A woman was told she couldn't carry another pregnancy, so her 50-year-old mother volunteered to be her surrogate

Kaitlyn and Miguel Muñoz agreed to start their family as soon as they married in 2016. After a year of attempts with no positive pregnancy results, Kaitlyn said that she thought it was "weird" that they hadn't found success. But the couple continued to try.

In the spring of 2018, Kaitlyn brought it up to her obstetrician-gynecologist, but was left with few answers as to why she had yet to experience a pregnancy. That's when the couple moved from Utah to Tucson, Arizona. It would be Kaitlyn's new doctor that provided some clarity.

Kaitlyn was diagnosed with endometriosis, a common gynecological condition that can make it more challenging to conceive, according to John Hopkins University. The condition causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus to grow outside of the organ, resulting in pain, heavy periods, and even infertility.

Kaitlyn underwent surgery to treat the endometriosis and was cleared by her doctor to attempt a pregnancy. She told Insider that she and her husband decided on IVF, as it increases the chances of conception.

"I knew people that had done IVF, and we didn't want to keep playing the waiting game," Kaitlyn said. "We had just been trying for so long. I was determined to do whatever it took to have a baby."

Kaitlyn told Insider that she had to work up the courage to do the required hormone shots. Her husband, Miguel, gave her the daily injections and documented the process in a YouTube video they made to remember the reproductive journey.

In February, Kaitlyn's egg retrieval resulted in 11 eggs, which became four embryos. The couple opted to implant two embryos on April 2, 2019, and two weeks later, Kaitlyn found out she was pregnant. She told Insider she and her husband spent an estimated $15,000 to $20,000 on IVF treatments.

"I was just so grateful every day and every week that passed—it was such a milestone," she said. "I loved being pregnant so much. Everything was so great until I hit 30 weeks."

At 30 weeks, Kaitlyn started feeling sick with symptoms that she said included extreme chest pains, difficulty breathing, and high blood pressure. To protect the unborn child, she underwent an emergency C-section at 33 weeks and their son, Callahan, was born in November 2019.

During the procedure, though, Kaitlyn found out she also has an autoimmune disease called Sjogren's, a condition that the Cleveland Clinic says attacks the cells that produce saliva and tears.

Kaitlyn told Insider that her obstetrician-gynecologist advised against another pregnancy due to the autoimmune disease.

After watching Kaitlyn struggle with infertility, her mother, Chalise Smith, said it was devastating to hear the news. Chalise told Insider the moment she found out her daughter wasn't able to carry a child again, the thought of being a surrogate crossed her mind.

Chalise said that she didn't want to make such a big life decision based on her emotions, so she sat with the idea for three weeks. That's when she called Kaitlyn and offered to be her surrogate.

"I was having a rough day when my mom called," Kaitlyn said. "I was thinking about our family and didn't know what our next step was. When she offered to be our surrogate, it felt like an answer to our prayers."

Chalise said she wanted to make sure three points were agreed upon before they began the surrogacy journey together: Chalise needed to be medically cleared because of her age; Chalise's husband, Kyle Smith, should be on board with the plan; and Kaitlyn and Miguel would seek their own medical advice.

"I wanted them to know this was the right path," Chalise said of her stipulations. She said she didn't want to feel like she was pushing the idea on the couple.

After all parties felt comfortable with the plan, the family decided to move forward with Chalise's surrogacy.

To be a surrogate, Chalise would need hormone shots to prepare her body for the embryo transfer, a standard part of the IVF process. Chalise said that Kyle "became a great nurse" as he helped her with the daily shots. When she was medically cleared for the transfer, Kaitlyn's remaining two embryos were implanted on September 2, 2021.

Kaitlyn added that she and Miguel spent an additional $20,000 to $25,000 on the surrogacy expenses.

Chalise and Kyle also told their seven other children that she would be Kaitlyn's surrogate. Chalise said she loves her big family and wanted them to be involved. Kaitlyn told Insider that her brothers and sisters were supportive from the very beginning.

Chalise told Insider that she felt at peace and she knew in her heart that everything would work out.

Kaitlyn, on the other hand, said she was a ball of nerves.

"I was preparing for the worst to protect myself if it didn't work," Kaitlyn said. "When we found out my mom was pregnant, we were all ecstatic that the transfer was successful."

Though Chalise is a mother, she was last pregnant 11 years prior. She said the thought of carrying a child at close to 50 years old was shocking at first.

"I was concerned I was going to be 50 and pregnant, but I kept all of my healthy habits," she said.

"I was hoping for a girl because we had our little boy, so it'd be awesome if we had one of each," Kaitlyn said of finding out the baby's gender.

Chalise said she was also hoping for a girl. "They were going to be grateful for whatever they were blessed with, but I thought it would be so fun if she had a little girl," she said.

Kaitlyn served as a support throughout the pregnancy. She was by her mother's side at the beginning of the pregnancy in Utah. Then, Kaitlyn traveled back and forth from her home in El Paso, Texas, to join for important moments like the 21-week anatomy scan of the fetus. She also spent the final two weeks leading up to the birth with her mother.

Kaitlyn said that it was then that it all started to feel real. She would be having another baby soon.

"This was a very special experience for us, so we wanted us to all be in there," Chalise said of the foursome being together for the birth in the labor and delivery room.

It was also part of their birth plan. Chalise told Insider that Kaitlyn wanted to sit by her side, so the baby could be placed right in Kaitlyn's arms upon delivery.

As soon as she heard Alayna's scream, Chalise said that she felt a sweet spirit in the room. She added that it felt like all of their lives were complete when the nurses put the baby in Kaitlyn's arms.

"When I first thought about being Kaitlyn's surrogate, I had a vision that a beautiful little girl would be placed in my daughter's arms, and that would give us so much joy," Chalise said. "To see Miguel and Kaitlyn with that sweet little baby was the most beautiful thing, as a mother, to witness."

Kaitlyn told Insider that she always knew she wanted to name her daughter Alayna Kait, but when her mother became her surrogate, she decided to adapt her choice.

"I had to name her after her Nana, so I decided to hyphenate it: Alayna Kait-Chalise Muñoz," she said.

When Kaitlyn went to hand Alayna to Miguel, he directed Kaitlyn to pass the baby to Chalise, Kaitlyn said.

"I was touched," Chalise said, "to give her some little snuggles and take that moment in."

Chalise said that she was not the only emotional one in her relationship. When Kyle saw her give birth to their granddaughter, he cried more than she had ever seen, she said.

"He felt that everything came to a completion, and it was just beautiful," Chalise said. "He's my rock and my best friend. He needed to be 100-percent supportive because I knew that it would be him that would be my confidant."

"The story always had such an impact when I told people," Chalise said of the positive reactions she experienced when she told people about her surrogacy. "They could see the love, sacrifice, and selflessness that I was offering for my family. It touched people so deeply."

"Sharing such a wonderful story and having people feel that is such a joy," she added.

Kaitlyn said that she will always be thankful for Chalise, noting that even during her childhood, her mother would selflessly help her daughter.

"Carrying my child for me because I couldn't do it for myself, she's giving me the biggest gift," Kaitlyn said. "My mom is my hero, and I'm so grateful that she gave me my daughter."

Kaitlyn said that even though it was challenging during her struggle with infertility, it's important to remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Keep the faith and know there's a plan for you," she said.

Kaitlyn said that another biological child is out of reach for her, but she and Miguel have discussed adoption for a potential third child. For now, though, the couple is enjoying time with their daughter in Texas.

"Alayna has a story to tell, and it's an amazing one," Kaitlyn said. "I think she will feel so loved that her grandma was willing and able to bring her into my family with Callahan."

Kaitlyn added that Callahan, now 2 years old, understands that Alayna was made in "Nana's belly."

"He tells us every single day that Alayna is his best friend," Kaitlyn said. "It just melts our hearts. We feel like he knew his sister before she was even here."