A married man caused a sensation last night by revealing that he is six months’ pregnant.
American Thomas Beatie, who was born a woman and legally has a wife, Nancy, says he is having a baby girl and is delighted.
In a real-life echo of movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1994 film Junior, the dad/mum-to-be began a sex swap procedure 10 years ago.
But he only underwent breast surgery and testosterone treatment, not the full surgery. Wife Nancy had a hysterectomy 20 years ago, so when the pair decided to start a family in 2006, Thomas had to carry the baby.
He stopped taking testosterone injections and his periods started after four months. He then saw nine doctors over a year before buying anonymous donor sperm for home insemination. But he lost his triplets to an ectopic pregnancy before falling pregnant a second time.
We’re proud to announce this pregnancy is free of complications Thomas Beatie
Thomas, who runs a silk-screen printing business with Nancy in Bend, Oregon, allowed US magazine The Advocate to photograph his bloated stomach.
He said: “We’re proud to announce this pregnancy is free of complications. We’re awaiting our baby girl’s birth, due on 3 July, 2008. How does it feel to be a pregnant man? Incredible. I’ll be my daughter’s father and Nancy her mother.”
But ethics expert Margaret Somerville, of Montreal, Canada, last night fumed: “You’re not a man, you’re a woman and you’re actually having your own baby.”
The Daily Star