Transgender man stunned as 'bloated tummy' turns out to be baby bump a decade after transitioning from womanhood
Kayden Coleman and husband Elijah plan to tell 22-month-old Azaelia about her unusual family when she turns five.
Staring at the reflection of the baby bump in the mirror, he was excited, Like any mum or dad, the prospect of bringing a baby into the world felt overwhelming. Though it wasn't an ordinary pregnancy – because for almost a decade Kayden Coleman had been living as a transgender man & he had been on testosterone jabs for five years, had grown facial hair and was about to have a double mastectomy.
But then nature dropped a bombshell and, despite years of taking male hormones, Kayden became pregnant. Kayden & Elijah are besotted with 22-month-old Azaelia and are planning to tell her all about her unusual family when she is five.
Kayden Coleman and husband Elijah plan to tell 22-month-old Azaelia about her unusual family when she turns five.
Staring at the reflection of the baby bump in the mirror, he was excited, Like any mum or dad, the prospect of bringing a baby into the world felt overwhelming. Though it wasn't an ordinary pregnancy – because for almost a decade Kayden Coleman had been living as a transgender man & he had been on testosterone jabs for five years, had grown facial hair and was about to have a double mastectomy.
But then nature dropped a bombshell and, despite years of taking male hormones, Kayden became pregnant. Kayden & Elijah are besotted with 22-month-old Azaelia and are planning to tell her all about her unusual family when she is five.
Kayden was stunned when he first realised his growing belly was not the result of a lack of exercise, but a baby.
With a broad smile, the 29-year-old explains: “I never thought about getting pregnant. Because of the male hormones, I didn’t think it was a possibility. It was definitely a surprise.”
Doctors said it was because he’d had to take a break from the hormones before the operation.
He says: “To have a mastectomy you have to be off hormones for six weeks.”
Kayden Coleman thought his tummy was due to a lack of exercise. Kayden said.............
“One day my back was killing me,” he says. “Elijah was going to give me a massage, so I lay on my front on the bed. It felt like there was a pillow under my stomach but there was no pillow.” I actually said, ‘I think I should go get a pregnancy test’. We were joking about it." I took the test the same night. I felt nervous but excited. The results were conclusive but I still didn’t believe it.” I was 21 weeks pregnant, i was shocked. It took a while to process it. But I was also busy figuring out how we could make things work in such a short space of time.”
With a broad smile, the 29-year-old explains: “I never thought about getting pregnant. Because of the male hormones, I didn’t think it was a possibility. It was definitely a surprise.”
Doctors said it was because he’d had to take a break from the hormones before the operation.
He says: “To have a mastectomy you have to be off hormones for six weeks.”
Kayden Coleman thought his tummy was due to a lack of exercise. Kayden said.............
“One day my back was killing me,” he says. “Elijah was going to give me a massage, so I lay on my front on the bed. It felt like there was a pillow under my stomach but there was no pillow.” I actually said, ‘I think I should go get a pregnancy test’. We were joking about it." I took the test the same night. I felt nervous but excited. The results were conclusive but I still didn’t believe it.” I was 21 weeks pregnant, i was shocked. It took a while to process it. But I was also busy figuring out how we could make things work in such a short space of time.”
There was a lot to take in – especially for Elijah’s friends and family, who did not know Kayden was transgender.
Kayden was lucky that most people failed to notice his bump but he did get some confused looks.
He said: “This woman in a shop said to me, ‘Honey, you look like you’re pregnant’. I just laughed and said, ‘I am pregnant!’ She didn’t believe me.” His pregnancy went smoothly but when it came to the birth in December 2013, it was a different story.
Kayden was in labour for four days and had to have a C-section
Kayden, who was induced at nine months as he had high blood pressure.
Kayden did not face discrimination from hospital staff but did feel he was treated differently from other mums-to-be. “All the medical people were really nice but I did kind of feel like an experiment. While I was in labour, medical students kept coming in and out. It got to the point where I had to put my foot down and demand a C-section.”
“Even when I first held my daughter, it hadn’t sunk in that she was mine, so I didn’t really feel much. But I knew things would never be the same again. I was so happy to finally see her (Azaelia) face.” both parents found family life challenging, with Kayden giving up his job in a museum to take care of their daughter and Elijah working 10 hours a day to support them.
And Kayden also suffered postnatal depression. Elijah says: “It was tough. Kayden had postnatal depression for about a year.
“She is an awesome kid. Very well-mannered. She’s very sensitive but also very much like both of us. Her favourite word is, ‘No!’
“I don’t feel like we should have been parents all along but I feel like we are great parents now.”
Born female: Kayden, pictured as a little girl.
He said.............
"Growing up as a girl in a religious family in Florida, i always knew something was not quite right.
“I just didn’t know what it was. I went through a lot of phases of trying to fit in and trying to figure out why I was so different. I have three older brothers. I always wanted to be around them and play sports and do the things that they did. I grew up in a very Christian, very Jamaican household and that type of stuff wasn’t acceptable. Girls had to act like girls and boys had to act like boys
“I convinced myself I was a lesbian because at least when I was doing that I could play a masculine role and it was more accepted.”
Kayden reached breaking point at 20 when he became depressed and suicidal. He started to do online research and, as he began to understand what it meant to be trans, everything fell into place. He started to wear a binder, which flattens the breasts, and began taking male hormones.
Meanwhile, Elijah had battled with his sexuality , coming out to his parents at home in New Jersey when he was 15. He recalls: “My mum had lots of gay friends. One of them mentioned that I might be gay to my mum and she confronted me about it.
“My dad struggled with it for a few years but I think on some level that my family had always known.”
Kayden was lucky that most people failed to notice his bump but he did get some confused looks.
He said: “This woman in a shop said to me, ‘Honey, you look like you’re pregnant’. I just laughed and said, ‘I am pregnant!’ She didn’t believe me.” His pregnancy went smoothly but when it came to the birth in December 2013, it was a different story.
Kayden was in labour for four days and had to have a C-section
Kayden, who was induced at nine months as he had high blood pressure.
Kayden did not face discrimination from hospital staff but did feel he was treated differently from other mums-to-be. “All the medical people were really nice but I did kind of feel like an experiment. While I was in labour, medical students kept coming in and out. It got to the point where I had to put my foot down and demand a C-section.”
“Even when I first held my daughter, it hadn’t sunk in that she was mine, so I didn’t really feel much. But I knew things would never be the same again. I was so happy to finally see her (Azaelia) face.” both parents found family life challenging, with Kayden giving up his job in a museum to take care of their daughter and Elijah working 10 hours a day to support them.
And Kayden also suffered postnatal depression. Elijah says: “It was tough. Kayden had postnatal depression for about a year.
“She is an awesome kid. Very well-mannered. She’s very sensitive but also very much like both of us. Her favourite word is, ‘No!’
“I don’t feel like we should have been parents all along but I feel like we are great parents now.”
Born female: Kayden, pictured as a little girl.
"Growing up as a girl in a religious family in Florida, i always knew something was not quite right.
“I just didn’t know what it was. I went through a lot of phases of trying to fit in and trying to figure out why I was so different. I have three older brothers. I always wanted to be around them and play sports and do the things that they did. I grew up in a very Christian, very Jamaican household and that type of stuff wasn’t acceptable. Girls had to act like girls and boys had to act like boys
“I convinced myself I was a lesbian because at least when I was doing that I could play a masculine role and it was more accepted.”
Kayden reached breaking point at 20 when he became depressed and suicidal. He started to do online research and, as he began to understand what it meant to be trans, everything fell into place. He started to wear a binder, which flattens the breasts, and began taking male hormones.
Meanwhile, Elijah had battled with his sexuality , coming out to his parents at home in New Jersey when he was 15. He recalls: “My mum had lots of gay friends. One of them mentioned that I might be gay to my mum and she confronted me about it.
“My dad struggled with it for a few years but I think on some level that my family had always known.”
Elijah and Kayden were introduced, through a mutual friend, on Twitter in 2012. For three months they messaged each other and spoke on Skype. Elijah says: “I didn’t know Kayden was trans when I started pursuing him but he told me during our very first conversation. I was fine with it. It didn’t make a difference to me.”
Eventually, the pair decided to meet up in New York City & immediately got married.
It was the following year that Kayden became pregnant. He is not the first transgender man to have a child.
Kayden is now planning a hysterectomy but he and Elijah could not be happier to have Azaelia in their lives.
They are raising her as two fathers – she calls Kayden “Daddy” and Elijah “Poppy. They will tell their baby the full story when she turns five.
Kayden says: “Kids are a lot more understanding and receptive than adults. But I don’t plan on making a big deal out of it. I’ve never made a big deal out of it when telling anyone, because to me it’s not a big deal.
“As long as Azaelia is loved and cared for, I doubt she’ll care.”
Eventually, the pair decided to meet up in New York City & immediately got married.
It was the following year that Kayden became pregnant. He is not the first transgender man to have a child.
Kayden is now planning a hysterectomy but he and Elijah could not be happier to have Azaelia in their lives.
They are raising her as two fathers – she calls Kayden “Daddy” and Elijah “Poppy. They will tell their baby the full story when she turns five.
Kayden says: “Kids are a lot more understanding and receptive than adults. But I don’t plan on making a big deal out of it. I’ve never made a big deal out of it when telling anyone, because to me it’s not a big deal.
“As long as Azaelia is loved and cared for, I doubt she’ll care.”
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