niece held the other.
When the time
was right, the cannons exploded
in a flurry of bright blue.
‘It’s a boy!’ I cried.
Then, just after my due date, I woke at 2am with sharp pains.
I shook Joe awake and said: ‘I’m having the baby!’
We dropped the kids off with family and Joe took me to hospital.
Hayley and Paul met us there, and the four of us went to the delivery room.
I was in pain, but Hayley held my hand throughout.
After 90 minutes, little Mason arrived safe and sound.
‘Would you like to hold him?’ the midwife asked me.
‘No, give him to Hayley,’ I told her.
She passed him to Hayley and she sobbed with joy.
Watching her, my heart swelled.
I knew that feeling — holding your baby for the first time — and I was so happy I’d helped my friends to experience it.
Hayley turned to me and said: ‘I love you. Thank you so much.’
Now Mason is eight months, and he’s doing so well. Hayley and Paul are wonderful parents.
We see each other all the time, and our children think of Mason as a cousin.
I’ve told Hayley I’ll help her with a sibling, but we’ll see what happens. Our journey has brought two families together and created a whole new one. It’s wonderful.
Hayley told Take a Break: ‘I couldn’t have met anyone better than Michaela to carry my baby. She was so respectful and compassionate throughout, and always put my feelings first. Mason means the world to us, and there are no words to thank her, but I want her to see him grow up. I know I’ve made friends for life in Michaela and her wonderful family.’