When Dawn Allen first started dating her partner in her twenties, she told him that she was going to become a surrogate - and he looked at her like she was "completely crazy".
But two decades later, Dawn has given birth to two sons of her own and three surrogate babies, while she sadly had three unsuccessful attempts - but all with the immense support of her now-husband Matthew.
Despite knowing it could be her hardest pregnancy yet, the 50-year-old, who has carried babies for celebrity clients in the music industry, has offered her services to carry yet another couple's baby for the seventh time.
This may end up being her last birthing experience due to her age, but she feels very ready to help Nicky Spence, 39, and Dylan Perez, 33, have a beautiful baby together.
Dawn, from Derbyshire, said: "I know it's going to be hard because I'm older now, but at the end of the day, nine months out of my life is nothing when you've got a chance to give parents a lifetime of happiness."
The 50-year-old was first drawn to becoming a surrogate more than 20 years ago, after watching a documentary all about surrogacy.
After having two children of her own - Sam, now 27, and Alex, 17 - she brought the subject up with Matthew, now 51, and they looked into it.
In 2008, Dawn joined leading not-for-profit organisation, Surrogacy UK, and soon began to connect with hopeful parents.
At the age of 36, she had her first unsuccessful surrogacy, then in 2012, she had a surrogate baby for a same-sex couple using her own egg.
"It's one of those moments that will stick with me forever," Dawn explained.
"You're seeing people that you've become really good friends with, become parents, and you're there in the moment they get to look at their child for the first time."
Attempts to help two couples in 2013 and 2017 failed, though she gave birth to two surrogate children in 2015 and 2021.
"It was really, really emotional - there were lots of tears every time," Dawn said.
The mum-of-two has never found it difficult to give the surrogate baby over to their intended parents.
"It was very clear in my head that baby wasn't mine - it was the intended parents' pregnancy, it was their baby," she explained.
"I think you bond with your intended parents more than the baby."
After six surrogacies, Dawn was unsure if she was going to do it again - until she met hopeful parents Nicky and Dylan in November 2022.
"They were both lovely and my husband thought they were really nice too, so I made them the offer to start the official getting-to-know period the next day," she said.
Dawn does not have any doubts about her age affecting the likelihood of her getting pregnant, and is using a clinic that knows her medical history.
"Yes, I'm a lot older now, but after all the checks and tests they've done, they're happy with me from a medical viewpoint," she explained.
"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't feel physically able."
After doing some background digging on the future fathers, Dawn discovered that Nicky is an opera singer and broadcaster and Dylan is a classical pianist.
It's not the first well-known couple that she has carried a baby for - her last was for Aled Haydn Jones, head of BBC Radio 1, and his partner, Emile Doxey.
"I have been teased [that] I only do celebrities now. But I had no idea that they were quite well known," Dawn said. "Nicky has performed with Shirley Bassey and lots of other people."
Dawn, who is also an agreement co-ordinator for Surrogacy UK, always makes sure Matthew is on board with the pregnancy as he is "as much a part of this as she is".
"He's the one that's got to support me, as well as my children, so it's important to me that they all get on with the people we decide to help," she said.
In January 2023, Dawn gave the all-clear to start the surrogacy process with Nicky and Dylan, and embryos are currently being created using their family member's eggs.
"I'm feeling really positive, there's no pressure from them at all, but I do sometimes put a bit of pressure on myself because I really want to give them a baby," Dawn said.
This pregnancy is likely to be Dawn's last due to her age, though she would be up for another if she is able to.
"I think the only way I could do it was if we got pregnant really quickly this time around, and Nicky and Dylan wanted the baby to have a sibling more or less straight away," she said.
Nicky added: "We feel so lucky to have become friends with Dawn through Surrogacy UK and when she offered to help complete our family we couldn't believe it.
"We feel in very safe hands as she's the kindest and most experienced surrogate you could wish for."
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