Grandmother, 61, gives birth to granddaughter for son and his husband

Cecile Eledge said she had 'no hesitation' in offering to be surrogate for her son and his husband. Photo / Instagram

A 61-year-old woman has given birth to her own granddaughter — after carrying the baby for her son and his husband.

Matthew Eledge, 32, and Elliot Dougherty, 29, recently welcomed daughter Uma Louise Dougherty-Eledge thanks to the kind help of Matthew's mum, Cecile Eledge.

Cecile said she had "no hesitation" in offering to be their surrogate when they revealed they wanted to start a family.

However, before it could happen, there was a lengthy process to determine whether she was fit to carry a baby due to her age.

Once doctors gave the go-ahead, the US-based couple used an egg donated by Elliot's sister, Lea Yribe — while Matthew donated the sperm.

"There was no moment of hesitation," Cecile said in a statement by Nebraska Medicine Center. "It was natural instinct."

Matthew and Elliot are thrilled to have become parents to daughter Uma Louise Dougherty-Eledge using Matthew's sperm and Elliot's sister's egg. Photo / Instagram

The pair are now settling into life as parents, revealing they're filled with "happiness and gratitude" for the gift they've been given.

"We are thankful with how the whole process worked," he said in the hospital issued statement.

"We are really grateful that both Uma and her grandma are here, happy and healthy. For the time being, we're just going to relax and enjoy this moment."

Uma's arrival on March 25, weighing 2.6kg was captured by photographer Ariel Panowicz, who shared some touching images of the birth.

"Carried and birthed by her 61 year old Grandmother, and created by her two Dads and loving Aunt, Uma is surrounded by an immense amount of love," she wrote.

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Well, holy smokes, y'all. Little tiny Uma Louise has ventured into this world and let me tell you, she is simply perfect. Carried and birthed by her 61 year old Grandmother, and created by her two Dads and loving Aunt, Uma is surrounded by an immense amount of love. Being a part of today was amazing. Cele, you are a warrior. @matt_eledge + @ephemeral.elliot, you're already the best Dads. Can't wait to watch you all grow. ♥️ P.S., EVERYONE TAG @theellenshow. Y’all know she’d love this.

A post shared by Ariel Panowicz (@arielpanowicz) on Mar 25, 2019 at 3:49pm PDT

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Wow, y’all. The last 48 hours have been cray. The incredible feedback from this story has just basically sent my heart into full overflow mode. I am so beyond happy for this amazing family. The cuteness. Can ya even?! Thank you to everyone for the incredible kindness. ♥️

A post shared by Ariel Panowicz (@arielpanowicz) on Mar 30, 2019 at 3:50pm PDT

Her doting parents have also been sharing a stream of adorable images of their baby, who will one day hear the incredible story of how she arrived.

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Uma is officially home with us. We are a little pack now and this home is our little den. I have spent months getting this space ready, cleaning and organising and meditating and clearing the energy so it could be such a dreamy space to welcome her into. She is taking it all in and so are we. I cannot even begin to explain how grateful and excited and blessed I am feeling. This is heaven.

A post shared by ELLIOT (@ephemeral.elliot) on Mar 26, 2019 at 12:09pm PDT

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Skin-to-skin with you gazing into my eyes. I am excited to watch you grow, but I would be happy like this forever. 🖤

A post shared by ELLIOT (@ephemeral.elliot) on Mar 30, 2019 at 3:22pm PDT

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I have to take a moment to publicly say THANK YOU for the absolutely ridiculous amount of support so many of you have given me and my family these past couple of days: the texts, the gifts, the online support, the love! I really need to respond to all of you individually, but the whirlwind of this media attention as well as the whirlwind of being a brand new parent has been an intense and all-consuming undertaking. Please know that I’m endlessly grateful. @ephemeral.elliot is much better at online updates, but for now, I give you this: our precious Uma Louise peacefully sleeping on my chest (and even better, after my first night of actual sleep). This is bliss. Not sure I deserve this joy I’m feeling right now, but I’ll take it.

A post shared by Matt Eledge (@matt_eledge) on Mar 30, 2019 at 6:34am PDT

The doctor who delivered Uma, Ramzy Nakad, noted that this birth was "definitely a very exceptional case."

Social media has been set alight with love and support for the family, with people branding the family "incredible".

"Frickin amazing," one person wrote on Instagram.

While another said: "How beautiful and incredible is this story and birth. What a superstar!!!!! The most precious and selfless gift anyone could ever give!"

According to IVF Australia, strict surrogacy laws would prevent a case like this happening here, as there can be no genetic link to the child.