Queensland Woman’s Surrogacy Dream Shattered as Birth Mother Keeps Baby
A Queensland woman’s long-awaited dream of motherhood has been heartbreakingly shattered, just hours after the birth of the baby she believed would be hers.Kirby Hood,a 36-year-old photographer from the Gold coast,is now facing a legal battle after the surrogate she had trusted changed her mind at the eleventh hour,ordering Ms. Hood out of the hospital and deciding to keep the child.
After 12 agonizing years of infertility and 14 tragic pregnancy losses, Ms. Hood thought her nightmare had ended when an “experienced surrogate” promised her what seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime miracle. Rather, it became her most painful heartbreak yet.
“I trusted her, and she kept my baby after leading me on for nine months, believing that the baby would be coming home with me,” Ms. Hood told Daily Mail Australia. “My baby was born in February, and I’m only just coming up for air.”
Ms. Hood meticulously documented the journey, retaining crucial evidence. “I have everything in writing. The card she gave me offering to be my surrogate, the paperwork from the lawyers, and all the texts.” Throughout the pregnancy, Ms. Hood was deeply involved, attending doctors’ appointments, watching ultrasound scans, and covering all medical expenses, all with the full encouragement and support of the birth mother.She even celebrated every milestone,hosting a baby shower and sharing her emotional journey on social media.
The situation took a dramatic turn when Ms. Hood revealed her intention to keep the surrogacy journey private. According to Ms. Hood, the surrogate responded with a cutting remark: “Oh, you are one of those, are you?” “She said she didn’t go through all of this for me not to experience things like a gender reveal party, and it made me feel guilty, so I had those things as much for her as me,” Ms. Hood explained. “She even came to the gender reveal party and met all my friends and family who were all so clucky and wanted to touch her tummy and fuss around her.”
Their connection began in 2019, when Ms. Hood was hired to photograph the surrogate’s family. She was later rebooked for family photos in 2021 and again in 2022, as the woman embarked on her first surrogacy journey, hiring Ms. Hood to document the birth.Ms.Hood said she initially trusted the woman because she had personally witnessed her successfully carry a baby for another family. “I physically witnessed, felt, experienced her hand a baby to another family that had longed for this moment in their life,” she said.
While pursuing surrogacy, Ms. Hood continued her own attempts at motherhood, undergoing an embryo transfer using donated embryos. Sadly, she suffered a miscarriage in 2023. In a surprising turn of events, the future surrogate re-entered Ms. Hood’s life shortly after her loss.”During the early days of my loss I made an Uber Eats order and the surrogate’s sister was the Uber Eats driver,” Ms. Hood recalled. “She said to her sister, ‘Hey it’s Kirby your photographer friend – jump in the car and come for a run to drop this order off.'”
The surrogate then visited Ms. hood,offering support and a handwritten card that read,”When the time comes,you know I’m good for it. Love to be your surrogate.” Over time, Ms. Hood began to hesitate,fearing further heartbreak.However, everything changed on July 12, 2024, when the surrogate Facetimed her with unexpected news. “And she held up a pee stick and said, ‘Well, you can, because you are having a baby!’ I was just mind-blown.”
The surrogate explained that she had unexpectedly become pregnant with her husband’s child, but they did not want another baby. Ms. Hood initially sought legal counsel, as the situation had shifted from a standard surrogacy to an agreement to accept a baby conceived and carried by the birth mother.The Queensland adoption hotline reportedly informed her that if the parents didn’t want to keep the child, the baby would enter foster care.
Though, the surrogate allegedly dismissed this details, suggesting they could legally register as a same-sex couple and name the child before birth. “As part of that, you can legally name (the child) before birth so it’s in the paperwork. I named her Xanthe, and we agreed I was going to be at the birth.” But weeks before the birth, Ms. Hood was told she was no longer welcome at the delivery. This sparked doubts about whether the couple intended to honor their agreement.
On the day of the birth, Ms. Hood received a text message informing her the baby had arrived. She drove to the hospital, filled with uncertainty. “Things felt off, and I knew it wasn’t happening,” she said. Upon arrival, hospital staff asked her to leave, even placing the hospital on lockdown. “I just left and bawled in my car.”
Two days later, the surrogate informed Ms. Hood that Child Services were involved.After weeks of searching, Ms. Hood discovered the couple had decided to keep the baby girl.”Someone sent me a screenshot of the surrogate’s Facebook where she had announced the birth of her little girl,” she said. “I wasn’t angry, just hurt. If they changed their minds, why didn’t they just tell me?” “Of course, I would have been upset, but I would have understood. I know how hard it is to loose a baby. I would have understood.”
Ms. Hood has not heard from the couple since march and they have refused her requests for a refund of the thousands of dollars she spent on medical costs and baby equipment. “They said they will see me in court,” she said. The case highlights the complex legal and emotional landscape surrounding surrogacy and the devastating consequences when trust is broken.
