This woman and her son were born from the same womb


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Emelie Eriksson gave birth to her son, Albin, almost two years ago, and now she's ready to talk about the groundbreaking procedure that allowed her to have a child, using a uterus donated by her mother. Eriksson, who lives just north of Stockholm, tells The Associated Press that giving birth from the womb she was also born from is "like science fiction." Now 30, she was 15 when she discovered that she had been born without a uterus, and thanks to the operation performed by Swedish surgeon Mats Brannstrom, she became the first woman to give birth using a uterus donated by her mother. "This is something that you read in history books, and now in the future when you read about this, it's about me," Eriksson said.
Brannstrom is the only doctor to have delivered infants from transplanted wombs — he has delivered five of them so far, and a sixth due in January — but he says he believes the procedure will one day be routine. Baylor University hospital in Dallas just announced this week that only one of four uterus transplants it performed succeeded, though the woman is not yet ready to get pregnant, and a uterus transplant earlier this year at the Cleveland Clinic was rejected. Eriksson said she is talking about her experience now to give hope to women who were in her situation. "I hope this will be a reality for everyone that needs it," she told AP. You can watch Eriksson, her mother, and Dr. Brannstrom discuss this miracle of modern medicine in the AP video below. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.
-
Lost and found
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 24, 2023
Daily Briefing Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian population to leave region amid fears of persecution, Atlantic coast remains under flood warnings from Ophelia, and more
By Justin Klawans Published
-
6 new horror novels to read this fall
The Explainer These upcoming releases will have you on the edge of your seat — or hiding under the covers
By David Faris Published
-
Exodus begins from Burning Man after desert mud trapped tens of thousands
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
'Margaritaville' singer Jimmy Buffett dies at 76
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
American Airlines suing website that offers tickets via price loopholes
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Federal agencies investigating near miss between Southwest jet and private plane
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Euphoria' star Angus Cloud dies at 25
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens dies at 70
Speed Read
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Trader Joe's recalls 4 products in a week amid reports of rocks and insects inside food
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Emmys to be postponed for first time since after 9/11 due to strikes
Speed Read
By Brendan Morrow Published