Couple overwhelmed with surrogacy offers

Ken and Jasmin White are seeking a surrogate in their quest for a sibling for their son, Lucas. Photo / Supplied

A Southland couple seeking a surrogate mother after losing four babies during pregnancy say they've been overwhelmed with the response they have received since going public.

Jasmin White has a condition called "incompetent cervix", which has caused her womb to open prematurely at about 20 weeks in four subsequent pregnancies, even though it was sewn up surgically on both the last two attempts.

Mrs White, and husband, Ken, have one son Lucas, who turns 5 in July, but the couple have been trying, unsuccessfully, since his birth have another baby.

Since the Herald's story was published today, Mr White says they've had "a lot" of responses especially from women in the North Island.

However, quite a few were still quite young - about 21 or 22 years old - and he's unsure if the Ethics Committee would allow the surrogacy to go ahead.

The couple has already turned some away because they are too young, and an ethics committee guidelines for approving a surrogacy agreement is that the surrogate mother should have "completed her family". But they are still talking to "two or three".

One woman they're meeting this afternoon is aged 28 or 29 while they were meeting with another two more potential surrogates tomorrow.

Mr White says the laws around surrogacy were very strict and lengthy, and included both parties knowing each other for six months.

The couple also have a Facebook page, "Southland couple looking for surrogate in New Zealand", which went up in the middle of last week and has since drawn 393 likes.