Pregnancy as a man: Trans man opened up about his journey to giving birth to a healthy baby boy.
- Trystan Reese, a transsexual man, shares his experience through pregnancy after giving birth to a healthy baby boy.
- Reese claims he had a “textbook pregnancy” and that he is just “a man who is able to carry a baby.”
- The trans father advises others to be open to other ways babies can come into this world.
In July 2017, Trystan Reese of Oregon gave birth to a baby boy named Leo. But since he is a transsexual man, his pregnancy journey was quite unusual.
As Upworthy notes, it all started on a bright spring morning when Reese asked his partner Biff Chaplow one fateful question: “Do you want to have a baby?” However, while Trystan was thrilled by the idea, Biff was concerned about what it would be like for his significant other to be a pregnant man in today’s world.
Speaking to Parents, Reese explained:
“Initially he was pretty hesitant about the idea. In fact, I believe the words he used were ‘absolutely not, this is the dumbest idea you’ve ever had.’ Mostly he was worried for my safety—what it would be like for a pregnant man navigating the world, both medically and socially.”
A “lightness” came over the couple as Biff eventually got excited about the idea as much as Trystan.
The pair already had experience with parenthood, as they had adopted Chaplow’s niece and nephew back in 2011. This gave them the confidence to contact “the best medical team” they could find to see if their wish was even possible. Reese told CNN:
“We’ve been under medical supervision the entire time to make it as healthy and safe as possible.”
Five months later, a miracle had happened. When Trystan saw his pregnancy test, he was beyond happy.
“I was overjoyed and elated. A lightness came over me.”
Despite being a trans man, Trystan claims he had a “textbook pregnancy.”
Then, on July 15, 2017, baby Leo was born. In a Facebook video, where the trans dad opens up about his journey, he says:
“I think my body is awesome. I feel like it’s a gift to have been born with the body that I did, and I made the necessary changes so that I could keep living in it, both through hormones and through other body modifications. I’m OK with my body being a trans body. I’m OK being a man who has a uterus and has the capacity and capability of carrying a baby. I don’t feel like it makes me any less of a man. I just happen to be a man who is able to carry a baby.”
Reese shares that even though many people refuse to accept him and his unique family, this doesn’t bother him. He said:
“I just accepted that I’m the one doing something unique. I know that most people, like 99.99 percent of people who give birth are women. I can’t really bust into this world and then get mad at them for not really including me.”
He added:
“I understand that we are not a typical or traditional family. But I think back to when my grandmother was alive, she was the only woman in her entire city who drove a car. Women didn’t use to drive cars and guess what? Now women can drive cars.
Just because something has always been one way, that doesn’t mean that’s the right way or the best way or even the way that serves the most number of people. I would invite people to just see the many ways in which family has evolved over time.
Look at our family and the love and respect that we have for each other. Continue to be open to thinking about all the different ways kids can come into this world and people can love each other.”
Today, Leo is a lovely 3-year-old boy and has the time of his life with his unique and loving family.
If you enjoyed this story, make sure you check out the article about a kindhearted gay couple that found an abandoned baby boy on the subway and raised him as their own son.
