Woman’s Partner Decides To Get Pregnant Himself After Learning She Couldn’t Have Kids

When a 25-year-old woman’s partner learned she couldn’t have babies, he reversed roles and got pregnant. Not sure if his plan would work, he underwent medical treatments to conceive their first baby.

Caleb Bolden, 27, and his partner, Niamh Bolden, wanted to have children, but things didn’t go as planned. The couple tried to conceive multiple times, which resulted in three miscarriages and the stillbirth of twins.

After the multiple heartbreaking losses, doctors told Niamh she would never become a mother again. However, that didn’t mean the couple couldn’t have children because Caleb decided he would make their dream of becoming parents come true.

Six years ago, Caleb transitioned from a female to a male, and he had to take a daily dose of testosterone. After learning about his partner’s infertility, he had two options ― let Niamh undergo expensive treatments at a fertility clinic or give up his testosterone dose. He chose the latter.

However, the effects of stopping his daily hormone dose weren’t too pleasant. He explained, “Coming off testosterone was a rocky road as I had so many hormones going around my body.”

In addition, Caleb experienced gender dysphoria while people passed all kinds of comments about his decision to have a baby. Six months after he stopped taking testosterone, Caleb conceived. He gave birth to a baby girl, Isla-Rae Bolden in May 2023.

The first-time parent described his experience as “soul-destroying,” but he said he would love to give birth again. Caleb added that he would tell Isla-Rae everything once she was old enough to understand these things. He also wanted other transgender men to know that “it’s OK to carry a child.”

After being on testosterone for about 27 months, Caleb’s chances of getting pregnant were thin. According to the doctors, his body produced eggs that couldn’t be fertilized. The Chatteris, Cambridgeshire resident quit his daily testosterone dose in January 2022 despite knowing his chances of conceiving were very minimal.

What influenced his decision to get pregnant was that he and Niamh would have to spend over $103,000 on artificial insemination before NHS would consider Niamh for a fully-funded IVF.

Instead of spending so much on his partner’s fertility treatment, Caleb thought it would be better if he tried to get pregnant. During the process, he met a sperm donor online who agreed to help him get pregnant.

According to Caleb, the doctors predicted his menstrual cycle wouldn’t resume because of his testosterone treatment, but his cycle started a month after he stopped taking the hormone. He shared:

“Within six months and three attempts using a sperm donor, I fell pregnant.”

Caleb started going for regular scans at the West Suffolk Hospital, where he met supportive staff. Since they knew his pregnancy was different, they maintained his privacy by doing his scan in a separate room, away from other women.

Besides, the staff didn’t keep him in the general ward with other pregnant women. Instead, they took him to a separate room for delivery and induction. However, after looking at him, many strangers passed unpleasant comments during his pregnancy, saying he was a man who got pregnant.

Caleb gave birth to his daughter naturally but underwent a few complications. The doctors prescribed him bed rest for the first month, which meant he couldn’t bond with his little one. He recalled:

“But after leaving the hospital, I was in agony. It was because there was a breakdown in the episiotomy.”

With the help of his partner, Caleb recovered and now plans to have another baby before he resumes his testosterone dose. He added that things were slightly different initially because he “didn’t feel like that father figure” to his daughter.

Caleb breastfed little Isla-Rae during the initial days but thought it was too difficult. However, he is now raising his little one with Niamh’s support, hoping to conceive another baby this year.

Click here to read another story about a trans woman who became the first to win her country’s beauty pageant despite bullies and insults.