NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Womb for rent: Meet the mum who loves being pregnant so much that she's become a surrogate

NZ Herald
1 May, 2017 10:00 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

"Becoming a mother was the greatest gift I could ever receive." Photo / Caters

"Becoming a mother was the greatest gift I could ever receive." Photo / Caters

A mum-of-two who loves being pregnant has decided to become a surrogate and even offered her womb for "rent" on social media.

Michelle Griffin, 25, from Perth in Western Australia, posted a moving image online announcing her wish to be someone's surrogate, after becoming a mum left her with a
strong desire to help struggling couples become parents.

After talking to her New Zealand born husband Trent, 26, about her dream to carry more children, the fulltime mother to Leilani, 3, and Isaac, 20 months, set out on a journey to find the right parents-to-be.

Despite being inundated since her post went live on Instagram almost a year ago, Griffin is still considering potential parents, and is looking forward to being an "oven" for a deserving family soon.

Michelle with husband Trent, daughter Leilani and Issac her baby boy. Photo / Caters
Michelle with husband Trent, daughter Leilani and Issac her baby boy. Photo / Caters

She said: "I am so completely happy with my two wonderful children but I still crave being pregnant.

"It's like a little fire ignited in me after having my own children. Surrogacy was on my mind pretty much all of the time so I talked to my husband and we decided to take action.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"When I posted the photo, offering my 'womb for rent' I had no idea what to expect.

"So many people came forward, including friends or family members, who needed the help of a surrogate.

"My pregnancies were so easy and natural, it felt like giving birth is something I was born to do. If there was a way I could help someone else, why wouldn't I do it?"

Griffin discovered her love of the birthing process when she unexpectedly fell pregnant with her daughter Leilani in 2013.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Michelle Griffin with baby Isaac. Photo / Caters
Michelle Griffin with baby Isaac. Photo / Caters

She said: "My husband and I weren't trying for a baby. In fact, I was feeling a bit lost as I didn't have a career or know what I wanted to do.

"I'd had a few jobs in hospitality, working in restaurants and bars but nothing really felt right. I didn't know what I was going to do with my life.

"Then after missing a period, we discovered I was 22-weeks pregnant and suddenly everything made sense.

"Being pregnant was an amazing feeling and the birth was just so effortless and beautiful. I knew I'd been put on this earth to produce children."

Discover more

Lifestyle

'We longed for it': Couple's baby joy

05 Jan 04:00 PM

Despite her overwhelming connection with giving birth, Griffin and her husband felt that their family was complete after the arrival of Isaac last year.

Griffin said: "I knew our family was complete, but I still had this strong desire to be pregnant again.

"I tried to ignore the feeling and instead channel it into a more realistic avenue and decided to become involved in the art of labour somehow.

"That's when I trained as a birth doula. But it only ignited the flame further and eventually I realised I couldn't ignore it. I had to be a surrogate."

After educating themselves on the laws and procedures surrounding surrogacy - which include being unable to profit from being a surrogate and months of counselling - Griffin posted her "womb for rent" advert on her social media.

Michelle Griffin in labour with Leilani. Photo / Caters
Michelle Griffin in labour with Leilani. Photo / Caters

She said: "We knew I wanted to be gestational surrogate, which meant I would only be a 'tummy mummy' and have no biological connection to the child, and that the process would be lengthy.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Pushing send on the post gave me so much joy.

"Within minutes I was getting messages of support and possible IP's [intended parents] were reaching out to me.

"After talking to many, including some we've met through the surrogacy community, we're only just getting to a point where we might have found the right IPs for us.

"I can't wait to begin the whole process one day soon."

She added: "Some people have been confused by the use of the word 'rent' in my post. I'm definitely not asking for money in exchange for using my womb. I just felt it was a powerful way to get my message across."

Griffin's gift to a childless couple is an incredibly selfless act, but she's aware of the effect it may have on her family.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said: "I'm so thankful my husband is incredibly supportive and I'm already telling the kids that one day I will grow a baby for someone else, so they get used to the idea.

"I'm not worried about handing the baby over at the end of the nine months as, for me, this is all about helping a family to become complete like mine.

"I'm more than happy to take an 'aunty' type role in the child's life, seeing them every now and again and watching from afar as they grow."

She added: "Becoming a mother was the greatest gift I could ever receive.

"Being lucky enough to give such a gift to another couple would be the most amazing thing I could ever do.

"I hope my womb can finally help someone else finally complete their family and be as happy as I am."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

No more crying in the kitchen: 'Tearless' onions launch in NZ - at a cost

07 Jul 06:27 AM
Premium
Lifestyle

My weird week on a Government-prescribed ‘perfect diet’

07 Jul 06:00 AM
Premium
Lifestyle

What makes someone cool? These six traits it seems

07 Jul 01:08 AM

Sponsored: Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

No more crying in the kitchen: 'Tearless' onions launch in NZ - at a cost

No more crying in the kitchen: 'Tearless' onions launch in NZ - at a cost

07 Jul 06:27 AM

Tearless onions are now being grown in Auckland and sold nationwide.

Premium
My weird week on a Government-prescribed ‘perfect diet’

My weird week on a Government-prescribed ‘perfect diet’

07 Jul 06:00 AM
Premium
What makes someone cool? These six traits it seems

What makes someone cool? These six traits it seems

07 Jul 01:08 AM
Premium
I thought my stitch was from over-exercising. It turned out to be cancer

I thought my stitch was from over-exercising. It turned out to be cancer

07 Jul 12:25 AM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP