Just weeks after she had surgery for a uterus transplant, the first woman to have this procedure done in Australia is pregnant! Kirsty Bryant had the surgery in January, and the donor was her mother. Now, she’ll carry a baby in the same uterus she was carried in. Currently, she’s seven weeks pregnant after having an embryo implanted.

While she admits it’s a wonderful feeling, she also talks about how surreal it is to have her mother’s uterus and be carrying a child within it so quickly. The transplant is a temporary one, as uterus transplants only last around five years. Ms. Bryant had to have a hysterectomy immediately after having her daughter Violet a few years ago.

That hysterectomy was a life-saving procedure for her, but it also meant she assumed she wouldn’t be able to have more children. Then she became part of a clinical trial for uterine transplants, which is how she was able to get the 16-hour surgery. Her mother is also very excited to have another grandchild, making it a happy time for the entire family.

The successful transfer of an embryo after a uterus transplant is the first one in the country of Australia, and so far everything in the pregnancy is progressing normally. It was also Ms. Bryant’s first embryo transfer, so the odds of it taking so quickly and easily were not that high.

Ms. Bryant, the doctors and researchers who were part of the clinical trial are overjoyed with the success of the procedure. This offers hope to many more women who want to have children, but who may not be able to because of a hysterectomy, a problem with their uterus or Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) Syndrome. 

Now that researchers have shown it’s possible to transplant a uterus and then successfully implant an embryo, more studies can move forward and give this opportunity to additional women. Over time, that could lead to this becoming a much more common procedure that will help additional women all over the country have successful pregnancies and expand their families.

At The Surrogacy Law Center, our thorough contracts establish the intent of the parties regarding their rights, identify the parties’ financial responsibility, and ensure all parties are aware of the importance of informed consent, providing our clients with further peace of mind as they navigate their third party assisted reproduction journeys. Contact us to learn more!