A 41-year-old hairstylist from Florida who had almost given up on becoming a mother has fallen pregnant for the first time after losing 100lbs on the weight loss drug Mounjaro, in a story that has captured widespread attention as the phenomenon of so-called "Ozempic babies" continues to grow.
Kortney Jacobsen and her husband Brian had been trying for a baby since 2018, two years into their marriage, but faced heartbreak on two occasions. Her first pregnancy turned out to be ectopic, requiring medication before it became life-threatening. Her second ended in a missed miscarriage, with doctors telling her the foetus had died two weeks before she even knew. "It was devastating and it was tragic," she said.
Over the years, well-meaning comments about her weight led Kortney to blame herself for the losses, despite doctors telling her otherwise. She tried various diets but struggled with anxiety around food, reverting to old habits whenever she slipped up. The pressure put a significant strain on her marriage, leading to conversations about separating. "We both wanted a child so bad," she said. "I wasn't being my best as a wife."
The turning point came when she began noticing clients at her salon losing significant weight on GLP-1 medication. She started paying for Mounjaro treatment in January 2024 and described the effect as transformative, losing 100lbs and reaching a weight she hadn't seen in years. "I remember saying to myself, this is what it feels like to be normal, to not obsess over food," she said.
On February 6, 2026, after dreaming that her late grandfather told her she was pregnant, she asked Brian to pick up a test. It was positive. She immediately stopped taking Mounjaro on her doctor's advice, given the limited research into its use during pregnancy.
Her doctor's response was essentially "I told you so," referencing the growing number of unplanned and long-hoped-for pregnancies attributed to GLP-1 drugs. The drugs are thought to improve fertility in some women by reducing insulin resistance and regulating hormones affected by excess weight.
The pregnancy has not been without complications. Kortney fractured her left femur as a result of rapid weight loss followed by pregnancy-related weight gain, leaving her temporarily unable to walk. She has described the experience as a lesson in patience. "You go through the pyramid of grief and denial, and then acceptance, and then you're like, okay, this isn't permanent," she said.
The couple are expecting a boy, due by planned caesarean section on October 6, 2026. They plan to name him Beau, "because he's a beautiful surprise." Kortney, who once said she never thought she would become a parent, described the reality of it as leaving her completely speechless.
