‘Little miracle’ baby born after UK’s first successful womb transplant
Grace Davidson gave birth to baby Amy after receiving a womb donated by her sister – a first for the UK.
A UK mum has given birth to a healthy baby girl after receiving a womb transplant from her sister – in a groundbreaking medical first.
Grace Davidson, 36, who was born without a functioning womb, gave birth to baby Amy in February, two years after her older sister Amy Purdie donated her uterus in a pioneering 17-hour surgery. Grace is now the first woman in the UK to carry and deliver a baby following a womb transplant.
“It was quite overwhelming because we’d never really let ourselves imagine what it would be like for her to be here. It was really wonderful.”
Grace was born with a rare condition called Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, which meant that although she had functioning ovaries, she didn’t have a developed womb. She always dreamed of carrying her own child but assumed it would never be possible.
“I have always had a mothering instinct,” she said, “but for years I had been suppressing it because it was too painful to go there.”
Though surrogacy and adoption were options, Grace said carrying her own baby was “really important”.
Her sister Amy, who had completed her own family, stepped forward as a donor. After extensive counselling and assessment, the sisters went ahead with the transplant at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford in 2023 – with more than 30 medics involved in the complex procedure.
Amy said she didn’t feel a sense of loss after donating her womb, explaining that seeing the immediate impact on Grace was “dramatic”. Grace had her first period two weeks later and became pregnant via IVF on the first attempt.
Her husband Angus said naming their daughter Amy was an “absolute no brainer” – a tribute to the sister who made parenthood possible. Baby Amy’s middle name is Isabel, after the lead surgeon, Isabel Quiroga.
Feeling her baby’s first kick was “incredible”, Grace said the whole pregnancy was “really special”. Baby Amy was born via Caesarean at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London on 27 February, weighing just over 2kg (4.5lbs).
Lead transplant surgeon Isabel Quiroga described the procedure as “life-enhancing and life-creating – and you can’t have better than that.”
Prof Richard Smith of Imperial College London, who has led research into womb transplants for over 20 years, said baby Amy’s birth will offer hope to the 15,000 UK women of childbearing age who do not have a functioning uterus.
The future of womb transplants in the UK
Grace’s transplant was the first successful one in the UK using a living donor. Since then, three more transplants using wombs from deceased donors have been carried out. A total of 15 are planned as part of an ongoing clinical trial.
Each procedure costs around £30,000 and has so far been funded by the charity Womb Transplant UK, with all medical staff giving their time for free. Ten more women are either storing embryos or undergoing fertility treatment in hopes of being next.
As Angus summed it up, “We’ll never be able to thank Amy enough.”
Womb transplants: what you need to know
Who might need one?
Around 1 in 7,000 women are born without a womb, often due to conditions like MRKH syndrome. Others may lose theirs to cancer or other health issues. Womb transplants offer a potential alternative to surrogacy or adoption for some.
Who can have one?
Women must be under 38, in a long-term relationship, have a healthy BMI and functioning ovaries. IVF is required before the procedure.
Where do the wombs come from?
In the UK, most donated wombs will come from brain-dead donors whose hearts are kept beating. Some procedures, like Grace's, use live donors.
What are the risks?
This is complex surgery with potential complications. Women must take immunosuppressants to avoid rejection, which can increase the risk of infections, osteoporosis, and even some cancers. The womb is usually removed after one or two pregnancies to reduce long-term health risks.
What does it cost?
Each transplant costs between £40,000 and £50,000 – currently funded by the charity Womb Transplant UK. It’s not available on the NHS yet.
Where else is it offered?
The first baby born from a womb transplant arrived in Sweden in 2014. Since then, around 65 babies have been born worldwide through this technique.
Photograph: Womb Transplant UK/PA
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Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.