Ms Meredith Baldwin:

This is my personal story and experience of being born through surrogacy. My parents, along with Kim Cotton, set up an organisation in England called Childlessness Overcome Through Surrogacy, COTS, shortly after surrogacy became legal in England in 1985. They were also involved in the change in the legislation which meant I could be born legally through surrogacy. COTS has facilitated more than 1,090 births via surrogacy to date. I was born as baby No. 11 for COTS via straight surrogacy. This means the insemination of my father's sperm directly into my birth mother and she then became pregnant and gave birth to me in 1989. Straight surrogacy is not as common as it was in the early days due to the huge advancements in fertility treatment. It is amazing that a child in England could be born with the involvement of a couple of the same or opposite sex who conceived with donor sperm, donor egg and a host mother.

My parents supported my birth mother throughout the pregnancy both financially and emotionally. They spent time with her and her family during her pregnancy and flew up to her from Kent to Durham in a hurry for my birth, as I arrived more than six weeks early of my due date. After giving birth, my birth mother handed me over to my parents in the hospital and they took me to my childhood home. After my birth, my parents did attempt two other separate journeys with two other surrogates and, before my birth, they had their first attempt but they were unsuccessful. Before exploring surrogacy, they had also tried to adopt, but this proved extremely difficult and they were not able to finish the process.

My parents and I have a continued bond and relationship with my birth mother and also her family, in particular, her three other children, my half-siblings who she conceived before me with her husband. Growing up and now, as an adult, I have never had any issues with discussing surrogacy and I feel very blessed to have an open relationship with my parents and birth mother. My father is one of the most wonderful people in my life and was the driving force behind my birth. I have always known that I am a surrogate baby, and I am very grateful that my parents told me when I was young. It was never an awkward, big sit-down conversation, it has always just been a part of my life story. It can take slightly longer for me to explain to people about how many siblings I have and my birth mother, but I have never had any negative comments towards me. Generally, surrogacy has gained a lot more popularity and awareness compared to the previous situation.

I have always been very clear in my mind that my parents, whom I will always call mum and dad, and birth mother, are very separate, but we all have a special bond and love for each other. Many people comment on how similar I am to my mother, but then I explain to them that it is simply not biologically possible.

Although I may not share the same stature, hair colour or height, I sound like her and have her mannerisms, because she was the person who brought me up with my father and they would never be anything but my mum and dad.

I am a businesswoman. I live by myself in London and am very much looking forward to starting my own family in the future. It is my want for my own children that has encouraged me to be more active in my support of surrogacy of late, and something I am committed to continuing with.

There is so much support and advice available from organisations such as COTS and legalisation has made it easier to avoid the pitfalls of private and-or backstreet journeys for people who are thinking about surrogacy, have already been through the journey or are currently going through it. While the legal process in England is not quick and simple or without its difficulties, I am living proof that it can be successful and I am forever grateful that that is the case. I believe that, because it is legal, people are more willing to speak about it openly and ensure that all parties involved in the creation of a surrogate baby are cared for and represented.

I thank the committee for the opportunity to share my story and for listening and reading. I am available for questions.