Kerala transcouple set to welcome baby in March

A transgender couple in Kerala has announced pregnancy, in possibly the first such case in the country, and are expecting their child in March.

Ziya Paval, a dancer, took to Instagram and announced that her partner, Zahhad, is now eight months pregnant.

"We are about to realise my dream of becoming a mother and his dream of becoming a father. An eight-month-old foetus is now in (Zahhad's) belly... From what we came to know, this is the first trans man's pregnancy in India...," Paval said in the Instagram post.

Paval and Zahhad have been together for the past three years. They both were undergoing hormone therapy to change their genders but halted that for the purpose of having the baby.

Zahhad, who was transitioning to become a man, has stalled it to conceive a baby.

Speaking to media, Paval said, "The trans community is living in constant fear of society. We all are worried what the society will think. There are numerous trans people who want to be a parent. There are many persons for whom the transman pregnancy is possible. But they are not coming forward." The couple has been busy for the past two days giving interviews to various media houses.

Paval narrates their journey towards the gender changing process and how they had to stop the hormone treatment in order to conceive the child.

Zahhad said he never had even thought about getting pregnant.

"I had never thought about it. If I had, then I would not have gone for this breast removal surgery," Zahhad said.

She said they initially planned an adoption but found it difficult.

"The legal process was difficult for us. Also, we were worried that if the child we bring up leaves us, then we will be shattered. Zahhad was worried about the society, what people will think and all. But he still wants to be a father." The couple said it was receiving tremendous support from the society after they posted about it publicly.

"Though there are many negative comments, we focus only on the positive parts." The doctors of Kozhikode medical college have been fully supportive of the couple.

"It was very difficult in the first four months. There was vomiting. But now everything is normal now," Zahhad said.

The medical college authorities have assured that breast milk will be made available for the baby from the milk bank when they are in the hospital.

The couple expects to find a solution for that in the coming months.