Wyley Simpson had just started his transition to become a man when he found out he was pregnant.
Initially he was shocked and nervous as he did not feel ready to have a baby with his fiancé, Stephan Gaeth, 28.
However, determined to make the surprise work, Wyley carried through with his pregnancy – while battling abuse and judgement from strangers on a daily basis.
But on September 5 2018, Wyley gave birth to their 7lb 5oz son, Rowan, via emergency C-section – after which he said all of the comments became worth it.
Now, the couple have just celebrated their son turning six-months-old and have revealed what pregnant life and parenthood is like.
Wyley, from San Antonio, Texas, US, said: ‘It’s not every day that someone sees a pregnant man walking down the road, so we received a fair amount of abuse – I would be told that I’ll never be a man, “men don’t carry babies” and everyone called me “it”.
‘I was already worried as this was my first pregnancy, but I was also nervous because I had to deal with a lot of stigma behind me being a pregnant man.
‘But alongside receiving rude comments from other people, the pregnancy took a lot for me emotionally.
‘Having gone through the transitioning process since I was 21-years-old, having a physical baby bump was something so feminine that messed with my head.
‘But it was all worth it to have Rowan and to become a father – I wouldn’t have changed a thing.’
Despite being grateful that he could carry his own child, Wyley explains that he was only able to feel comfortable about becoming a father once Rowan was born.
He said: ‘Once my physical bump had disappeared and I was able to take my hormones again, I felt good about everything.
‘Myself and Stephan suddenly turned into a gay couple with a baby, as opposed to me being a pregnant man.
‘And Rowan is amazing, he made all of the mental and physical pain completely worth it.
‘Now myself and Stephan are just reveling in fatherhood and can’t wait to continue our journey as a family.’
But despite being glad that he was able to naturally conceive his son, Wyley claims that he will not carry another child himself.
He said: ‘I am looking to fully transition in the future, so the likelihood of having another child naturally is unlikely.
‘It was a great feeling to be able to carry Rowan, feeling him kick and going to baby scans, but for me as a person, it isn’t something I can continue to do.
‘I don’t see myself as any less of a man because of what happened, but I just do not identify in such a feminine way as to be pregnant – so it won’t be happening again.
‘But I am glad that I got to go through something as amazing and natural as birthing my own child, it’s definitely made mine and Rowan’s bond so much closer.’