Transgender man gives birth to healthy son: 'a pure moment of bliss'

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A transgender man gave birth to a bouncing baby boy in the US.

Photo courtesy of Trystan Reese

Baby Leo, born on July 14 in Portland, Oregon is welcomed by two overjoyed daddies. He is the first biological child of Trystan Reese, a transgender man, and his partner of seven years, Biff Chaplow, who are already parenting two adopted children.

Trystan Reese, born female, started his gender-altering process with testosterone treatment nearly a decade ago. He stopped taking the hormones soon after he found out he was expecting, after an agonizing miscarriage a year ago.

Photo courtesy of Trystan Reese

Then the baby came, a moment Reese described as “a pure moment of bliss.”

“Literally the first breath he took and his lungs filling with air and the giant cry he let out was the most amazing experience of my life,” Reese said. “I was completely overwhelmed with love for this tiny human and for Biff for believing in me throughout this process.”

Photo courtesy of Trystan Reese

“To see the very beginning of Leo, of his life, was just like amazing,” Chaplow added.

The couple said their friends and family have been supportive throughout, and they’ve got a strong following on social media, where they have been sharing the experience as gay adoptive parents and, now, new parents.

Photo courtesy of Trystan Reese

While they’ve heard some negative comments and hatred words, feedback is, for the most part, quite positive. “For every critical message I receive, a dozen supportive ones come in as well,” Reese said.

Photo courtesy of Trystan Reese

“I think everyone is relieved to see that yes, a transgender person can give birth and have it go perfectly,” he added.

The couple, albeit no strangers to parenthood, are both newbies in dealing with newborns but Reese said they are trying to learn together with the baby.