A woman who married her best friend before they both subsequently became pregnant "in tandem" using a £72 home insemination kit and a sperm donor they found online has described their babies as “almost twins,” after they were born three days apart.
Karina, 31, and Kelly, 32 had both only previously dated men before they became a couple, but now they have a family of their own after using a DIY insemination kit.
Karina and Kelly became best friends after meeting at school in Venezuela, South America. The pair then moved to the United States and lived all over the country separately before reconnecting in Miami, Florida.
The couple, who are both successful biomedical engineers, had both previously dated only men but got together and subsequently married in 2017 after confessing their feelings to each other. It was then that their thoughts turned to starting a family.
Having been priced out of using expensive IVF clinics, the couple bought a home insemination kit before finding a sperm donor online. They decided to both try to have a baby in a bid to increase their chances of being successful, never thinking that they would both fall pregnant on the first attempt.
“I’m really glad we didn’t go into labour at the same time," Karina said in a recent interview, "That was a worry of ours, but thankfully, being three days apart meant that I could be there when Leo was born and Kelly could when Sophie was."
Karina continued;
“People told us that we would kill each other being two pregnant women in the same house, with all those hormones flying around but, actually, it was great to go through this with the love of my life, who completely understood how I was feeling.”
Kelly added, "We are so in love with our babies. People always ask if they’re twins and we joke, ‘Almost!’" The couple now lives in Los Angeles, California with their two children. Kelly gave birth to baby Leo on July 7, 2019, and her wife to his sister Sophie just three days later.
Speaking of their relationship, Karina said;
“Whenever I’d hear Kelly talking about boyfriends, I’d feel almost jealous and started to realise that it was because I had romantic feelings for her.
“She moved around a lot but, eventually, we found ourselves in the same city when we both moved to Miami. I was so nervous, as I had no idea how she would take it, but I had to tell her how I felt. Thankfully, she felt the same.”
And discussing the process of telling their friends and family about their true feelings for each other, Karina revealed;
“Not all of our loved ones approved. Coming out as a process is very hard. You have to come out to yourself first, accept who you are and understand that you aren’t doing anything wrong.
“As I’d only ever dated men before Kelly, some people thought it was a phase, but it wasn’t.
“Part of why we wanted to get married was to formalise our relationship and show the world that we were serious about one another.”
Kelly revealed that, growing up, she wasn't sure if she wanted to have children, but Karina's desire to be a mother had changed her mind. “Growing up, I hadn’t thought I wanted children,” she explained. “I wanted to focus on my career and studying instead.
“But Karina changed all that. She has always wanted to be a mother, and I knew she’d make a fantastic one. My love for her changed my mind.”
The pair are now enjoying their life as a family. By sharing their story, they hope to inspire other couples for whom traditional conception may not be an option, as well as raise awareness for the many different journeys that can lead to parenthood.
