Former Miss America Deidre Downs and her wife, Birmingham attorney Abbott Jones, are expecting a baby girl in September.
A UAB obstetrician-gynecologist known professionally as Dr. Deidre Downs Gunn, the former Miss Alabama 2004 and Miss America 2005 performed the in-vitro transfer on her wife, who now goes by the name Abbott Downs.
“She did the embryo transfer part,” Abbott said.
The rest of the treatments for in-vitro fertilization were done by Deidre’s medical team partner, Dr. Sukhkamal Campbell. Campbell and embryologist Lacey Kendall were present for the embryo transfer and were supportive of Deidre performing that procedure.
“I was not under anesthesia and it’s not an invasive procedure, so everyone was okay with Deidre getting to do that part, which was really special for us, that she was the one who put the embryo in,” Abbott told Alabama Media Group.
“A traditional … way that you may think of how a family starts, there are a lot more options than people may realize,” Deidre said, discussing their pregnancy on the “Pregnantish” podcast with Andrea Syrtash this week.
Deidre was previously married to her college boyfriend from 2009 to 2015, and they had a son together who is now 11.
While in medical school she was having marital problems and began seeing a therapist, where she delved deeper into the issues behind it. “That was really the first time I maybe reflected and realized that I was gay,” she said.
She met Abbott on a dating site in 2017, even though Deidre’s profile on the dating site did not have a picture and she used a fake name.
Deidre began texting Abbott, who had responded because of shared interests, but when she revealed her name there was a long silence.
“She didn’t respond for like, eight hours,” Deidre said on the podcast. She assumed it was because Abbott did not want to get involved with a former pageant winner. “She actually was just freaking out, texting all her friends, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re never going to believe this.’”
They met for drinks in Birmingham, then had dinner.
“We had just instant chemistry,” Deidre said. “I knew that night she was the one. I think she did too.”
Family was supportive, but they kept their relationship mostly secret until right before the wedding.
As word of their plans for a wedding at the Birmingham Museum of Art began to leak out, they realized it was going to go public, so they struck an exclusive agreement with People magazine.
“I was terrified,” Deidre said. “I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect.”
It turned out to be a positive experience, with supportive reactions from across the country, including young people who praised the former Miss America’s courage in going public.
Miss America organizers stood behind her. “They were actually very supportive.”
From there, the couple knew they wanted to have a baby together.
“I knew what the options were,” Deidre said.
They would each harvest eggs, then use an anonymous sperm donor. “Either one of us could carry the pregnancy,” she said.
Abbott’s pregnancy has been progressing smoothly and the due date is Sept. 5.
They have been sharing their joy on social media. “We’ve been trying to capture bump photos along the way,” Abbott said.
See also: Former Miss America and new wife ‘felt so blessed’
