Meet the Trans Dad Who Used his Own Egg to Make a Fam #Science #SuperCool
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Seth Marlow wanted to start a family with his wife.
Marlow who is a transgender male, (FTM or Female to male), used used his own egg and donor sperm to conceive Arlo, who was then birthed by Seth’s wife.
According to The New York Post, ” When people first meet 4-year-old Arlo Marlow, they often remark how much the bright-eyed boy looks like his dad, Seth. They’ll frequently say he resembles Seth’s wife, Leah, too, since they assume she is his biological mom. But the truth behind Arlo’s origins is a bit more complicated. Arlo was conceived using an egg from Seth, who is transgender. The egg was fertilized with donor sperm, then carried and birthed by Leah. “Arlo has two genetic fathers,” Seth told The Post. “He’s a pretty unique kid.”
The 41-year-old, who transitioned in 2003 at the age of 25, had his transition medically reversed in 2012 so his ovaries would generate enough eggs to create Arlo. Then he immediately switched back to being male.
Marlow talked about the experience on the podcast, Pregnantish, “the egg was fertilized with the sperm of an anonymous donor and the resulting embryo was frozen for three years. It was later transferred into Leah’s uterus. The pregnant mom safely delivered 6-pound, 3-ounce Arlo in October 2015.”
“The baby’s arrival felt like a miracle. I thought my transition had cost me my fertility and the path to a family,” says Seth, on Pregnantish that before he started dating Leah, he was convinced he’d stay a “confirmed bachelor.”
“I longed for — but never thought — I would have my own biological child,” adds the technology trainer for a health care company living in Roanoke, Va. “But, as soon as Leah and I got serious and I suggested this course of action, she said: ‘I’m in!’”
Though Seth transitioned to a man and had a double mastectomy, his ovaries remained intact. In order to ovulate again, he merely needed to stop taking testosterone and start a course of estrogen.
Listen to the podcast below.
