This labor of love was quite literal — and came much sooner than expected.
When 20-year-old Alyssa Hodges and 25-year-old Max Silvy matched on Tinder, Hodges was upfront about the fact that she was pregnant — but neither expected Silvy to help her give birth on their fourth date.
“I was about six-and-a-half-months pregnant when I went on Tinder, and I clearly stated that on my bio,” Hodges, a Brisbane, Australia, resident told Kennedy News. “I didn’t want to lead anyone on, so I was being open and honest. I wanted them to know what they were getting into right off the bat.”
Usually, such a disclaimer would turn Silvy off, but he immediately fancied Hodges despite it.
“There was something that caught my eye about Alyssa. Normally I wouldn’t swipe right on a pregnant girl, but there was just something about her,” said the civil servant.
The pair hit it off, but Silvy had to travel frequently for work soon after they met, so they’d only gone on three dates when their fourth came up. Hodges was supposed to pick up Silvy from the airport, but he ended up needing to meet her in the hospital, as that day ended up being the one on which her water broke.
“On the day I went into labor, I was meant to be picking Max up from the airport as he was coming back from a work trip. That was the plan, but I ended up texting him saying, ‘I’m so sorry, you’ll have to get a taxi. I’m going into labor,” recalled Hodges of the day in September 2021. “He hopped into a taxi when he got off the plane and came to the hospital and was there for me. My mum was also there supporting me, but she had a holiday, so she was here and there. Max was there for me through the whole labor and birth.”
Silvy and baby Ollie.
Alyssa Hodges and newborn Ollie.
The happy, non-traditional family.
Her labor ended up lasting an entire week, with Hodges sent home from the hospital only to return multiple times over the course of many days. Silvy stayed with her the entire time, even taking off work to help her through her prolonged contractions and after, to care for her newborn, Ollie.
“We both knew that we liked each other and had strong feelings for each other. But the birth was the peaking point of our relationship, it bonded us,” Hodges said. “Motherhood is a big adjustment for anybody, especially with me being younger. But Max taking a week off from work really helped.”
While the experience was stressful, Silvy now considers Ollie his own child. “Anxiety was the biggest thing. There were so many unknowns, so many things that I didn’t know about becoming a dad,” said Silvy. “There’s a lot of learning that comes with being a new dad, but me and Ollie are bonding quite well.”
The happy couple.
The couple now plan to move in together.
Hodges was transparent in her Tinder bio that she was pregnant at the time of their first meeting.
After sharing their story on social media, Hodges said she has been flooded with praise for Silvy.
“On TikTok, everybody is asking if Max has a brother, calling him ‘man of the year’ and saying we were the cutest little family. It was a great reaction,” she said. “These days, there are a lot of unfortunate stories about men who take off when the woman becomes pregnant. Then here’s someone who comes in whilst you’re pregnant and is very actively involved in raising the child. It’s unheard of. I’m very lucky.”