Ashley and Bliss are a unique couple. Recently, the women have welcomed their firstborn after taking turns carrying him. This innovation in IVF technology sparked public interest and resonance among religious people. This is the first such case in medical practice!
The secret of the innovative method
Ashley and Bliss Coulter were the pioneers among same-sex couples who used the innovative IVF method. The standard method of fertilization with donor sperm did not suit the women, as they used Bliss' eggs, but Ashley planned to carry the baby.
Friends told the couple about a new IVF method that allowed the women to make their dream come true. The inventors of the method – Kathleen and Kevin Doody – use a woman's body instead of an incubator to place a capsule with fertilized eggs. When the embryos mature, they are removed from the plastic and returned to the mother's body.
This method makes the procedure more natural and less expensive. Inside the woman, the embryos are protected and the woman's internal organs (kidneys, lungs, liver) serve as their life-support system.
Before Coulter, the reproductive scientists Doody used this method for heterosexual families, but one day Katie told her husband that the method would be suitable for same-sex couples as well and her husband decided to give it a try.
Usually the donor and "incubator" was one woman, but in the Coulter family roles were divided: first, the capsule was placed in Bliss's womb, but the embryo was carried by Ashley. Thus, each woman helped their baby boy come into this world.
Meet Stetson, the world's first boy carried by two mothers
Bliss underwent ovarian stimulation and then a capsule of cells was placed in her body. Five days later, the blastocysts were removed and frozen until Ashley underwent hormone therapy. Doctors placed an embryo in the woman's body and a week and a half later confirmed the pregnancy.
In June 2018, Ashley gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy weighing 8 lb 2 1/2 oz. The boy was named Stetson.
Ashley fondly recalls the first moments of her motherhood, "When I looked at Stetson, I saw my wife in him. It was priceless."
Ashley hopes they will have another child in the future.
It's worth noting that after a very unusual experience for the Coutler family, another same-sex couple came to the clinic. They soon gave birth to a baby girl who was carried by two mothers, too.
When the news spread, religious activists criticized Katie and Kevin for performing a procedure that went against Christian precepts.
Katie responded, "With all due respect, I can't agree with you. Relationships, family, and children are what our world needs."
Source: mama-likes
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