A transgender man who briefly transitioned back so he would be able to use his eggs to have a baby has opened up about what it was like to biologically conceive his child.
In 2003, Seth Marlow, from Roanoke, Virginia, began his transition to male at the age of 25. But after entering into a serious relationship with Leah, the couple decided that they wanted a baby together.
Nine years later, Marlow, who discusses his unique journey on the podcast Pregnantish, had his transition reversed so his ovaries would create eggs.
“I longed for – but never thought – I would have my own biological child,” Marlow says on the podcast, according to the New York Post. “But, as soon as Leah and I got serious and I suggested this course of action, she said: ‘I’m in!’”
During the process, which required Marlow to stop taking testosterone and start taking oestrogen, he developed curves and began menstruating.
According to Marlow, the transition “took quite a psychological toll on me,” but he was “determined to see it through.”
The decision was also costly, as a refusal from the couple’s health insurance to cover the transition meant Marlow and Leah had to pay “around $30,000 out of pocket for the in-vitro fertilisation procedure”.
After successfully undergoing an egg retrieval at a fertility clinic in Syracuse, New York, the egg was fertilised by an anonymous donor and frozen – before it was later transferred into Leah’s uterus.
The couple welcomed their son Arlo, who felt like a “miracle”, in October 2015.
According to the couple, who are hoping to add another child to their family, they have always been open with Arlo about the unconventional way he was conceived.
Marlow said: “Recently, we were talking about hopefully adding a little brother or sister to our family and Arlo said: ‘Will we be using your eggs, Daddy?’
“He doesn’t understand the mechanics of the sexual act, but he knows all about the different ways a baby can be created.”
The Pregnantish podcast will air every Tuesday.
