A pregnant man has revealed how he fell pregnant whilst transitioning after a one-night stand ‘Grindr hook-up’.

Ash Patrick Schade, 28, had spent the last two years transitioning and taking testosterone and oestrogen blockers when he discovered that he was pregnant in February 2020 after the dalliance.

The mental health worker and PHD student from Huntington, West Virginia, USA, was shocked at the revelation, but paused hormone treatments immediately in order to give birth to his daughter, Ronan Shiva, one.

Ash, who was born female, said he “fell in love with my bump” despite the shock.

The dad-of-one had struggled with his gender identity for as long as he could remember but was excited to start a family of his own, adding that his pregnancy aided him through the pandemic.

Ash Patrick Schade, after the birth of Ronan, with current husband Jordan

Ash Patrick Schade, after the birth of Ronan, with current husband Jordan (Image: Mercury Press & Media Ltd.)
He now co-parents Ronan with his current husband Jordan, 28 who is a full time stay-at-home step-dad.

Ash said: “At the time I got pregnant, I was on testosterone gel and oestrogen blockers, and it had never occurred to me that I could get pregnant whilst on them, as it’s such a rare occurrence.

“I was going through a rough time from 2019 and 2020 and struggled with my mental health due to going through a divorce. I ended up going on Grindr hook-ups and accidentally fell pregnant.

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“It was a huge shock, but I fell in love with my bump and pushed through the pregnancy, despite struggling with the dysphoria and medical risks.

Ash discovered that he was pregnant in February 2020 after a ‘Grindr hook-up’

Ash discovered that he was pregnant in February 2020 after a ‘Grindr hook-up’ (Image: Mercury Press & Media Ltd.)
“Ronan is my everything, I love her more than myself.”

Ash found the pregnancy difficult, often finding a lack of knowledgeable medical staff that understood his situation.

He said: “Nobody wanted to take my case when I first found out I was pregnant. I was such a high-risk case, with a lot of potential for the pregnancy to go awry.

“But once I was assigned a doctor, he worked with me to understand how I was feeling and what I was going through.

“When I went into labour, the team of medical staff had already been briefed on my situation and were amazing, until they were swapped out with different staff members later on.

Ash Patrick Schade before his transition

Ash Patrick Schade before his transition (Image: Mercury Press & Media Ltd.)
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“Seeing my hairy legs in the stirrups must have caught one of them off guard, as they said to me ‘maybe you should re-think your gender identity’.”

Despite the medical struggles of his pregnancy, Ash found solace in the support of his husband and the online LBGTQI+ community.

Ash feared his mental health may take a turn for the worse when he discovered the pregnancy.

He added: “I was worried about how good of a parent I would be, and how others would view me.

“But throughout the whole thing I had the love of my husband Jordan supporting me throughout, he even cut Ronan’s cord, he’s been there every step of the way.

“I had all of my friends following my journey and checking in, as well as the support of the online gay and trans community and even the Satanic Temple of which I’m a member.”

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