Laura Verhulst (photo above, left) who is better-known as "Madam Bakster" has announced that she is currently 13 weeks pregnant with her late husband Kobe’s (photo above, right) baby. The happy announcement from the Ghent baker, coffee house proprietor and columnist in the weekly magazine Flair means that she has met the deadline for women to become pregnant from a deceased partner’s sperm through IVF.
Ghent
Well-known Ghent coffee house proprietor and columist pregnant by her late husband
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Laura Verhulst is best known in Ghent and the surrounding area as "Madam Bakster", the name of her coffee house and bakery that sells healthy cakes. In December 2021 her husband Kobe died after a battle with stomach cancer. Before he started chemotherapy, he had his sperm frozen. Following her husband’s death Laura would probably only have about two years to get pregnant with his frozen sperm. Her story has touched the hearts of many in Flanders.
This week Laura received some has good news. She has managed to get pregnant within this time span and is currently 13 weeks gone. If all goes well, she will become a mum for the first time early this summer.
In an interview with VRT News Laura Verhulst said that “Happiness takes precedence for me," Sorrow also takes up a bit of my time, but it certainly does not gain the upper hand over my joy."
Of course, it is something special to become pregnant from a partner that is no longer there.
"I'm thankful that science has come this far. Otherwise, not only would the person that I loved have died, but also all the plans for the future and that would have been unbearable."
Laura is also happy with the support she is getting from her in-laws. "It will take some getting used to in the beginning, but we have always had a good relationship. It is also a way to keep them playing an active role in my life. My parents are also proud and happy that they can become grandparents."