New Mom Sobs as Her Best Friend and Surrogate Delivers Her First Child

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Erin Boelhower has had a difficult journey to achieving her dream of becoming a mother. After six years of infertility, IVF, and losses, the mom welcomed her rainbow baby girl thanks to her best friend of 10 years, Rachel Checolinski, who offered to be her surrogate. Following a 12-hour labor, Rachel finally delivered baby Scottie, and Erin sobbed through the whole thing.

However, they weren't all exactly happy tears — some were out of Erin's concern for her friend. "How could I do this to somebody?" Erin said to Inside Edition of her thoughts during Rachel's labor. "She just looked miserable, and I know she wanted to do it and would do it again, but it was really hard seeing someone you love doing this for you in that kind of pain."

Despite Erin's concerns over putting her best friend through so much, Rachel, who has three children herself, feels emotional over being able to give her friend this gift. "It's hard for anybody, it's even hard for my husband, to see someone you care about in pain, and it's an immense amount of pain. I'd do it all over again," Rachel said, adding: "I felt immensely blessed. It was a feeling of immense gratitude and love. I started to cry. I felt like the lucky one that God used me to help my best friend achieve her dream of having a baby."

Erin says that Rachel is more than her best friend, they're like family. And baby Scottie — who is named after Erin's dad, whose birthday she was born on — is so very loved by her whole family.