There isn’t much that brings more joy than welcoming a tiny baby into the world and starting a family. From the moment you get that positive pregnancy test, to the moment you hold that precious little one in your arms, it truly is an incredible journey. However, for many couples around the world, it isn’t always as straightforward as that.
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Struggling with fertility is a common issue around the world. Fortunately, there are various options that can help make conception possible for these less fortunate couples. For Breanna and Aaron Lockwood, the answer to their fertility problems was far from what you would normally expect. In fact, the story ended up hitting headlines throughout the world. Let’s take a look at this incredible story and the miracle that was Breanna’s birth.
Soon To Be Parents
In many ways, Aaron and Breanna Lockwood had the perfect home life. They had a happy marriage and this was, in part, due to the fact that they seem to be a perfect match with their naturally positive and enthusiastic personalities. They seemed to be thoroughly enjoying all that life has to offer.
Source: Aaron Lockwood/Facebook
While the pair were very much in love and content with their lives, there was still one thing missing. They wanted to bring a child into the world, to complete their happy family. However, the couple had no idea of the challenges they would face or of the difficult journey they were about to embark upon.
Private Struggles
To those on the outside looking in, it seemed like the perfect time for this happy couple to think about starting a family. It was clear that this lovely couple would treat a baby with such care and attention and would love it unconditionally.
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Initially, they remained patient. They knew that trying for a baby sometimes takes time and they were hoping to conceive naturally. However, there is only so much patience a person can have and after a significant amount of time trying, the couple realised that this wasn’t going to be easy. Help would, indeed, come, but from the most unlikely source.
A Devastating Blow
After many years of trying, and ultimately failing, to conceive, the couple decided to consult their doctor. They hoped for good news, but this was not to be. The couple were dealt a devastating blow which would change the course of their future dramatically.
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Neither of them were ready to hear this tragic news. They had reminded themselves of the potential difficulties of conceiving, before giving it a try, but nothing could prepare them for this. It was the last thing they wanted to hear, as would be the case for anyone wanting to conceive.
Challenging times
Breanna opened up about the struggles she and her husband had faced in their attempts to conceive. They were so desperate to bring a baby into the world that they would love and care for, but, as fate would have it, their dreams of becoming parents were about to be crushed.
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“Struggling with infertility was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through,” Lockwood said to Good Morning America. “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.”
Finally An Explanation
The coupe had tried, tirelessly, to conceive, and had even endured long rounds of IVF and hormone treatment in their attempt to get Breanna pregnant. They were about to hear some news that would make all of their effort up until this point, appear to have been totally pointless.
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“After many many years of infertility and loss, we had our doctor come to us and say that ultimately my uterus was incapable of growing a child,” Breanna explained. What’s more, this wasn’t the only shocking piece of news they would receive that day.
Further Complications
Breanna Lockwood spoke openly about her experience and the loss the couple had faced. Going through something like this isn’t something that tends to be easy to talk about. We admire Breanna’s courage and her evident desire to help anyone going through similar struggles.
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“On our path to become parents, I had a few miscarriages,” she shared. “And one that required a D&C (procedure to remove pregnancy) and I developed a condition called Ashermans Syndrome. Ashermans Syndrome is where bands of scar tissue form inside your uterus. Most commonly from a D&C procedure. Google will tell you it’s rare, but that’s not true. It mostly goes undiagnosed. I had no idea this could happen prior to going into the operating room that day, and I am still devastated by it.”
This diagnosis meant that the chance to conceive was slipping even further away for the couple.
Other Options
The doctor was well aware of how difficult the news about the couple’s chances of conceiving would be for them to hear. This wasn’t easy to tell them. The doctor suggested an option to them that could help the couple to finally become parents.
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He suggested that they might want to consider surrogacy. This is when a couple’s baby is carried in the uterus of another woman. The Lockwoods considered the idea. Little did they know, a plan was beginning to form in the mind of one of their loved ones.
Loving By Nature
While Breanna was struggling enormously in her attempts to conceive, there was someone close to her who hadn’t had any problems conceiving. For Breanna’s mother, Julie Loving, her fertility journey had been a lot less challenging. She hadn’t come up against any hurdles at all.
Source: Julie Ader Loving/Facebook
She had given birth twice, without any problems. In fact, she was still in very good health today. As Loving struggled witnessing her daughter’s pain and despair at the process, an idea suddenly dawned on her regarding how she could best support her daughter.
Brainstorming
Julie couldn’t bear to see her daughter and son-in-law going through this enormous amount of pain. As she witnessed her daughter undergoing gruelling IVF procedures and suffering through countless miscarriages, she desperately tried to think of a way of helping her loved ones get through this horrible ordeal.
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Having had such an easy time with conception and pregnancy, Julie wished, more than anything, that she could bless her daughter with the same experience. After mulling this all over for a long time, Julie had a sudden brave wave. However, she was sure that this was a suggestion that her daughter wouldn’t be too thrilled to hear.
Potential Solution?
Julie knew that her daughter would most likely dismiss this idea as a terrible one and she didn’t want to give her anymore grief, but, at the same time, she knew that this idea she had could be the solution and could, ultimately, bring her daughter the joy she well and truly deserved.
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Loving, given that she was in considerably good health herself, wanted to offer herself as a surrogate for her daughter. She was willing to make this huge sacrifice due to the love she felt for her daughter. She wanted to see Breanna happy, above all else. Knowing that it was likely Breanna would refuse, Loving psyched herself up to suggest this to her daughter.
A Difficult Conversation
After giving this a significant amount of thought, Loving proposed this crazy idea to her daughter. She told her that she would be happy to carry their child for them, emphasising the fact that she was fit and healthy and that her experience with pregnancy had been smooth sailing.
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Just as she had expected, Breanna instantly rejected this idea, telling her mother that she was mad to even suggest it. “I started to talk to her about it,” Loving explained. “She was not on board and thought I was crazy.” This was not at all the reaction Loving had hoped for, but could she blame her daughter for reacting in this way?
Perseverance
All Julie wanted was to bring happiness and joy to the daughter she so loved. Her suggestion actually ended up creating a rift in their relationship. It did more damage than good, since Breanna was so against the idea. What should Julie do?
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While Julie knew that Breanna wasn’t at all on board with the idea, she refused to give up hope. “I just kept pursuing it,” she revealed. “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.”
Breanna Wasn’t Keen
While Julie felt ever confident that she was more than capable of undertaking this challenging task, Breanna remained adamant that she would not accept her mother’s generous offer. Julie would need to do some serious convincing if she really wanted this to go ahead.
Source: Julie Ader Loving/Facebook
“I just kept telling her no and kept turning her down pretty frequently,” Breanna revealed to CBS NEWS. “I didn’t think it was a possibility with my mom’s age, and my mom was actually menopausal… So, as far as I knew about reproductive science, that didn’t add up, that wouldn’t work.” However, Lockwood was about to be proved wrong…
Not Such A Bad Idea
Despite Breanna’s initial reluctance, her mother managed to convince her to at least do some research into the idea. It transpired that, the more the pair looked into the idea, the more they realised that it could actually be the answer. Breanna was beginning to seriously consider the idea.
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It turned out that, despite the fact that Julie was 51 years old and had already been through the menopause, she was, nonetheless, a great candidate for the role of surrogate mother. Now that this actually appeared to be a viable option, they had some serious thinking to do. This was a huge decision. Would they actually go through with this crazy idea?
The Love Of A Mother
Whether they ultimately carried this plan out or not, this incredible gesture from Breanna’s mother was a real reflection of this mother’s love for her daughter and of her strength of character. Not all mother’s would be willing to do this, especially not 51 year old mothers!
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“One thing about my mom is when she sets her mind to something, she goes for it,” she stated in a post on Instagram. “She’s a hardcore athlete, who’s completed multiple Boston marathons and super into health and fitness. She sets a goal and she goes for it.”
The Perfect Woman For The Job
After a lot of deliberating and multiple discussions with family, friends and doctors, Breanna decided to go ahead with the surrogacy. She knew it was a little crazy, but it was the best possible chance for her to welcome a baby into the world.
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Lockwood explained how she had so much faith and confidence in her mother. She believed that no one was better suited to taking on this task than her. “I feel like my mom is the closest place to home she can be, rather than my own body,” she explained. “My mom wants to be a grandma just as much as I want to be a mom, so she’s doing everything she can.”
Taking The Plunge
After many long conversations on the subject, Julie and the Lockwoods decided to take the plunge and commit to the idea. It was time to take the next step and begin the surrogacy process. What an amazing bonding experience this would be for this mother and daughter!
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Anyone would find this process extremely nerve-wracking, but not Julie. She was amazingly calm about everything, confident that things would turn out okay. “I wasn’t really nervous about it,” she explained to CBS News. “I’m pretty healthy, so I thought going into it, “I’m healthier than I was in my 20s.” So I really wasn’t worried about anything.”
Getting The Ball Rolling
Lockwood gave a detailed account of how the process happened and outlined how some of their previous experiences during their attempts to conceive, actually ended up making the whole process significantly easier. After all, everything happens for a reason!
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“Since we already had been through IVF, and my husband and I had no issues creating embryos with my egg and his sperm,” she explained. “Half the work was done. Our embryos were frozen already waiting for us. Once our fertility doctor was on board, he prepared my mom’s body to carry, taking her out of menopause through hormone therapy, and the rest fell into place.”
Now it was a waiting game. They hoped and prayed that the attempt had been a success.
Remaining Cautious
Everything had gone exactly as planned. Now all that was left to do was to wait and let nature do the rest of the work. After much anticipation, the time finally came for Loving to take a pregnancy test and it came out positive! What a relief.
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However, it was important that the family didn’t get their hopes up too much. After all, there was still a chance that it would not work out the way they hoped. “Even when we got the positive pregnancy test result, we couldn’t jump for joy yet,” Lockwood said to Good Morning America. “Because we’d had so many losses and so much trauma.”
Hope
Fortunately, they didn’t encounter any problems. Loving’s pregnancy seemed to be going just as well as her first two had, all those years ago. After years of difficulty, Lockwood finally felt hopeful that she was about to become a mother. She felt an overwhelming sense of joy and excitement.
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“I’m just so grateful and happy how this whole pregnancy has gone,” she stated on her Instagram account. “After so many upsets previously, we are so lucky this has been a ‘textbook’ pregnancy! Just have our fingers crossed for a easy delivery!”
A Healthy Baby
Breanna and Aaron felt so fortunate. Everything was going so smoothly. This was very welcome, after the bumpy road they had been down prior to this. Everything had led them to this point. All of their hopes and dreams were finally becoming a reality.
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Thankfully, after a smooth and comfortable pregnancy, Loving finally gave birth to a healthy baby girl – her very own granddaughter. “Welcoming to the world… Briar Juliette Lockwood,” Lockwood wrote in an Instagram post, shortly after the birth. “(She) has filled our hearts with so much joy!”
The final moments before the pair became parents were, however, not without problems.
Difficult Birth
While Loving was in great health and she had been informed by the doctor that she was up to the task, the birth itself presented its own difficulties. Let’s not forget, she was no longer as young as she once was, so the experience was bound to be a little more challenging!
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Julie really felt the strain that childbirth put on her body, this time around. “My mom was an absolute rockstar through a difficult delivery,” Lockwood stated. “The sacrifices she took to bring this little slice of heaven into our world takes my breath away.”
The Power Of Love
Breanna finally had the thing she most wanted, a beautiful baby of her own. She couldn’t believe this dream had finally come through, after everything the couple had been through. The most incredible thing was that this had been made possible by the unwavering love of her own mother.
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She has since expressed the overwhelming amount of joy she felt and how she would be eternally grateful to her mother for making this dream of hers a reality. “Holding my daughter in my arms… my heart is bursting,” she wrote.
An Incredible Influence
Lockwood opened up about how this experience will, no doubt, shape the way she approaches parenthood and the way she raises this beautiful daughter of hers. She hopes to be as incredible and caring a mother as her own mother has been to her.
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“The feeling of how I would do absolutely anything needed for this child is radiating through me when I look at her,” she openly expressed in a heartwarming post on her Instagram account. “And reflects back on what my mom did for me.”
Informed Parenting
The selflessness shown by Breanna’s mother has inspired her to behave in the same way going forward, especially in her approach to parenthood. The whole experience has been so amazing and she loved her daughter even more, considering how difficult it had been to have her.
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“Every move and decision I make for my daughter, I’m finding the answers through how my mom raised me,” she wrote. “The way she loves and the selflessness she exudes is pure, genuine and kind.” What an incredible role model of a mother!
A Message Of Hope
Lockwood is keen to share more than just the amazing story of her daughter’s birth and the truly remarkable circumstances that surround it. She wants it to be a story of hope for people all around the world. She is well aware that many people experience the same struggles to conceive and wants to reassure these people that miracles can happen and that there are alternative solutions.
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In fact, around 1 in 4 pregnancies can end in miscarriage. Many go through this painful experience and it is so important to know that others out there can understand the pain. In sharing her story, Lockwood is spreading a message of hope for those who want to become parents, all over the world.
Celebrity Surrogacy
As cases of difficulties with fertility become more of a mainstream topic of discussion, more and more people are seeking medical help and taking advantage of alternative ways to conceive. This is all thanks to the wonder that is modern medicine.
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For parents who can’t undergo pregnancy themselves, but do have the ability to produce embryos, surrogacy is becoming more and more common. Kim Kardashian is an example of a high-profile celebrity who has resorted to surrogacy on two separate occasions, after two particularly difficult pregnancies.
A Beautiful Story
Baby Briar is doing well. She is so loved by both of her parents, who consider her to be a miracle baby. This baby will always be loved and cherished, especially since her parents thought, for a time, that it wouldn’t be possible to ever have their own child.
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Her parents are so looking forward to the day when they can tell their baby all about how she came into the world and how much people prayed for her arrival. In an interview with Good Morning America, Lockwood revealed exactly what she plans to say to her daughter and how she was “wanted so much that we did everything we could to bring you into the world.”
Finding Out The Truth
Julie Loving shares these unconditional feelings of love for the granddaughter that she grew inside her tummy. She also eagerly anticipates the day when little Briar hears the story of how she was welcomed into the world and the miracle that she is.
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“We’re going to be really open with her at a really young age,” Loving explained. “And tell her when we feel like she can understand… And just tell her the truth.” We are confident that this little one will grow up feeling extremely loved, especially when she learns how committed her family was to ensuring her existence.
Forever Grateful
Lockwood will be forever grateful for the selfless actions of her mother. The lengths her mother was willing to go to in order to ensure her daughter’s happiness, never seize to amaze Breanna. This story is testament to the power of love, especially that of a mother.
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“We are over the moon,” Breanna wrote on Instagram. “But it took a long hard road to get here… This has been the wildest ride of our lives… We are so grateful for my mom and that we were given this opportunity… I don’t think there’s ever been a morning I don’t wake up and pinch myself.”
We marvel at the sheer determination that this family displayed and the incredible bond that they share and we hope that this story influences people to show a little more love and to always pursue their dreams.