Would You Use An Artificial Womb? (I Would)

Artificial wombs are coming. That's a good thing.

Artificial wombs are the stuff of science fiction, the scary kind. I think of The Matrix, when Neo wakes up in the real world, covered in goo. But in recent years, researchers have taken enormous leaps in helping embryos survive and grow outside a uterus. Artificial wombs are becoming more science, less fiction.

Any conversation about this topic gets heated, fast. Some people HATE the idea of an artificial womb. They feel that this technology could be used in terrible ways, like to control how people have kids or breed babies. Or that pregnancy is an important, special connection that we can never replicate with technology. Or that it’s a useless distraction, because there’s way more important stuff we should be investing in right now to make life easier for parents (parental leave, affordable childcare) and in the US at least, we don’t.

But others LOVE the idea. They feel that artificial wombs could help reduce the risks of pregnancy, and point out that more than 800 women die from childbirth around the world every day. Or that pregnancy holds women back, with data showing the wage gap is borne mostly by mothers. Or simply that bearing children is painful, an argument all on its own.

At the start of this episode, I feel genuinely conflicted. But halfway through, something happens that gives me a much-needed perspective shift.

In this video, we dive deep into artificial wombs, with help from leading researcher Dr. Jacob Hanna. We explore how close we really are on artificial wombs now, how they work, why they’re so controversial - and why I realized I’d totally use one.

Chapters:
00:00 Artificial wombs are coming
1:42 What is an artificial womb?
2:58 How close are we to artificial wombs?
4:06 Why are artificial wombs controversial?
6:42 Why we need artificial womb research now
9:42 My big perspective shift
12:19 What to expect from surgery
14:53 I get surgery
16:30 Why we need artificial wombs
18:48 The artificial womb moonshot

I tell different stories in different places:

Bio:
Cleo Abram is an Emmy-nominated video producer and journalist. Cleo produces detailed explainer stories about technology and economics. She wrote the Coding and Diamonds episodes of Vox’s Netflix show, Explained, was the host and a senior producer of Vox’s first ever daily show, Answered, as well as a host and producer of Vox’s YouTube Originals show, Glad You Asked. She now makes her own independent show, Huge If True. Each episode takes on one big technology innovation or idea, explains what it is, and helps people imagine the ways it could improve the world we live in by answering one simple question: If this works, what could go right?

Sources and additional reading:

Gear I use:
Camera: Sony A7SIII
Lens: Sony 16–35 mm F2.8 GM
Audio: Sennheiser SK AVX and Zoom H4N Pro

Music: Musicbed

—
Welcome to the joke down low (an idea 100% in reference to Answer In Progress’ awesome “joke below the fold” - I always scroll down to see them and always wanted to do this myself too):

How did Batman decorate his baby’s crib?
With a bat mobile.

Find a way to use the word “bat” in a comment to let me know you’re a real one ;)

[MyRamblingRose]

My whole adult life I was told by every doctor that I couldn't have a live birth, that my uterus was inhospitable. When I got pregnant I had no hope, but it was early covid so I stayed home waiting to bleed. At 12 weeks I went in and saw a living fetus. Like a fragile bird in a thorn bush. But I was still told to expect to start bleeding. My dad died and I grieved in quarantine, every doctor appointment I expected to hear bad news. The scar tissue inside of me ripping to accommodate kicks, painfully telling me I was wrong.
She was born with lots of medical intervention. But my little NICU baby 🐥 will be turning 1 year old next month. Strong and alive, my daughter is my world. But pregnancy was a living nightmare.

[TheLiamster]

I am absolutely fine with women choosing to have this. My mother had me through IVF so I credit modern science for literally allowing me to exist

[ariprabowo]

I'm a man, and I will never know the joys (or horror to some) of being pregnant and of delivering another human beings in this world.
But I know the risk all too well. So props to Cleo for sharing her most vulnerable moment to educate us.

On the artificial womb side, my mother is now in her mid 60s and have chronic diabetic neuropathy, and I believe that this comes from delivering me and my younger sister all those years ago.
Before she had us, my mother was warned by her OBG/YN that pregnancy and childbirth will be very risky for her due to her narrow hip. She was supposed to have 3 children, but my "younger brother" didn't make it. Delivering me and my sister, 9 years apart, almost cost her own life on both occasions. She bled profusely for days each time and had to stay in the hospital for at least a month post-partum.

It always sickens me when people talk about women dying from childbirth as if they're just numbers. It baffles me when women who talks about pregnancy as an "experience" as if they're the only ones who have been through this. That number could have been my mother, and those women probably didn't have to bleed for 3-4 days after C-section. They reject the alternative based on biased tenets, baseless fearmongering, and inflated egocentrism.

[checreates]

My husband and I are in the middle of our trying journey, and endometriosis is making it difficult to get pregnant. I cried after finding out how much they charge to assist in fertility, even WITH coverage. It just doesn’t seem fair.

I didn’t expect to click on this video and get emotional, but I’m hugely touched by the men here sharing comments of empathy from their birthing experience with their wives. Having supportive partners and men advocating for women’s health is hugely important and loving. So, thank you.

[ReneRitchie]

Your ability to tell stories in creative, meaningful, human, ways is so beyond incredible, Cleo. Utterly amazing work!

[eddy]

I've heard many stories of mothers passing away during labor and it's terrifying. I couldn't bare to watch my significant other screaming in agony only to be met with complete silence and a flatlining machine. A personal hell, to be frank

[louspinelli]

As a male, I want to give you supreme credit for sharing this difficult process for you. Most people hide these aspects of their lives, you bring it to the forefront. You help so many, more than you will ever know. Please continue educating the world!

[rileysligting]

I’ve never thought of a artificial womb being weird, and I’m a little scared for my wife to go through that pain. If it saves the mom from pain and helps the baby survive I don’t understand why we wouldn’t want this.

[Ragdll]

It cannot have been easy to share something so deeply personal as part of what began as a research project. Kudos Cleo. This is one of the bravest things I've seen on this platform.

[lilykep]

I've had a friend lose her twin boys because they were born premature and a coworker who died in childbirth. An artificial womb would be literally life saving in those situations.

[JesusChristDenton_]

"History has shown that breakthroughs in science and technology have often been met with skepticism, fear, or hatred, only to later be recognized as transformative."
—A wise Man

[catherineclaire]

I'm glad you're okay after surgery. Watching this video brought tears to my eyes. I have been pregnant 5 times, given birth 3 times and miscarried twice. My pregnancies were difficult, two of my births were painful beyond description, and may miscarriages were devastating. I still would sign up for it all again in an instant to have my children. If the technology existed and I needed it, I would use it.

[rburch]

As a dad who is literally sitting in the NICU with twins born at 26 weeks while watching this, I can say without a doubt I’d use them if available.

My little ones will be 2 weeks old tomorrow and are doing good in the incubators, but it’s asking so much of bodies that aren’t supposed to be doing this stuff yet.

[Sirbikingviking]

My only real concern is I believe that babies in the womb may need to have the feeling of movement and sound from the world outside. Hearing the voice of their parents before they're born might be a really important part of development. I'm just speculating but I think it's worth looking into

[davekroh]

I almost lost my wife due to a rare severe childbirth complication, acute fatty liver of pregnancy. Up until the last few weeks, she had a very healthy pregnancy. We were fortunate to be in one of the world’s best hospital networks, UHN in Toronto, Canada. My wife had a cross functional team of 24 physicians, plus nurses and other staff working to save her. I slept on the floor beside her hospital bed in the ICU every night until other family came during the day. I’m normally a typical stoic male. It took 2 years before I could tell this story without crying. Pregnancy should never be that scary. Thankfully, everyone mom and baby, almost 11 years later are doing well.

[arthur]

As a young man (20), I am incredibly grateful for this video. It has been eye-opening to witness your exploration of this topic from a more nuanced perspective, and the perspective of a woman that one day might want to have children. When I clicked on this video, I was shuddering at the thought of artificial wombs. Now I am almost certain that this is a future technology which should be available to women if they so choose. Thank you for being a pathfinder, a knowledge searcher, and an inspiration to so many people!

[pwhizzard]

As a man who has 2 amazing girls and watched my wife go through multiple life threatening events.. 1) I would have to take the option of an artificial womb seriously 2) If I had to be the one pregnant and giving birth, I'm fairly sure we would not have done it, but I am absolutely sure we would not have had our second, beautiful daughter.

Thanks for the videos, and thank you for what you do to explain and share information.

[joao_de_berro]

The way you put all the perspectives together and compare them and break the topic down so well... It's just amazing. Congrats Cleo, you're doing an awesome job.

[nittyarizza]

Cleo, I cried watching you cry. Thank you for being so open and sharing this journey. You are an incredible journalist who puts the brightest possible spin on the scariest concepts. You rock.

[captainjacksnap]

My wife who just gave birth to our son absolutely would. She says that being pregnant was worse than giving birth.