I am giving birth to my own cousin — and having ‘too much fun’

Kayleigh was determined to have a cousin — even if it meant doing it herself.

“I’m pregnant with my cousin,” the mom-of-three from Alberta, Canada announced on social media, before sharing the unusual story behind her latest pregnancy.

After months of fertility treatments, “a whole lot of hormones and needles” and two embryo transfers, she’s now due to give birth to her cousin on September 1, 2022.

Kayleigh, a Canadian fitness influencer who posts under the Instagram handle @happiestwhenrunning, recalled the moment in September 2020 when she told her aunt and uncle, who had been battling infertility in their own marriage, that she was willing to get pregnant one more time.

“I was willing to be a gestational carrier [surrogate] for them, if they had any interest in going that route,” she explained in a recent Instagram post.

“I love being pregnant, had the world’s easiest pregnancies [and] after the loss of my very first pregnancy in 2016, I had a huge heart for pregnancy loss and infertility struggles,” she continued. “It just seemed like what I was supposed to do.”

Kayleigh confessed that she’s enjoyed teasing strangers who aren’t aware of the surrogacy scheme.

“The biggest perk (besides being able to give them this gift!) is being able to freak people out when I say the baby is actually my cousin,” Kayleigh joked to her more than 16,000 followers. “Or when my husband gets to say ‘oh, it’s not mine’.”

“We’re having way too much fun with that part,” she added.

Kayleigh also hit back at critics who accused her of doing it for the money, claiming there’s “no financial gain,” and that being paid for surrogacy is, in fact, illegal in her home country.

“Fun fact: Did you know that in Canada 🇨🇦 (where I live), Altruistic Surrogacy is the only legal form of surrogacy? Meaning: you can NOT receive payment/compensation for doing it,” she wrote in another recent post.

The do-gooder went on to clarify that she does receive reimbursements for necessary pregnancy care, but not intended for profit. Rather, it’s the joy of pregnancy and seeing her family happy that she gains, she insisted.

“I lost my first pregnancy to miscarriage at 13 weeks and have ever since had a heart for pregnancy loss [and] infertility,” she responded. “Because I truly just want to help a family member out.”