Call her the queen of surrogacy! North Dakota mom, Meredith Olafson, has given birth to 15 babies, only four of which were her own. Why? It's not for the money,–Olafson says she only earns a fraction of what most surrogates get paid–she just can't bear to see other hopeful couples be deprived of the parenting experience. How selfless is that?!
"When you see those parents' faces when they see that ultrasound for the first time and they see that heart beat beating, or they get to hear that heartbeat–that's priceless right there," the 47-year-old told TODAY.
While some surrogate mothers can make up to $250,000 per pregnancy, Olafson says she doesn't get compensated anywhere near as much and is just happy to bring joy to those who are struggling to conceive.
And though you'd think experiencing that many pregnancies would be difficult, apparently that's not the case with Olafson. According to her, she's never had morning sickness and has extremely short deliveries, with the longest taking only an hour and 15 minutes! Wow! If only all moms-to-be had that luxury! I know I'd certainly be more inclined to have a baby if I experienced the same symptoms as her! She was clearly made for this job.
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Now, Olafson says she's officially "retiring the uterus" and really, can anyone blame her? The woman must be exhausted!
Personally, I find this lady kind of amazing. The way that she was willing to put her body and health on the line to help out so many struggling couples is astonishing. Plus, the fact __that she's 47 and only had her last baby in March of this year is even more extraordinar__y. Women in their mid-to-late forties already face a higher risk of problems during pregnancy, let alone those in their late 40s!
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Still, I am happy that she is now hanging up her surrogacy hat and focusing on her own family. I mean, anyone who has gone through that many births deserves some serious R&R.
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Image via NBC
