Olivia Munn was left feeling like an "expectant dad" while waiting for her daughter to arrive via surrogacy.

The 44-year-old actress has son Malcolm, three, with her comedian husband John Mulaney, 42, andhe couple expanded their family through surrogacy following Olivia's breast cancer diagnosis in April 2023. Reflecting on the emotional journey of welcoming her now eight-month-old daughter Méi via surrogate, Olivia told People: "It was the first time I was like, 'Oh wait, is this what it's like to be an expectant dad?'" After undergoing extensive treatment -- including a lymph node dissection, nipple delay procedure, and double mastectomy -- Olivia faced surgical menopause following the removal of her uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries during her cancer battle.

"It was important to do it at that moment, but it was also scary because my type of cancer feeds on hormones, and there are a lot of hormone injections with IVF," she said, referring to the fertility preservation process she underwent before her hysterectomy.

Her doctor devised a special IVF protocol tailored for cancer patients, enabling Olivia to retrieve seven eggs.

"At my age, about one in 10 eggs is healthy," she explained.

After fertilisation, two embryos were "strong enough to be tested for abnormalities and the gender".

She and John hoped for a girl, with Olivia saying: "I remember I was on a walk with John, and I said, 'I really don't think that I'll be okay unless we get two girl embryos. I know this puts me at risk, but I just need you to support me,'" she recalled. Mulaney responded: "'Whatever you need.'"

That same day, Olivia received a call confirming both embryos were female.

"That was a sign for me everything was going to be okay," she said.

The couple then embarked on the "emotional process" of finding a surrogate.

"The number one thing that I wanted in a surrogate was someone who was kind," Olivia said.

A friend's recommendation led them to an agency, which presented two potential surrogates.

One candidate expressed a desire to help someone who had survived cancer. "After meeting with her, I knew she was the right person to carry our daughter," Olivia said.

She added: "The first thing I worried about was if I would be able to find somebody who would love and take care of my daughter as much as I would.

"We were so lucky to find someone so kind who we bonded with so much."