All mothers hope to one day be grandmothers. But what if it’s not that simple to have a child of your own? Well, as was the case for this family, a grandmother decided to help her son out by getting pregnant with her own biological granddaughter.
Becoming a grandmother was something Cecile Eledge could not wait to become. There was, however, just one small little problem. Her son, Matthew, was Gay.[1]
Finding a Surrogate
Cecile’s son, Matthew, and his husband Elliot had decided to start looking into surrogate options so that they could have a baby. Of course, finding and using a surrogate can be a costly and timely exercise. This was when Cecile had an idea. She suggested to her son and son-in-law that she acted as a surrogate and carried the baby for them. Meaning she would carry her own biological granddaughter!
Matthew and Elliot laughed it off; after all, Cecile was already 59 years old at the time. It probably was not even possible for her to carry a baby at that age, so the whole idea was far too silly, and it became a bit of a joke.
A Visit to The Doctor
Matthew and Elliot visited their Doctor, Dr. Carolyn Maud Doherty, when they laughingly brought up the idea of Matthews’s mother acting as a surrogate. To their surprise, Dr. Doherty did not laugh at the idea but actually thought it was possible!
So, Cecile went in for some testing to see how possible it really was, and the joke starting looking more like an actual viable option.[2]
“She’s 61 years old and has lower blood pressure than the rest of us. When they made her run on a treadmill, even when it was turned up to the highest level, she wasn’t anywhere close to the danger zone.”
Matthew Eledge
Cecile was given the green light to carry a baby for Matthew and Elliot.
“I’m very health-conscious, there was no reason whatsoever to doubt that I could carry the baby.“
Cecile Eledge
Matthew provided the sperm, and his husband, Elliot’s sister Lea provided an egg to be transplanted into Cecile.
Seeking an IVF Biological Granddaughter, Expensive Process
Elliot and Matthew were in for quite a shock with all the medical bills involved. After looking into IVF options, they did not think they could afford to have a baby, even with Elliot’s sister providing the egg.
The cheapest IVF option was $40,000 and would not be covered by insurance. The egg retrieval and transfer cost them around $12,000, and insurance would not cover the costs involved for the birth, either.
Thankfully, Lea’s freely donated eggs saved them tens of thousands of dollars.
“I do think it’s sad that IVF as a process is exclusive to those who can afford it, and for queer couples, it’s a particular challenge.”
Matthew Eledge
Pregnant With Her Biological Granddaughter
Cecile, Matthew, and Elliot were told not to get any home pregnancy tests after the transplant was done. But of course, a week after the embryo was transplanted, Cecile got one anyway. She was very disappointed to see that the test was negative.
Matthew came over later because of the sad news, but when he looked at the home pregnancy test, he noticed something his mom had overlooked – there was indeed a second line on the test!
Cecile says that the pregnancy went very well, and apart from the usual pregnancy symptoms being a little more intense compare to her first three children.
Cecile gave birth to her own biological granddaughter on March 25th, 2019. Matthew and Elliot named their baby Uma Louise Dougherty-Eledge.
“Seeing her — it’s so hard to explain. I just want to stare at her. I think I lost it when I realized she’s no longer a thought, an idea. She’s here! We did this. We all did this together.”
Matthew Eledge
Keep Reading: Study: Grandparents Who Babysit May Live Longer
References
- “Nebraska grandmother acts as surrogate for gay son.” BBC News. Holly Honderich. December 2, 2020.
- “Woman Gives Birth To Her Own Biological Granddaughter So Her Son Can Have a Child.” Tiphero.