Double labor of love

For same-sex couples, the journey to becoming parents looks quite different from the path most heterosexual couples take. After speaking with other gay and lesbian families and discussing with each other, it became clear to Jamie and Jessica Chavez that they both wanted to carry a child. So they took turns delivering their babies at Sharp hospitals.

Jamie was the first to get pregnant. The couple's days were filled with monitoring egg sizes through multiple ultrasounds, daily medication, ovulation tests and self-administered hormone injections. When the time came to begin intrauterine insemination (IUI) — a fertility treatment that involves increasing the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tube — Jessica was able to be a part of the process of insemination, which made their path to pregnancy extra special.

Felicia Carlucci, a childbirth educator at
Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, met Jamie and Jessica in 2018 when they attended a
childbirth education course for their first baby. "From the beginning, I was struck by how open and friendly they were," Carlucci says. "Jessica was very supportive of Jamie and they were really enjoying the pregnancy process. There was a maternal gentleness between the two of them that is not common in many couples I have worked with."

In July 2018, Jamie gave birth to a healthy, beautiful boy named Julian at
Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns.

The Chavez family attended Sharp Chula Vista’s Annual Halloween Baby Parade in 2018 and 2019 wearing family-themed costumes.

Earlier this year, the couple announced that they were pregnant for the second time. However, this time it was Jessica that was pregnant, which surprised many of their friends and family. Jessica's pregnancy mirrored Jamie's seamless experience with the absence of nausea, complications or even cravings.

Knowing personally how pregnancy can take a mental, physical and emotional toll gave Jamie the compassion and empathy needed to support Jessica during her pregnancy — something not all partners can truly comprehend and appreciate.

A Sharp baby herself, Jessica gave birth to Jacob in July 2020 at Sharp Chula Vista in the middle of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The convenience of having Jessica's family living in close proximity to the hospital made juggling Julian's care so much easier, as did the tremendous support they received.

"We had the best experience delivering both babies at the two Sharp hospitals," says Jessica. "Even with everything going on during the pandemic, it felt like it didn't really affect our family much."

Being a biracial couple, they decided on anonymous sperm donors who would reflect Jessica's Hispanic and Jamie's Caucasian ethnicities. "The crazy thing is Julian has brown hair with brown eyes like Jessica, and Jacob has light brown hair with blue eyes like me," says Jamie.

"If you are a same-sex couple ready to begin your path toward parenthood, don't lose hope," say Jamie and Jessica. "Keep trying and it will happen."

Jamie and Jessica Chavez are hoping to get pregnant for a third time and will try for a baby girl.

For the news media: To speak with Jamie and Jessica Chavez for an upcoming story, please contact Erica Carlson, senior public relations specialist, at
erica.carlson@sharp.com.