EXCLUSIVE
The American mother of a baby whose Australian father rushed to the US to stop the adoption of their newborn daughter is now insisting she wants to share custody of them both.
Carpenter Dan Gaut, from Sydney’s north, was excited about the impending birth of his daughter, until his pregnant girlfriend, Liv Pavlov, suddenly returned to the United States without him.
Ms Pavlov is a 31-year-old life coach, Reiki master and tantric healer who offers services including a US$499 six-week self-study course called ‘F*** Like an Artist’.
When she returned to the U.S., Ms. Pavlov mended her relationship with a former partner and announced she would put the baby up for adoption, Mr. Gaut said.
The American mother of a baby whose Australian father fled to the US when he thought their newborn daughter would be put up for adoption insists she now wants to share custody. The mother, Liv Pavlov, is pictured
A crowdfunding appeal on behalf of Mr Gaut stated that Ms Pavlov had subsequently agreed to legally hand over the child to him if he flew to the US.
Mr Gaut traveled to Austin, Texas, to meet Ana Rose shortly after she was born on February 25, but his attempt to bring her back to Australia did not go as planned.
Two days ago, Mr. Gaut posted on Instagram that Ms. Pavlov had changed her mind again and decided to keep baby Ana in Texas.
Now Ms Pavlov has revealed she wants Mr Gaut to become an important part of Ana’s life and share custody of their daughter.
“Well, the tides are always changing and I’m happy to announce that baby Ana Rose is so loved by both her mother and her father Daniel Gaut,” Ms. Pavlov wrote on social media.
“After five weeks here in America, Dad Daniel has gone home for a while while we regroup and work out our shared custody agreement so we can have flow in our lives in the next chapter.”
Carpenter Dan Gaut, from Sydney’s north, was excited about the impending birth of his daughter, until his pregnant girlfriend, Liv Pavlov, suddenly returned to the US without him.
That plan seems to contrast with Gaut’s most recent Instagram post about who would get to raise Ana.
“I feel heartbroken and empty now that I have to leave America alone,” he wrote.
“Liv has changed her mind and wants to keep Ana in the United States and be her primary caregiver.
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported me on this journey.”
He added, “I will use the remaining donations to seek legal representation in Austin and visit Ana as often as I can.”
“I still have a vision of Ana growing up in Australia in the not too distant future.”
Ms. Pavlov has a master’s degree in psychology and has extensive training in the ancient Indian practice of tantra, including at the School of Womanly Arts.
Mr Gaut traveled to Austin, Texas, to meet newborn Ana Rose, but returning her to Australia did not go as planned. He is depicted with Mrs. Pavlov and Ana
“Throughout her own healing journey, Olivia has dealt with many intimacy and relationship challenges. She uses her own experience as a basis for the transformation she can offer you,” she states on her website.
Mr Gaut met Ms Pavlov while on holiday in San Francisco in early 2023, before she followed him back to Australia and their whirlwind romance blossomed.
He told A Current Affair in February that the pair fell deeply in love and decided to have a child together.
“She said, ‘There’s nothing left in Texas for me… all my heart and energy is in Australia,'” he told the program.
But things changed after Mrs. Pavlov became pregnant.
Ms. Pavlov became homesick and planned a short trip to Austin to be with her support network, Mr. Gaut told the program.
Ms Pavlov, who reunited with an ex-partner in Texas, then told Mr Gaut she would not be coming back and wanted their child to be adopted at birth.
Ms Pavlov has revealed that she wants Mr Gaut to be a big part of Ana’s life and share custody of their daughter. Mother and daughter are depicted
“She started sending me adoption options for people she knew in Texas, and she sent me the links to the Instagram page,” he told A Current Affair.
‘And I thought, “No, this is wrong, stop, don’t promise her to anyone.”
Ms Pavlov gave her version of the events leading up to Anna’s birth in her recent Instagram post, saying the pregnancy had left her in a ‘trauma reaction’.
“When we were magically given the message to conceive Ana Rose, of course we both said yes and our stories of love and the fantasy of family life began,” she wrote.
‘In reality, we were both struggling to connect and didn’t even know each other because we had only spent a WEEK together!’
Ms. Pavlov said that both she and Mr. Gaut had “felt Ana’s soul and sensed the truth of her desire to come to Earth.”
Mr Gaut met Ms Pavlov while on holiday in San Francisco in early 2023, before she followed him back to Australia and their whirlwind romance began. He is pictured with baby Ana
“When things weren’t working and Daniel felt like he couldn’t open his heart and I had to be home in America, things got even more complicated,” she wrote.
Ms. Pavlov said she would now give Ana a loving home in Austin with the help of her “amazing community” and family.
“And thankfully Dad had a great fundraiser and got to spend LOTS of time with the happiest girl in the world,” she wrote.
The fundraiser for Mr. Gaut has raised more than $34,000.
Ms. Pavlov set up her own GoFundMe page before Ana’s birth, which has raised almost $9,000 of its $15,000 goal.
She had said the money would be needed to cover costs, including rent, obstetric appointments, food, a postpartum doula and $5,000 for a trip to Australia.
“Several people have asked why I need this support if I can be successfully self-employed,” Pavlov wrote.
“I am the only source of income and without being able to offer coaching and teaching sessions, I will have no other source of income. I haven’t used credit cards since 2017!’
Ms Pavlov agreed to Mr Gaut’s suggestion that they name their daughter Ana, from the Sanskrit word Anunta, meaning forever and eternity.