Months after the arrival of their miracle baby, new mom, 33-year-old Jennifer Gobrecht, is opening up about her new bundle of joy. As Mamas Uncut previously reported, Gobrecht was born without a uterus.
But in 2018, still holding on to hope that she could one day carry her own child, she underwent a 10-hour transplant surgery where she was given a uterus from a deceased donor. The transplant was successful and in November 2019, Gobrecht and her husband Drew welcomed a baby boy into the world via cesarean section.
Now, in an exclusive interview with People, Gobrecht is opening up about her journey and how she’s enjoying the world of motherhood. With a 2-month-old at home, the new mom can’t help but daydream about the future. Beach days, Phillies baseball games and annual trips to the Renaissance fair are all things Gobrecht can’t wait to experience with her son Ben.
“Postpartum now, I feel 110 percent back to normal,” she says. “I can be a super mom to Ben.” But her journey towards being Ben’s mom is unlike any other. In fact, she’s only the second woman to undergo a uterus transplant, get pregnant, and give birth to a healthy child.
At 17 years old, Gobrecht was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. According to the National Organization for Rare Diseases, MRHK is “the failure of the uterus and the vagina to develop properly in women who have a normal ovarian function and normal external genitalia.” There are multiple different types of MRHK.
Years later, in 2014, Gobrecht and Drew got married and in 2016, they underwent IVF and created 10 embryos. Yet, despite knowing they wanted to become parents, they weren’t exactly sure how that would happen, they explained to People.
Then after learning about Penn Medicine’s uterine transplant trial, and all of its dangers, Gobrecht says her dreams of becoming a mother came back to life. The transplant surgeon Dr. Paige Porrett, said of the 10-hour surgery, “This was the first time we had ever done this procedure. This is a unique procedure. A new procedure.”
Six months after successfully completing the transplant, the Gobrecht’s learned they were expecting. It was their first try.
And Gobrecht enjoyed every minute of the almost nine months she carried Benjamin. She told People, “I was probably the happiest pregnant person. I loved all the things people complain about — all the stretch marks. I liked being tired.” She added that she never got morning sickness, and she “got the good hair and nails and the pregnancy glow.”
However, her favorite part about pregnancy was feeling her baby boy kick. “He was a very avid kicker. The first time he kicked, I think I cried for a good 20 minutes. When we would go in for ultrasounds, we would see him flopping around. It was an amazing experience to be able to carry him.”
Drew then explained to People what it was like watching his son be born, despite Gobrecht undergoing a c-section. “I know they traditionally put up a screen. But because we were in the cardiovascular surgery operating room, there were TV’s up showing everything. So I could see on the TV everything that was happening in the surgery. I was excited to see everything. I was bawling my eyes out in the operating room.”
The first time Gobrecht held her son, she sang You Are My Sunshine. “It was such an intense moment for me,” she told People. Now, mom and dad are thoroughly enjoying their new role. “We feel so lucky. This is the cool stuff.”
Mamas Uncut is THE online place for moms. We cover the latest about motherhood, parenting, and entertainment as well – all with a mom-focused twist. So if you're looking for parenting advice from real parents, we have plenty of it, all for moms from moms, and also experts. Because, at the end of the day, our mission is focused solely on empowering moms and moms-to-be with the knowledge and answers they’re looking for in one safe space.
I never thought that there will be a miracle on the internet until i came in contact with Priest Babaka, finally i made it with his help, with his spiritual power which was recommended by a lady in baby center he help before, i never believe it was real until i confirm it now because i have tried so many things to make sure i get pregnant but no luck, immediately i contact him. he did some spiritual prayers and send me a medicine which i took, i got pregnant three weeks after, and i now have a son to show. thank you so much priest and i recommend Priest Babaka for everyone out there that is willing to have a child of her own out there. contact him for help too he is real and powerful, i have confirmed it, contact him on email: [email protected] or Facebook at priest.babaka