Meet the 51-year-old mum carrying her daughter's baby

Breanna Lockwood's mum Julie Loving is carrying her child for her. Photo / Supplied

A US mum has become a surrogate for her own daughter, making their bond even stronger.

Breanna Lockwood had learned she wasn't able to have a successful pregnancy after multiple rounds of IVF, miscarriages and surgeries, according to People.

But her mother Julie Loving, 51, stepped in to carry the next generation of her family as she prepares to give birth to her daughter's child on November 12.

Lockwood said her mother was the "closest place to home" for her new baby.

"My mom wants to be a grandma just as much as I want to be a mom, so she's doing everything she can."

She told Good Morning America that going through infertility was the hardest struggle she'd ever faced.

"When you have a plan for your life and then something like infertility gets in the way, I felt like I couldn't see what I pictured anymore, that it could be taken away from me."

But then Loving suggested surrogacy to her daughter after her pregnancy with twins ended in a miscarriage.

"I started to talk to her about it. She was not on board and thought I was crazy, but I just kept pursuing it," Loving said.

"I've run 19 marathons and done many triathlons. I felt like health-wise I could do it and I had really easy pregnancies with my two kids."

View this post on Instagram

They say, “It takes a village to raise a child”, but for some it can take a village to HAVE a child... ⠀ ⠀ We are happy to announce, finally, ...⠀ BABY LOCKWOOD IS ON THE WAY! ⠀ ⠀ Made with a lot of love, and a little bit of science...⠀ Baby Lockwood will be brought into this world via GESTATIONAL CARRIER, and this little miracle’s carrier is quite a special one. ⠀ ⠀ MY MOM.⠀ My mom will be carrying and delivering our baby!⠀ ⠀ The biggest supporter in my life is giving us our biggest blessing. My beautiful mama is carrying her first grandchild, Aaron and my biological child, as a gestational carrier!⠀ ⠀ Aaron and I had our reproductive DNA taken, fertilized, tested, and frozen via IVF, as my mom breezed through every preliminary test she took, to be able to give us this gift. Defying the odds at 51 years old, she’s pushing reproductive science out of the box, as ONE of only a handful of surrogates NATIONWIDE to deliver their grandchild via gestational surrogacy!⠀ ⠀ The trials and tribulations of infertility was undoubtedly the hardest venture we have had to face in our lives. ⠀ ⠀ In short that included...⠀ ⠀ 1311 days⠀ 476 injections⠀ 64 blood draws⠀ 7 surgical procedures ⠀ 3 rounds of harvesting eggs⠀ 19 frozen embryos ⠀ 8 IVF frozen embryo transfers total⠀ 4 failed embryo transfers⠀ 1 singleton miscarriage⠀ 1 twin miscarriage ⠀ 1 ectopic pregnancy ⠀ Countless tears⠀ ⠀ Sharing this adventure with my mom has been the most unique and amazing experience. Surrogacy is truly the most selfless gift. She is the pure example of “you would do anything for your kids”, and if i can even be half of the mother she is, I know i’m doing something right...⠀ ⠀ I want to give a special thanks to Dr. Kaplan with @fertilitycentersofillinois for his compassion and care in this field.⠀ ⠀ Baby Lockwood we can’t wait to meet you...⠀ See you in November!

A post shared by Breanna Lockwood (@ivf.surrogacy.diary) on Jun 5, 2020 at 5:34pm PDT

The mum and daughter revealed there were several hoops for them to jump through, including being seen by five specialists and undergoing several tests.

In a "unique" situation, Loving passed all the requirements, as not everyone opting for surrogacy can use their mother.

In March doctors confirmed that Loving was pregnant with her daughter's baby and her granddaughter after a successful embryo transfer in February.

The duo has gone to all doctor's appointments together and spend time together daily, though they have to be mindful that Loving is pregnant amid a global pandemic.

"We're just doing what we can at this crazy time in the world," Lockwood said.

"With doctor's appointments, I have been able to attend every appointment, but sometimes I have to really beg to let me go. My husband hasn't been allowed to so we video everything we can and fill him in on everything when we get back to the car."

Lockwood revealed this week that the baby was a girl, announcing it on Instagram.

"Baby GIRL you are so loved," she wrote beside a photo of her and her husband Aaron.

Lockwood says she and her husband can't wait to tell their daughter "we did everything we could to bring you into the world".

Loving said she was looking forward to telling her granddaughter she had carried her in the womb.

"We're going to be really open with her at a really young age and tell her when we feel like she can understand, and just tell her the truth."