A lesbian couple has made history as the first parents in the UK to give birth to each other’s babies through a simultaneous reciprocal IVF procedure.
Emily Patrick, 38, and Kerry Osborn, 35, first announced the beginning of their journey in June 2022, which was followed more than a year later by an announcement in October 2023, confirming that both were expecting sons at the same time. Only nine weeks separate the babies, with Elvis now 10 weeks old, and his brother Ezra being born on February 28. Both arrived just in time for the family’s first Mother’s Day, which they celebrated at the beach.
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The simultaneous reciprocal IVF procedure means that both mothers had their eggs fertilised by the same sperm donor, which were then implanted into one another. Kerry’s fertilised egg was implanted in Emily, giving life to Elvis on New Year’s Day. As for Ezra, he was born nine weeks later, with Emily’s egg implanted in Kerry.
The process was channelled under the rules of the UK’s independent regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
The adorable babies bear some resemblance to the lesbian couple, as Elvis has Kerry’s big eyes and a button nose, and Ezra looks just like Emily with a tuft of ginger hair.
Emily said to Metro UK that Ezra was being “absolutely chill” compared to his brother who was “a bit of a terror for the first few weeks”, although he now sleeps soundly.
The idea of expanding their queer family first started being discussed during Covid lockdowns. The couple took their time finding a suitable donor, prioritising his health record, and similar physical features.
They chose a Dutch-German donor living in the UK, and Emily and Kerry were able to see his handwriting, a picture of him when he was eight, and listen to a recording of his voice.
Kerry told the Daily Mail: “There was no great ceremony, it was a Thursday night and we started swiping through sperm banks. The problem is that once you start, you can’t stop, there is so much choice.
“We chose a man about our own age who had two children and was donating for altruistic reasons – there were people in his family struggling with infertility and he wanted to help others.”
The lesbian couple stated how important it is for them that their babies could know the donor: “Curiosity about where you’re from is normal and natural, the boys should absolutely have the right to know who fathered them and what he’s like,” said Kerry.
“I don’t think there’s anything to lose, but by finding out about the other half of themselves, they have everything to gain.”
Ezra and Elvis will be able to see the donor’s profile at 16, and at 18 they will be able to know his name, date and location of birth, as well as his most recent address, giving them the right to contact him if they wish.
Kerry and Emily were excited to see their queer family grow, as it was a long-time dream. Emily shared, “It’s been very emotional seeing both our boys arrive and watching each other become mothers in the space of a few weeks.”
She added: “I was always the less maternal one, but I’ve found a whole different level of love, like a new chamber in my heart, for our babies.”
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As a first in the UK’s history, their extraordinary, shared pregnancies are a milestone for the LGBTQ+ community. The mothers do not necessarily feel like trailblazers, still, they recognise the progress made over the years for same-sex parenting and hope one day it will be regarded as normal. Kerry also told the Daily Mail: “We never set out to be pioneers but we hope we’ve shown other people in the LGBTQ+ community that this is achievable.”
Starting a family is another step in their seven-year relationship, and the next is getting married! They first met on Tinder in New Zealand, where Emily worked, and Kerry was travelling. Emily and Kerry travelled around Southeast Asia and New Zealand together, before settling in Gosport, England with their retired greyhound Dotty.
Kerry’s and Emily’s astonishing story marks a milestone in the UK, as discriminatory requirements on same-sex couples accessing fertility treatments were lifted by the NHS in 2022. You can follow their inspiring story and the growth of this heart-warming queer family on Instagram and TikTok!
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