A transgender man has just welcomed a baby, candidly opening up about vaginal birth.
Taking to his TikTok page on Tuesday (August 27), Alex Chichelli announced that he had spent the last three days in labor. In a new video, which has amassed over 24,000 views, he admitted that “it was a very long process.”
“I ended up getting an epidural when labor got really intense,” Alex, who works as a personal trainer, exclaimed. “So that was quite challenging, too. At that point, I was really tired, so if you want pain management, make sure you ask for it in time.”
Highlights
- Transgender man Alex Chichelli candidly documents his vaginal birth experience on TikTok, going viral with over 24,000 views.
- Chichelli suffered from preeclampsia and had to be induced at 37 weeks, revealing his struggles and experiences in a viral TikTok video.
- Dr. Juno Obedin-Maliver highlights that 25% of trans people delay or avoid medical care due to bad experiences with healthcare providers.
- Chichelli praised healthcare workers for respecting his trans identity but noticed racial bias toward his Black partner at the facility.
The TikTok further detailed: “It's hard to describe, but it's like you're taking like a massive dump, and that's kind of what I pretended it to be.
“It just seemed to be easier. It was a time, it was a journey. So, to be prepared, it's not necessarily like a beautiful magical thing.
“It's very exhausting. You get a very beautiful magical thing afterward, which is lovely.”
Transgender man Alex Chichelli candidly documented his vaginal birth experience on video, going viral on TikTok
Image credits: Alex Chichelli
Alex confessed that he struggled with significant bleeding following his birth, affecting his ability to enjoy immediate skin-to-skin contact.
He further opened up about his experience as a trans man giving birth, stating: “I did have to tell nurses cause I have vaginal trauma, and I kinda had to tell them not to use their fingers anymore.
“A lot of people—cis folks and trans folks—are walking around with a lot of discomfort,” Dr. Juno Obedin-Maliver, an assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford who specializes in the health care of sexual and gender minority people, told the San Francisco Aids Foundation in 2019.
She added: “We know that about 25% of trans people delay or avoid getting medical care because of bad experiences with a health care provider.
“I bet that number would be higher when it comes to genital issues.”
In a pregnancy update, he revealed that he was suffering from preeclampsia and had to be induced
Image credits: Alex Chichelli
“A lot of people—cis folks and trans folks—are walking around with a lot of discomfort,” Dr. Juno Obedin-Maliver, an assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford who specializes in the health care of sexual and gender minority people, told the San Francisco Aids Foundation in 2019.
She added: “We know that about 25% of trans people delay or avoid getting medical care because of bad experiences with a health care provider.
“I bet that number would be higher when it comes to genital issues.”
Image credits: Alex Chichelli
Alex went on to share a clip of his newborn baby daughter in the arms of his partner, Chy Ryan Spain. The TikToker has been documenting his pregnancy on social media, with one of his videos going viral over the weekend.
On Saturday (August 24), Alex shared an update about his pregnancy, which received nearly 466,000 views.
In the video, the influencer filmed himself from his hospital bed, revealing that he had to be induced due to preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia can affect pregnant people during gestation or after giving birth, and symptoms include vision problems and vomiting
Image credits: Alex Chichelli
Preeclampsia is a condition that affects some pregnant people, usually during the second half of pregnancy (from 20 weeks) or soon after their baby is delivered, the NHS explains.
Early signs of preeclampsia include having high blood pressure (hypertension) and protein in your urine (proteinuria).
In some cases, further symptoms can develop, including severe headaches, vision problems, such as blurring or flashing, pain just below the ribs, vomiting, and sudden swelling of the face, hands, or feet.
Although many cases are mild, the condition can lead to serious complications for both the mother and baby if it's not monitored and treated.
The earlier preeclampsia is diagnosed and monitored, the better the outlook for the parent and baby, the NHS states.
“I had to get a full catheter,” Alex revealed. “And then they sent us home, and now, we are back, and I am now on medication to induce labor.”
Alex went on to praise healthcare workers for being respectful, especially regarding his trans identity, as he said: “The hospital staff have been pretty good, and, you know, nothing too terrible.
“The rest of the hospital though, it's a trauma hospital, and so this trauma and I find that in general people, staff, etc., do their best to mask or manage their transphobia, which is lovely.”
Nevertheless, Alex noticed racial bias at the facility, especially because his partner is a Black man, as he described: “They don't always do their best to mask or manage their covert racism, which is fun, and that's really unfortunate.”
Trans men are able to get pregnant even if they're on testosterone (T) because it doesn't equate to birth control in any way
Image credits: Alex Chichelli
Gender-affirming hormone therapy — including testosterone — isn’t birth control, Planned Parenthood explains. This means that trans men can get pregnant even if they’re on testosterone (T) and even if they don’t have their period.
A trans man is a man who was assigned female at birth but identifies as a man. Some trans men may undergo medical and social transitions to align their appearance with their gender identity or to help with gender dysphoria.
Image credits: Alex Chichelli
Pregnancy is possible as long as you have a uterus and ovaries and are ovulating. It’s also possible to ovulate even if you don’t have a period, Planned Parenthood states.
According to the nonprofit organization, some trans men’s ability to get pregnant might decrease after taking testosterone for a while. Taking testosterone regularly may eventually stop ovulation entirely.
A trans man who wants to get pregnant can do so by temporarily not taking testosterone until pregnancy happens. Trans men can’t get pregnant if they’ve had surgery to remove their uterus and/or ovaries.Bored Panda has contacted Alex Chichelli for comment.
People online were quick to congratulate the couple, with some even taking the opportunity to educate themselves on the matter
