Surrogate mother Jill Hawkins has just given birth to her fourth baby - and she says she has never felt better.

Only weeks after giving birth to baby Euan, Jill has already pledged to have a fifth baby as soon as she can.

Jill, 38, has never regretted giving any of her babies away.

The legal secretary, who lives in Brighton, said: "The thrill of making someone's life for them has increased with every baby I have had.

"Each of the couples are desperate for a baby and I can give them what they want most in the world. That is a fantastic feeling."

Euan, Jill's third son, was born earlier this month at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Her first baby, a girl called Lucy, was born in 1992. First son Bertie came along in 1994 and Jill gave birth to her second son, Jamie, in 1998. So far, all her babies have been born to different parents.

Jill insists it is not a sacrifice to carry a baby for nine months, risking her health and putting herself through the pain and trauma of giving birth only to hand over the tiny life.

As far as she is concerned, becoming a surrogate mother is the best thing she has done.

Jill had always longed to know what it was like to feel the kick of a baby inside her. But she has never been in a serious relationship and never wanted to bring up children on her own.

Surrogacy seemed the perfect option for her. At the age of 28, she heard about an organisation called Childlessness Overcome Through Surrogacy (Cots) and asked to be introduced as soon as possible to a childless couple whose baby she could carry.

The first time, she was shocked by the powerful emotions which wrung her dry in the aftermath of the birth.

She said: "I was overwhelmed by these hormonal, almost physical, feelings. I felt so lost when she had gone. It was so unbelievably sad."

Jill was paid £6,500, the minimum amount laid out by Cots, to carry baby Lucy. The next time, she asked for £12,000.

She says the money is not important. It covers the costs of maternity leave, new clothes and hospital visits.

It was only when she thought about getting pregnant with her third child that Jill was motivated by economic considerations.

She needed to do some work on her flat and had to find some extra money. But even then, what she craved most was the boost in confidence and happiness she felt when she was pregnant.

She said: "The high I feel when I'm pregnant is just fantastic. With Euan it was the most difficult pregnancy so far. I felt unwell more than I felt well. But I still felt good about it.

"I got on so well with my couple, who live in Kent. The look on the mum's face when Euan was born was just fantastic. That's what makes it all worthwhile."

In the past, Jill has thrived on the attention from the parents-to-be, from strangers and her family and friends. She admits it is a major reason why she has carried on.

But after Jill had Jamie, she was plunged into a terrible depression which led her to seek help from a counsellor.

She said: "Surrogacy is a way of putting your life on hold for a few months. But when it ends, I have to come back to the same problems.

"Since the counselling, my self-esteem has improved and I feel so much better."

Jill's parents say they want her to get on with her own life and put surrogacy behind her. She feels she wants to have one more baby before she stops.

She added: "I have always wanted to have two babies for the same family and it would be fantastic for Euan to have a brother or sister. It is all for the right reasons now.

"I feel confident and I want to make Euan's mum and dad's life complete."