One of the first American women to receive a uterus transplant is trying to have miracle baby number 2, news week can reveal.
Born without a uterus, Amanda became a mother for the first time in 2021, after giving birth to daughter Grace. As part of a breakthrough clinical trial, Amanda was one of 33 women in the United States to have the procedure and only one of 80 recipients worldwide.
Grace was conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 2020, with frozen embryos created using Amanda’s egg and her husband John’s sperm. John, a friend of hers, had supported Amanda through her transplant process and her mother’s cancer treatment, and the couple fell in love with her. Nearly two years after Grace’s birth, the family is happier than ever.
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“Grace is doing great,” Amanda said. news week. She walks, says many words, runs and is a little fashionista. She likes to pick out her clothes every day, which is pretty cool. But she also loves trucks, dirt and rocks. It’s really funny”. “
The couple have decided now is the time to try and raise their family, as Amanda underwent her second IVF transfer on Nov. 23. John has two children from a previous relationship who are close in age and the couple would like Grace to have the same experience.
“Not everyone who gets a uterus transplant gets the baby eventually, let alone a second chance to try,” Amanda said.
“I don’t take opportunity or my health for granted to allow me to ‘try again’ again.”
How can you be born without a uterus?
Amanda discovered at the age of 17 that she was born without a uterus. Because her period had not started, she was sent for tests which showed she had her MYesterday-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH)., a congenital condition in which the reproductive organs do not develop properly. It affects about 1 in 4,500 women. Patients with MRKH can also be born with an underdeveloped or nonexistent vagina, but often have functional ovaries that make IVF possible.
The world’s first birth after a donor uterus transplant occurred in Sweden in 2014. Between 2016 and 2021, 33 women received uterus transplants in the United States. For 74% of the recipients, the transplanted uterus was still functioning a year later and 83% of them gave birth to live babies. As of July 2022, 19 of the 33 women have given birth, giving birth to 21 children in total.
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Amanda was one of 10 women chosen for the Cleveland Clinic study, the first of its kind in the United States.
If a second pregnancy is achieved, Amanda will have her transplanted uterus removed after giving birth so she no longer has to take anti-rejection medication.
“It’s going to be a bittersweet day as I would be holding this womb for the rest of my life,” she said.
“But I’ll also be grateful that I don’t live my life on side-effect drugs all day.”
Becoming a mom after years of fertility problems
Over the years and throughout her fertility struggles, Amanda’s mother and sisters had been her support. Her mother even traveled with Amanda to the clinic for consultations. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer shortly after the trial began. He died of cancer eight days after Amanda received her transplant, while she was still recovering at the Cleveland Clinic.
Though she never met her granddaughter, Amanda said her mother was a big part of her journey to fertility, even choosing the name Grace unintentionally.
“My mom had these visions or dreams while she was in hospice care,” she said.
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“I had these hallucinations that she met my daughter and they turned her into a teddy bear through the hospice program, so it felt like that was part of my journey.
“I hadn’t had the transplant yet. I’ve been on the transplant list for years and at that point I didn’t have much hope that the transplant would go through, but she was so sure she was going to have a baby girl.” She called Grazia.
“That doesn’t mean it’s not hard without her. It’s hard not being able to just call my mom and ask for her help, but I feel like she’s played such an important part in my journey and it brings me peace and tranquility.” joy too.”
Amanda and John’s embryo was successfully implanted in her new uterus six months after surgery, but the pregnancy came with further complications. In addition to the severe nausea that made her “throw up day and night”, Amanda developed hernias that caused her pain. Doctors monitored her closely at all times. Despite her hardships, Amanda “never took a moment for granted.”
“I knew she was high risk, but I was willing to take that risk to hold her in my arms,” she said. “Even on the hardest days, I’m still grateful.”
Nikole Breanna Thomas/Amanda Gruendell
trying to have a second baby
Unfortunately, the second transfer attempt didn’t go as smoothly as the first. Amanda doesn’t think the process worked this time, but she chooses to think positively.
She said news week: ‘We think the information we have now will give us better odds next time,’ he said. “We have four embryos left and we hope she gets one.”
For most of her adult life, Amanda has volunteered with infertility groups, serving as a counselor for others struggling to conceive.
“If my story can inspire just one person, then it was worth it,” she said.
“Even if I haven’t had a baby, I want people to know that uterus transplants are a viable option. I’m passionate about women who know their options.”
