Shadow Minister 51 is showing her joy at ‘miracle’ son after years of trying to conceive using IVF

Liz Kendall, the first MP to have a baby through surrogacy, has spoken of the joy her ‘miracle’ son has brought after years of trying to conceive using IVF.

As Henry nears first year and already “going off like an absolute Exocet rocket while he’s laughing his head off,” the 51-year-old shadow social affairs secretary spoke of her difficult path to motherhood.

The Leicester West MP reflected on the misery of numerous miscarriages and failed IVF rounds she and her partner endured.

She told the Sunday Times: “It’s the hope that kills you. You say to yourself, “OK, it’s really early, it’s really early, don’t get your hopes up, don’t get your hopes up.”

‘But you do. And you’re already imagining what it could be like, and you can’t help your mind running away with itself.

Liz Kendall is the first MP to have a baby through surrogacy. Her son Henry will soon be one year old

She told the Sunday Times: “It’s the hope that kills you. You say to yourself, ‘okay, it’s really early, it’s really early, don’t get your hopes up, don’t get your hopes up’ (pictured at the Labor Party conference)

“It’s very difficult to pick yourself back up after that and you just feel awful and that’s why you feel physically rotten and mentally you’re not yourself. You don’t know how to put yourself back together.”

Ms Kendall, who was fourth in the Labor leadership race by Jeremy Corbyn in 2015, said she understood the struggles of infertility that beset many couples, adding: “There’s just so much sadness and pain from people who haven’t had it.” and I think that made me even happier that we got through to the other side.’

Speaking about setting up surrogacy, she said: “I was so nervous, but the utter and utter joy when Henry was born and how he completely changed our lives made us feel incredibly lucky. Because not everyone is so lucky.

“And when I went public with what had happened, there was an almost overwhelming amount of people coming forward with their stories.

“I thought that would never happen. But I’ve never been so happy. I love my job – but this is pure, pure happiness and joy.”