'This feels like a dream come true' Transgender couple Hannah and Jake Graf speak about expecting first child together

Transgender couple Jake and Hannah Graf have spoken about expecting their first baby together describing it as a "dream come true".

Cardiff-born Hannah, 32, who was the highest-ranking transgender officer in the British army, came out as a transgender woman in 2013.

Jake, who is a television director and actor, transitioned in 2008.

The couple announced in December they were expecting a baby. The baby girl is being carried by a surrogate, and is genetically linked to Jake.

Speaking on ITV's Lorraine, Jake said he has wanted to be a father for a while and stopped taking testosterone for six months to have his eggs harvested.

"It was a difficult thing for me to do but it was the ultimate thing - my dream was to be a father. I was going to do that by hook or by crook".

It is thought the birth will make the couple, who married in 2018, the first parents in Britain who are both transgender.

They are having the baby via surrogate and Jake described her as a "wonderful woman". "She amazingly got pregnant first time as well which was nothing short of miraculous", Jake said.

"We speak every few days and we've spent time with her kids. We've paid for this all entirely privately. Our parents have helped and our entire family so we know we are incredibly fortunate".

He said if Hannah has her way their daughter will play rugby for Wales.

"All we want is for her to feel loved - whatever she's into, whatever she is."

Hannah said it "feels like a dream come true".

She said the reaction to their news has been positive. She said, "People are generally very warm and very happy for us. I think they can see how happy we are and therefore they join in that happiness".

"There are loads of different ways to have children and this is just one of them. If you teach them this is a normal loving way to have a child then why would they think anything different?"

The baby is due on 12th April and the couple said they have been rushing around preparing for her arrival.

"Not everything has been brought yet!" she said.

"There has been a lot of running around the sales trying to get as much as we can", Jake added.

"We've got lots of clothes for our little girl, but we will be dressing our little girl with whatever she wants to wear, but we do have so many pink clothes now!"

The couple said they know there are lots of people in a similar situation to theirs and told Lorraine they feel "very privileged" they are about to become parents.

Hannah said, "When i was on the brink of transitioning, I genuinely thought I was making the decision between being myself but also having to give up not being able to have love or a family.

"The fact I thought that, and then here I am now five or six years later. If we can get all younger transgender people to realise that there's hope for you and you can have as much of a fulfilling life than anyone else, then that's a really powerful message".