Watch: The remarkable journey to parenthood of a Dunedin dad expecting to give birth

November 22, 2018

Anika Moa, who’s pregnant herself – talked with Scout Barbour-Evans.

A pregnant Dunedin student who was born female but doesn’t identify as a man or a woman says their baby will call them dad.

Scout Barbour-Evans is now 37 weeks pregnant and looking forward to having a baby in time for Christmas.

"I'm really excited and I think my kid's excited too judging by the feet kicking me," Scout says.

This birth really is a Christmas miracle - given that Scout is not a woman.

"A lot of people have said you can't be a pregnant dad. You need psychiatric help, but I've done more therapy than they've done in their lifetime and transitioning has actually been really good for me."

Scout is non-binary, meaning they were born female but don't identify as a man or a woman. 

"It is like a real thing for people, like a lot of people feel really hurt and really in pain when they're seen to be the wrong gender. It's hard to explain," Scout says.

Two years ago, Scout started transitioning, changing their identity into one they feel comfortable with.

Scout is part way through this process, but had to stop hormone treatment to conceive - with the help of a donor.

Most paperwork refers to pregnant people as the woman or mother, but Scout will be listed as "father" on the birth certificate.

Scout will use the pronouns "he" or "she" for their child depending on their sex just like everybody else.

One thing that this Kiwi child will know for sure Scout says: "They've got a really big whanau who already love them to pieces."

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