56-Year-old Grandma Gives Birth to Son’s Healthy Baby Girl

56-Year-old Grandma Gives Birth to Son and Daughter-in-Law’s Healthy Baby Girl

By Sara Barnes on November 8, 2022

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A post shared by Cambria Hauck (@cambriairene)

Having a large family is something many people dream of but not all can achieve. Jeff and Cambria Hauck were left with few options for having more children following her hysterectomy. But then, an unlikely person stepped into being their surrogate: Jeff’s own mother, 56-year-old Nancy Hauck. Though the couple, at first, didn't think this was a viable option, they were surprisingly (and happily) wrong. Nancy recently gave birth to his and Cambria’s fifth child, a healthy daughter.

The couple named the baby Hannah, which they discovered is associated with the name Nancy. “They both mean grace,” Jeff explains, and it now highlights the special bond the two share.

The birth was a beautiful moment for Jeff and Cambria. Although it might sound awkward to be in the delivery room during the birth, Jeff didn't see it that way. “How many people get to watch their mom give birth?” Nancy was in labor for about nine hours. “Everything went perfectly and we are feeling so blessed to have her in our family,” the grandmother said. The surrogate/grandma is now recovering and dealing with some complex emotions of having a baby, but not bringing the baby home afterward. “It is a mix of deep gratitude and some sadness from the separation.”

Jeff and Cambria discovered that they had fertility issues after they got married. They were able to have four children (two sets of twins) using IVF, but soon after the second set of twins was born, Cambria started hemorrhaging and had to have an emergency hysterectomy.

After her procedure, the couple talked about their options for the remaining embryos they still had left. It was at that point that Nancy first offered to be her son and daughter-in-law’s surrogate. Although they thought it was sweet, they didn’t think it was possible. After talking to their fertility specialist, however, they found out that as long as Nancy was healthy and willing to do it, she could carry their child.

Now, Nancy and her husband Jason are grandparents in a new way. “I hope that we won't treat Hannah any differently,” Jason said. “But we'll always have that connection—that Nancy carried her for nine months. Just the magic of the whole experience will always be unique in our eyes.”

“In my heart I want all of my grandkids to know that they're equally as loved,” Nancy shared, “and I would've done it for any of them.”