I was struggling after eight rounds of IVF – and then a former midwife became my surrogate

Narzny McKinney and her surrogate, Sarah, discuss their experience – and the misconceptions that surround the practice

After struggling with infertility and eight unsuccessful rounds of IVF, Narzny McKinney had two precious embryos left – her last chance to have biological children. After considering her options, she made the decision to find a surrogate to carry her child for her.

“We were eight years down the line at this point and I just didn’t want to risk anything going wrong,” she said. “It was a tough decision but it was absolutely the right thing to do.”

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UK surrogacy law ‘creaking at seams’ as demand rises sharply

Experts urge ministers to update legislation to prevent intended parents resorting to riskier arrangements abroad

Surrogates, parents and children are being failed by the UK’s archaic laws, which are “creaking at the seams” as demand for surrogacy grows rapidly, experts have said.

Figures obtained by the Guardian show there were just under 1,000 children born to surrogates in 2025, double the number in 2015. The rise has been driven by a rise in the number of gay couples seeking to be parents, increasing infertility and shifting cultural attitudes.

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A friend, Facebook or ... Ukraine? No easy surrogacy options for Australian families desperate for children

With huge amounts of money at stake and power imbalances in play, the Australian Law Reform Commission is looking at how to better regulate the industry

Over eight years, Ethan and his wife went through nine rounds of IVF in Melbourne.

They travelled to Spain for two more, without success.

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For survivors of forced adoption, the trauma can last a lifetime | Letters

Readers respond to an article by David Batty about the postwar removal of babies from unmarried mothers, and his call for proper redress for survivors like him

I gave up my child for adoption in the late 1960s. I was just 20. It was my choice, but no choice at all (Britain’s apology for the scandal of forced adoption won’t – on its own – heal the wounds of survivors like me, 2 July). The circumstances were such that unless you had parental or a partner’s support, or a trust fund, it was practically impossible to keep your child. I have discovered through coverage of the government’s apology that some state funding was available. It was never mentioned to me.

I had planned to give up my child because I believed the propaganda: as an unmarried mother I could not give her a proper home. What I had not expected was the love I felt. When her father offered to marry me, I jumped at the chance and took the child away from prospective adopted parents. Three days before our wedding, the child’s father left me. My mother had not let me into the house once my pregnancy became obvious, so going home was not an option. I called the adoption agency and said goodbye to her in a small room somewhere near Baker Street.

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People keep asking me why I’m choosing to have a caesarean – here are my reasons | Sharon Gaffka

This isn’t an argument against vaginal birth, and caesareans aren’t without risk. But in the context of failing maternity services, it gives me the greatest sense of calm

• Sharon Gaffka is a reality TV star and political activist

One thing nobody really prepares you for when you’re pregnant is how interested everyone suddenly becomes in your body. People ask if you’re planning on breastfeeding. Whether you’ll have an epidural. If you’re hoping for a water birth. Whether you’ll “try naturally”.

I’ve chosen to have a caesarean, and now that I’m getting closer to my due date, the question I get asked most is: “why?” The answer is because I want to.

Sharon Gaffka is a reality TV star and political activist

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Women from minority backgrounds in UK less likely to receive epidurals, research finds

Exclusive: Guardian analysis exposes evidence of racial inequalities in pain relief offered across healthcare

• ‘The epidural failed and no one believed me’

• How the ethnicity pain gap follows people from birth to death

Women from Black and Asian backgrounds are less likely than their white counterparts to receive an epidural while giving birth, research has revealed.

The findings, based on data collected from more than 2.7 million births in the UK, prompted experts to raise the alarm about an “ethnicity pain gap” that means people of colour are more likely to be deprived of adequate pain relief within medical settings.

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Author of England maternity care review ‘listened to wrong voices’, says adviser

Dr Bill Kirkup says section of Valerie Amos’s report criticising ‘normal birth ideology’ was removed before publication

The head of an inquiry into maternity care altered its final report to remove criticism of “normal birth ideology”, one of her expert advisers claims.

Dr Bill Kirkup said Valerie Amos “listened to the wrong voices” before a section outlining the potential risks of encouraging women to have a vaginal birth “disappeared” from the final version of her government-commissioned report.

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