Gay dads to become parents for the fourth time
Barrie and Tony Drewitt-Barlow, the first gay couple in the UK to become surrogate fathers, have revealed they are to become parents again.
The couple, who are parents to nine-year-old twins Aspen and Saffron and five-year-old Orlando, are expecting a fourth child for Valentine’s day, although they believe it may be another twin birth, the Daily Mail reports.
Barrie, 40, said: “I am really looking forward to Father’s Day this year. We had the pregnancy confirmed last night and we are going to find out tomorrow whether it’s a singleton or whether it’s a twin pregnancy.
“We know we are pregnant but we don’t know how many yet. The baby is due on Valentine’s Day, we didn’t plan it but it is absolutely fantastic.”
Tony, 43, added: “It’s still early days. I’m a great believer in watch this space, take every day as it comes but it’s positive news so far.”
As with their other children, the new baby or babies will be carried by a surrogate mother.
Barrie said: “It’s a different egg donor [from our other children] but it’s the same surrogate mother who gave birth to Orlando, she’s a Japanese lady from San Francisco. We are flying over there in a couple of weeks for scans and find out exact numbers.
“We’ve spoken to someone who said the law is changing here in the UK that same sex couples can have their names on the birth certificates.
“The plan at the moment is for the birth to take place in the US but if I find out about the law here it may be that we’ll fly her over so she can give birth in the UK.”
Five years ago, the Essex couple hit the headlines after the birth of Aspen and Saffron in the USA. They made history when they won their right at the Supreme Court to have both their names on the birth certificate.
