A mother who lost her unborn child turned tragedy into hope by becoming a surrogate.

A mother whose baby died in the womb at 37 weeks turned her tragedy into a source of hope by agreeing to be a surrogate for another couple.

Natalie Newman miscarried three times before having two children and completing her own dream family.

Then, inspired by a TV drama about a childless couple, she felt compelled to assist others in experiencing the joy of parenthood.

In November, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Bobby, whom she joyfully handed over to his parents, Andy Kenny and Gareth Mole. “When I saw the look on their faces, the sheer joy,” Natalie said, “I realised I’d done an amazing thing.”

“After what I’d been through, it meant everything to me to be able to do this for them.”

“We’ve become such good friends, and it’s heartwarming to see them become a family as a result of what I did.”

Natalie, 35, and her husband Jack yearned for children, but when she was 18, she had an ectopic pregnancy that resulted in a miscarriage. At the age of 26, she miscarried her second child.

“Losing any child is heartbreaking,” Natalie said, “but we never gave up.”

Then, in 2015, her dreams came true when she gave birth to her son Alfie.

“Having Alfie was the most precious thing for us,” she continued. “He’s such a sweet, loving boy – I’ve never been happier.”

Natalie, from Bath, Somerset, became pregnant for the second time in 2017.

It was a girl, and Alfie assisted in naming her Sophie.

They were blissful days. Natalie recalled: “We were so happy, we painted her nursery pink and got everything ready for her arrival. Alfie was so excited to meet his little sister.

“The weekend I thought she might arrive, the same point that Alfie came along, I packed my bag, put the car seat in the car and made the pram ready.”

But the worst was yet to come, as scans revealed Sophie had stopped breathing.

“The midwife couldn’t find a heartbeat,” Natalie explained. That was 37 weeks and four days into my pregnancy, exactly when I gave birth to Alfie.

“Nothing prepares you for that moment, when your family’s future is ripped from your grasp.” I was utterly devastated. Scan results revealed that the baby had not been in any distress. She died as a result of simply ceasing to breathe.”

Natalie was induced and Sophie was born on March 6, 2018 – a date she will never forget. “Holding her in my hands, tears streaming down my face, I didn’t know how I could go on,” she explained, “but I swore to Sophie she’d never be forgotten.” I shared a photo of a pink balloon and a pink rose on Facebook.