A Hepatitis B Mother’s Story: “My Baby, Your Health Is My Greatest Responsibility!”

Once, I thought that perhaps the greatest regret of my life would be never having a child of my own. Now, I no longer think that way. At 36 years old, I have finally welcomed my first daughter.

I was born in a rural area of Anhui and later worked and lived in Taiwan. At the age of 25, a routine medical check revealed that I was a carrier of the hepatitis B virus. Neither of my parents were carriers, so the doctor suspected I might have contracted it through eating out frequently. The doctor said there was no cure or special treatment — at the time, it felt like a thunderbolt on a clear day. From then on, my life involved long-term treatment and adjustments. Living and working with hepatitis B made me realize that carriers often feel like outsiders. I changed jobs frequently to avoid workplace medical exams, and gradually, my expectations for love and marriage diminished.

Fortunately, at the age of 27, I met my husband. From the beginning of our relationship, I disclosed my condition to him, and he chose to stay and marry me. He said, “At worst, we can be childfree.” Married life was mostly happy. My mother-in-law knew about my condition but treated me well. Yet, whenever we went out, I could sense that both my husband and mother-in-law longed for a child. Seeing other children in parks often sparked a deep desire in me to have a baby of my own.

However, I worried about passing hepatitis B to my child. Later, I learned that it is possible to have a healthy baby through mother-to-child transmission prevention. At 28, I began visiting various hospitals, and after active treatment and preparation, I successfully conceived. I savored the joy of becoming a mother for the first time. Sadly, by the tenth week of pregnancy, my liver function deteriorated sharply, forcing me to terminate the pregnancy.

Sometimes, the more you want something, the further it seems. After much discussion, my husband and I decided to try IVF. We researched overseas IVF options, but the three-year pandemic forced us to put our plans on hold. In 2023, with restrictions lifted, a friend introduced me to Uterus International Medical, and we finalized our reproductive plan using a volunteer surrogate mother. In March, my husband and I went abroad to begin the IVF journey. Daily injections of ovulation-stimulating drugs, ultrasound monitoring, hormone tests, egg retrieval, embryo cultivation, and transfer followed — and on the second attempt, we succeeded.

The long waits and inner struggles were worth it. Hearing the words, “Congratulations, you’re pregnant!” was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. After ten months of pregnancy, our baby was born safely and healthily in early 2024.

As a woman, becoming a mother is an indescribable joy. As a hepatitis B–positive mother, having a healthy child is no longer a dream — it is a reality.