An Australian woman who already had five children had agreed to act as a surrogate for another couple.
According to The Guardian, the families knew each other through mutual friends.
The woman in the other couple had been born without a uterus and was therefore unable to carry a pregnancy herself.
In April 2025, the surrogate had the couple’s embryo transferred following IVF treatment.
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Around two weeks later, a scan revealed that she was expecting two babies. The pregnancy ended with a caesarean section in November 2025, with both children born on the same day.
The case ended up in court
After the birth, the children went to live with their respective families. According to The Sun, the families agreed on the parentage arrangements, but Queensland law created a complication.
Surrogacy rules generally do not allow children from the same birth to be separated. As a result, a court had to rule on the unusual situation.
The families also received assistance from an independent adviser. They said the children should know each other as they grow up.
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Investigation provided the answer
An investigation revealed that the children did not have the same biological parents.
The boy was the surrogate mother’s biological child and had been conceived naturally. The girl came from the IVF embryo belonging to the other couple.
The woman had therefore been pregnant with two children who had been conceived separately and had different biological fathers.
According to The Sun, it is believed to be the first recorded case of its kind in Australia.
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The court ruled that the children could be considered twins from the same pregnancy, but not siblings under surrogacy law.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.