#Surrogate caring for baby during COVID-19 as parents trapped in China

An Idaho woman who served as a surrogate for a couple in China has now been caring for the baby girl for four months — as COVID-19 restrictions have kept her biological parents overseas, according to new reports.

Emily Chrislip, 25, of the city of Nampa, gave birth on May 18 — and initially planned to hand the baby off right away, KIVI-TV reported.

Chrislip wanted the child’s parents to be in the delivery room, “and then they would have had their own room at the hospital with her, and my husband and I would have had our own room,” she told People.

“At the time of birth, my job was supposed to be completed,” she said.

But two months before Chrislip was scheduled to give birth, COVID-19 became a global pandemic, and travel restrictions were issued.

“I think when President Trump decided to shut down the borders is when reality hit me and I realized that they probably weren’t going to make it for the delivery,” Chrislip told the outlet.

The Chrislips had the option of leaving the baby with a nanny agency, but when the biological parents asked them to personally care for their daughter, they stepped up to the plate.

“When they [asked], I wasn’t super surprised,” Chrislip said. “[My husband] Brandon and I talked about it a lot and we talked to our family about it, as well. I wasn’t hesitant, but Brandon was at first… we decided that the right thing to do was for us to take care of her.”

The couple, who already has a biological son, Camden, thought the new bundle of joy would only be with them for four weeks — but weeks turned into months.

It’s unclear when the biological parents will finally arrive, as flights from China are limited to one per week, according to KIVI-TV.

“So we’ll keep taking care of her, keep doing what we’re doing and just kind of take it a week at a time until there’s something more set in stone on when they’re going to be here,” Chrislip told the outlet.

“We definitely love her and will always care for her but we understand she is not ours,” she told People. “We just treat her as our own because at this stage in life it is so important to have the proper attention and love.”