A woman discovered she was pregnant by her husband six months after he got a vasectomy.
Victoria and Will Wood, who share daughters Luna and Laney, decided on the procedure in 2023 because they felt their family was complete. In October of that year, Will underwent the operation, which was followed by a sperm analysis to test its effectiveness.
Highlights
- Victoria became pregnant six months after her husband underwent a vasectomy and received a "zero sperm" result from his analysis.
- Will meticulously followed post-vasectomy instructions, yet Victoria showed pregnancy symptoms in May.
- Despite doctors implying Victoria had been unfaithful, Will trusted her, and they later took a paternity test for peace of mind.
"After the procedure, you send in a kit for them to test to let you know if you are, in fact, sterile so that you can stop other birth control. They were very clear that during that time, we needed to keep another form of birth control, which we did," Will told People Magazine.
Image credits: verilyvictoria
"At the end of January, they sent me the results, and I had zero sperm in my analysis."
In May, Victoria started experiencing pregnancy symptoms. She initially downplayed them, placing her trust in her husband's procedure.
"April came and went. Mother Nature did not pay me a visit. I've been inconsistent with my period my entire life, so I thought, 'I'm just a little bit late, and that's fine.' But then I started feeling a little nauseous. And then I had this little voice in the back of my head, like, 'I think we need to take a pregnancy test.'"
The test showed that she was, in fact, pregnant.
Will said the pregnancy occurred despite his post-vasectomy semen analysis indicating that he had "zero sperm"
Image credits: RF._.studio
"I was in disbelief because I was pretty meticulous with following the instructions for my procedure. It didn't really add up," Will shared.
A vasectomy is a form of male birth control done by cutting and sealing the tubes (vas deferens) that carry sperm.
Although vasectomy reversals are possible, this procedure is considered a permanent form of male birth control, as there's no guarantee that the reversal will work, according to the Mayo Clinic.
A vasectomy is nearly 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, the clinic notes, making the Wood's case extremely rare.
Image credits: RDNE Stock project
According to Healthline, only about 2 out of every 1,000 women get pregnant in the first year after their partner gets the procedure done.
A vasectomy can fail if the doctor misses the vas deferens during the procedure. In rare cases, the tube can regrow.
This procedure should be considered a failure if any motile sperm are seen in the post-vasectomy semen analysis six months after a vasectomy, in which case a repeat vasectomy should be considered, an expert at the American Urological Association writes.
The couple, who is expecting their third daughter, took a paternity test after several doctors implied that Victoria had been unfaithful
Image credits: victoriatranwood
Image credits: victoriatranwood
"At first, we were just really worried and stressed and not sure what to do for a number of reasons. I think the main thing was that we needed all the answers. So I went in to get another analysis right after that," Will added.
His second sperm analysis, done at a different location, showed the same results as the first, creating further confusion for the couple.
Victoria's video about the strange occurrence has amassed nearly a million views
While some doctors implied that Victoria had been unfaithful, this possibility didn't raise any doubts in Will's mind.
"I trust Victoria. I was more concerned that something crazy was happening than that she'd been unfaithful. That's why we went to the E.R.," the father said.
Victoria added, "I offered [to take a paternity test] to Will, and his gut instinct was no. He felt it was unnecessary, and we knew it was our decision to make. Later, we talked about getting it just for the data point. We thought it might be good to have so that any doubters or naysayers had no leg to stand on.
"So we had that piece of paper to put everyone's mind at ease and as more proof of our crazy, unfathomable story that defies science, statistics, and all of that good stuff."
Only about 2 out of every 1,000 women get pregnant in the first year after their partner gets the procedure done
Image credits: victoriatranwood
After sharing their story online—Victoria's recount of the situation has amassed nearly a million views on TikTok—the couple were flooded with suggestions that could explain the strange phenomenon.
"One of the main things was that Will possibly has another set of vas deferens. But then the sperm analysis should have shown something other than a zero, right? If there's a connection somewhere, it should have picked it up — especially because we've been to three different labs at this point," said the mom-of-two.
"We're still scratching our heads and have no definitive answers."
"We know what the science says. But this is true. This happened," Will said
"Urologists have said that with all these analyses I've done and keep doing, none of them are showing what they call a recanalization, which is where the vas deferens reconnects. So, if I'm still showing none, it should mean the vasectomy was successful. But in the back of my head, I'm like, 'Well, I thought that the first time.' The trust piece is really tough," said Will.
The couple is expecting a girl, due this winter
Image credits: victoriatranwood
Their baby girl is due this winter. "I joke that we're happy it's a girl because we're over surprises," Victoria shared. "At least that's something we know. But we're really excited. We've told the girls that they'll have a little sister, and they're pretty pumped. They were rooting for a girl."
People were surprised to learn about the couple's story, with one person suggesting they name their baby "Michael Phelps"
