Trans Fertility Resource Library
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What To Wear When You’re Trans and Pregnant
How we express ourselves, through clothing and hairstyle and accessories, matters to nearly everyone-- including and ESPECIALLY trans folks. We often pay a lot of attention to how we are presenting ourselves to the world, and pregnancy can throw a real wrench into that process. Frustratingly, gender-affirming pregnancy clothing and accessories are practically non-existent. This is hard, given that pregnancy is a time when dysphoria may creep up even more frequently than usual. What can you do? Here are our suggestions!
Personal Story: Mother Kellie and her son discuss his experience with fertility preservation
Here is an interview with Corinne, a transgender mother of three who realized her gender identity while serving in the military overseas. Watch as Corinne explains how she planned her medical transition with her and her wife’s family goals in mind. Corinne also talks about how her marriage evolved through her gender transition and how her children have adapted to the change.
Research Looks at Public Opinion on Transgender Parents
Public support of transgender parents is increasing, according to a 2016 study.
Ways Non-Gestational Parents and Caregivers Can Connect to Their Baby
LGBTQ people know that love, not biology, makes a family. Still, non-gestational parents may wonder how you can build a deep bond with a baby you didn’t carry or aren’t genetically related to. Here are some tips for being engaged with a pregnancy process and building a connection with the newest member of your family!
Pregnancy Over 35
We are in a world where people are increasingly prioritizing their education and careers into their 20’s, 30’s, and beyond. For some, it’s simply a matter of not wanting to have children until later! It is no surprise, then, to find out that globally, the age of birth parents rises every year. In 2020, the average age a person gave birth for the first time was just under 30 years old.
Realities of Miscarriage
What happens when a pregnancy is lost? Miscarriage is already a tough subject in our culture, and when you’re a trans person going through it… things can be especially complicated. Read more for info on trans miscarriage.
Inducing Lactation Possibilities and Outcomes
Many options are available for non-birthing parents who want to feed their babies. Cisgender and transgender women have successfully induced lactation, as have adoptive parents and more! Read on for more information on lactation options.
Abortion in the Transgender Community
Roughly 12% of transgender men have terminated a pregnancy, which is just under the national average. Trans people may choose abortion for many different reasons, and have many options available as they make their decision. Read more about what resources are available for transgender people considering abortion.
Personal Story: Trans Mom on Postponing Transition
Here is an interview with Corinne, a transgender mother of three who realized her gender identity while serving in the military overseas. Watch as Corinne explains how she planned her medical transition with her and her wife’s family goals in mind. Corinne also talks about how her marriage evolved through her gender transition and how her children have adapted to the change.
Thank you to ... my midwife, for reassuring a pregnant dad
Being pregnant for the first time is daunting for anyone. Being pregnant for the first time and trans male was terrifying. We were both stepping into the unknown but you never made that – made me – feel like a problem.
Personal Story: Two-Spirit Gestational Parent
Here is an interview with a trans, non-binary, Two-Spirit gestational parent in Washington, DC. They are four months along in their pregnancy and will share what it’s like for them to be pregnant, how they plan to approach gender with their child, what indigenous pregnancy and delivery practices they plan to integrate into their process… and more!
Personal Story: Bran Fenner
In this video produced in partnership with FertilityIQ, Bran shares his pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum journey. He describes what it was like to change providers midway through his pregnancy, how he self-advocated with his medical team, why he hired a doula, and how being a Black transgender man impacted his entire process.
Trans Dads Tell Doctors: “You can be a man and have a baby”
One of the most persistent myths transgender men and nonbinary people hear from doctors is that testosterone has sterilized them, experts say. While testosterone generally blocks ovulation, trans men can get pregnant while taking it, particularly if they are not taking it regularly.
It’s just one example of the misinformation and discouragement transgender men say they face from the medical establishment when they decide to get pregnant — a problem advocates and experts blame on a lack of training and research around transgender health care, as well as doctors’ biases.
How To Talk To A Trans Parent About Their Pregnancy
Reese added that, a lot of the time, he doesn't think people understand the implications of what they may be asking when they question a trans parent about their experience with pregnancy. A lot of that has to do with a general lack of understanding about what it's like to be both trans and pregnant at the same time. On top of the education Reese has already done through being so visible throughout his own pregnancy, he offered some advice on how to treat a trans parent with the same respect all pregnant people deserve.
'My body is awesome': Trans man expecting first child
Like most anyone in their third trimester of pregnancy, Trystan Reese is dealing with cravings and heartburn. But unlike most first-time parents, Reese is a transgender man who is expecting a baby with his partner of seven years, Biff Chaplow. The Portland, Oregon, couple will welcome a son in July.
"As the pregnancy's progressed, it's like more and more obvious that it's not just a guy with a beer belly," Chaplow told CNN affiliate KATU.
Fertility care has opened more doors for trans people to have biological children
More trans people are publicly out and having families of their own, inspiring others to do the same. This increased visibility is likely to prompt fertility care providers to realize that this kind of care needs to become standard. The difficult part will be figuring out how to make that care accessible to everyone.
Fertility Practices, Coverage Lacking for Transgender People
Transgender people see themselves as aligned with cancer patients who also face infertility when undergoing treatment. Egg freezing was once considered experimental, but that changed in 2012 when it was reclassified as an elective procedure, opening the door for more use. That prompted both cancer patients and transgender people to think about how to prove to insurance companies that fertility preservation is part of medically necessary treatments that need coverage.
People with Trans Parents
“So, your parent is transgender. What’s that like?” Does this question sound familiar? As people with transgender parents, we often feel quite alone in our experience. When (and if) we explain that we have a trans parent, we often find most people have never met anyone else with a transgender parent. COLAGE is a great resource for People with Trans Parents!
Trystan Reese Tells Trans Fertility Stories with HuffPost’s IVFML Podcast
If you want a casual, informative, and fun way to learn more about transgender fertility and parenting, check out this episode of the fertility podcast IVFML! Several transgender fertility stories are featured, including trans women, trans men, and their partners.
Talking Trans With Your Kids
When teaching your kids about trans people and families, you’ll be making the world that much better for all families. Kids as young as three are noticing differences and categorizing people (and families!) in their heads—so it’s never too early to talk about all the different, beautiful ways that families appear in the world. Here are some practical tips for having these conversations with ease.