A woman from Sweden has given birth to a baby born from the same womb she was born from, after a successful uterus transplant.
Emelie Eriksson, who was born without a womb, wanted to carry and give birth to her own child. And in a world first, her mother Marie donated her own uterus so her daughter could have her wish.
Almost two years ago, the 30-year-old from a town near Stockholm gave birth to her son Albin, the first ever born from a transplanted womb.
Performed by pioneering Swedish doctor Mats Brannstrom, her operation was a success and allowed her to give birth to a healthy child.
Emelie was 15 when she wondered why she had not started her period, with later tests confirming that she had been born without a womb.
Read libby Matthews’ pregnancy page: Why I’m having my baby in South Africa.
Told she would never carry her own children, Emelie began reading about scientists who were researching womb transplants.
Excited about the possibility, she told her mother she thought perhaps this was something that could factor into her future after all.
“I said to Emelie, ‘I’m so old, I don’t need my womb and I don’t want any more children. This is your only chance to have a child and you should take it.’”
After getting in touch with Dr Brannstrom, and after dozens of tests on her mother and her, they were accepted into his trial.
But even then, Emelie and her husband Daniel were doubtful that the procedure would lead to an actual pregnancy, accepting there was a very slim chance it could happen for them.
A year after her operation, Emelie managed to get pregnant through IVF, though she was only convinced when she heard her newborn son scream in the delivery room in 2014.
“I hope this will be a reality for everyone that needs it,” she said.
