LONDON: A Swedish doctor says four Swedish women who received transplanted wombs have had embryos transferred into them in an attempt to get pregnant.

Since 2012, nine women have received wombs donated by relatives in an experimental procedure designed to test whether it’s possible to transfer a uterus into a woman so she can give birth to her own child. The women had in-vitro fertilization before the transplant, using their own eggs to make embryos.

“We have already begun transferring embryos into four of the women and plan to make attempts with the others when they are ready,” said Dr. Mats Brannstrom, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Goteburg, who is leading the research.

He would not say Monday whether any of the women are pregnant. Of the nine who got transplanted wombs, two had to have them removed because of complications.

Brannstrom predicted that three or four of the seven women might successfully give birth.