Record-Breaking Pregnancies

Pregnancy is a time of great joy and wonder for many parents-to-be, but it can also be challenging even in the best of circumstances. From morning sickness to hormone fluctuations, there are a host of issues that can arise during pregnancy. But some rare medical conditions and complications have made certain pregnancies even more remarkable, from stories of getting pregnant while already pregnant to biological twins born in different decades. In this article, we will explore some of the most medically amazing and record-breaking pregnancies that you won't believe actually happened.

Octo Mom's Miracle Babies

In 2009, Nadya Suleman, better known as the "Octo Mom," made headlines around the world when she gave birth to eight babies in one go. This was the first case where all of the octuplets survived past their first week, making her pregnancy a true medical marvel. Suleman conceived her octuplets through in vitro fertilization (IVF), a procedure where an egg is retrieved from a woman and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. Multiple embryos are then usually inserted into the womb to increase the chance of success, which means IVF treatments are more likely to produce fraternal twins or triplets.

Suleman began IVF treatments back in 1997 and had a total of six children this way, all born separately with the exception of one set being twins. By 2009, she had some viable embryos left and decided to have six inserted at once because they were reaching the end of their viable lifespan. She and the doctors assumed that not all the embryos would take, but there was a problem. Suleman's doctor in Beverly Hills, California had actually transferred 12 embryos, which was not only extreme but also very risky for both Suleman and the eight embryos that had successfully become fetuses.

As her pregnancy progressed, pictures of Suleman sporting one of the biggest bumps ever seen quickly captured the public's attention. At just 31 weeks, she was close to bursting and running out of room. She had to deliver all of her miracle babies by emergency C-section with each of them weighing between just one pound, eight ounces and three pounds, four ounces, less than half that of an average newborn. Despite being dangerously underdeveloped, they beat the odds and all survived. More than 10 years later, they are all one happy family – one very big happy family at that.

The Pregnant Man: Breaking Gender Stereotypes

Childbirth had only ever been recorded in people identifying as women until 2008 when Thomas Beatie, a trans man, became the first man in the entire world to get pregnant. Beatie had been assigned female at birth and undergone sex reassignment surgery involving a double mastectomy and testosterone hormone treatments, which allowed him to develop a physically masculine body. When his wife at the time couldn't carry children, he took matters into his own hands – or rather, his own womb – and decided to bear their children himself.

Because he had never had any surgeries to remove his uterus, Beatie was able to use a sperm donor to fertilize his eggs, and with the help of IVF, he became pregnant. In order to do this, however, he had to come off testosterone for the entire period of egg retrieval and pregnancy. This allowed his natural estrogen and progesterone levels to rise, which are essential for a fetus's development. High testosterone intake during pregnancy can negatively impact fertility and development.

Beatie shared his story publicly to raise awareness and prove that it was possible to be a pregnant dad. His baby bump photos garnered a lot of attention, and he went on to give birth to two more children.