A 56-year-old grandmother has given birth to her own granddaughter, in an incredible act of love.

Nancy Hauck gave birth to her granddaughter Hannah just days ago, after becoming a gestational surrogate for her son Jeff, 33, and his wife Cambria, 30. The couple watched on as Nancy birthed their baby girl, with Jeff telling PEOPLE, “How many people get to watch their mum give birth?”

Jeff and Cambria had always dreamt of having a big family, and after marrying in 2012 they began trying for a baby. But things didn’t go to plan, with Cambria discovering she had fertility issues. After four years of fertility treatment, the couple had their first children, twins Vera and Ayva, now aged four, thanks to IVF.

That one round of IVF was able to give the couple seven fertilised embryos, and they eventually went on to have another set of twins, Diesel and Luca, who were born last year. But complications after the birth left Cambria with no choice but to undergo a hysterectomy. It left the couple heartbroken that they wouldn’t be able to use all of their embryos.

“We wanted to give them all a chance at life,” Cambria said.

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A post shared by Cambria Hauck (@cambriairene)

Just a few weeks later, Jeff’s mum Nancy flagged the idea of being the couple’s surrogate.

Admittedly, the assumed it woudn’t be possible due to her age. “I was really touched by her offer to do that. I thought it was a very selfless thing,” Jeff said. “But I didn’t think it would be an option.”

However a few weeks later, the family discussed it with Jeff and Cambria’s fertility specialists, who said it was a possibility, as long as Nancy was healthy and willing. And it seemed there was some divine intervention – Nancy hadn’t had her period in months. But suddenly, it came back. She was in perimenopause, so her ovaries were still making hormones.

On February 17 this year, the embryo transfer took place, and it only took just six days for Nancy to get a positive pregnancy test. “At this point, we all knew that this was meant to be,” says Cambria.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Cambria Hauck (@cambriairene)

Nancy admitted that she was worried throughout her pregnancy. “My greatest fear was that I would lose the baby and feel that I had taken the chance for that baby’s life because of my age,” she explained.

The pregnancy was a family affair, with Cambria attending every appointment.

Nancy gave birth to her granddaughter Hannah, on November 2, with Jeff and Cambria looking on during the nine hour labour.

Jeff says while others may think the idea of watching your mum giving birth is awkward, he doesn’t see it that way.