American man claims to be six months pregnant

[chemical-licker 1]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1811

American man claims to be six months pregnant with a baby girl

In a real-life echo of the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger film Junior, a man is six months pregnant with a baby girl.

But the pregnancy of Thomas Beatie is far from being a comedy.

Beatie, who was originally born a woman and is now legally married to a woman, says in an article in the gay magazine The Advocate that he started sex reassignment 10 years ago.

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Thomas Beatie was born a woman but is now married to one. This image, published in an American magazine, allegedly shows his pregnant tummy and breast removal scars

However rather than have the complete surgery and become a man, he decided to only undergo breast surgery and testosterone treatment - meaning that although legally he is a man, he retained his "reproductive rights".

His wife, Nancy, cannot have children following a hysterectomy 20 years ago, so two years ago, when they decided to start a family, they decided he would carry the baby.

Arnold Schwarzanegger played a fertility scientist who fell pregnant in the 1994 film Junior

His story has caused a sensation in the United States, with doctors and ethicists weighing in with opinions.

The Beaties, who live in Bend, Oregon, and run a silk-screen printing company called Define Normal, say they are just an ordinary married couple and everyone treated them as such until new of his pregnancy broke.

In his first-person article Beatie wrote: "I am transgender, legally male and legally married to Nancy.

"Sterilisation is not a requirement for sex reassignment, so I decided to have chest reconstruction and testosterone therapy but kept my reproductive rights.

"Wanting to have a biological child is neither a male nor female desire, but a human desire."

He said he stopped taking testosterone injections two years ago and his periods started after four months.

But he said the couple faced hostility from reproductive doctors when they sought help with artificial insemination.

He saw a total of nine doctors over the course of a year before he got access to a sperm bank, bought anonymous donor sperm and opted for home insemination.

He quickly became pregnant with triplets but lost them because of an ectopic pregnancy.

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Birth control poster from 1970 urging men to take a responsible attitude towards contraception

Beatie recalled: "When my brother found out about my loss he said, 'It's a good thing that happened. Who knows what kind of monster it would have been.'

"On successfully getting pregnant a second time, we are proud to announce that this pregnancy is free of complications and our baby girl has a clean bill of health.

"We are happily awaiting her birth, with an estimated due date of July 3, 2008."

He admits there have been problems, saying: "Our situation sparks legal, political and social unknowns. Doctors have discriminated against us, turning us away due to their religious beliefs.

"Receptionists have laughed at us. Friends and family have been unsupportive."

But he went on: "How does it feel to be a pregnant man? Incredible. Despite the fact that my belly is growing with a new life inside me, I am stable and confident being the man that I am.

"To Nancy, I am her husband and carrying our child. I will be my daughter's father and Nancy will be her mother. We will be a family."

Canada's National Post said an editorial assistant with The Advocate confirmed it had verified the pregnancy with Mr Beatie's gynaecologist. She added that the photograph of the pregnant man was Mr Beatie.

Doctors say the story is unusual but possible.

"Biologically, that all sounds plausible," said Dr Mark Nichols, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Oregon Health and Science University.

"The definition of family has changed a lot. There's not a set definition anymore."

But ethicist Margaret Somerville of the McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law in Montreal, Canada, said: "It's a very touchy thing, this deconstruction of our biological reality.

"Where I would do a reversal on this is to say, 'You've artificially made yourself a man.

"You're not a man, you're a woman and you're having a baby and you're actually having your own baby.'"

Neal Broverman, associate editor of The Advocate, which published a photograph showing Beatie five months pregnant, said the magazine confirmed the pregnancy with his doctor.

[Bill Hill 6]

I think a more accurate description is;

American woman who takes testosterone by artificial means, is now pregnant.

Oh and has a beard.

[bee 15,800]

I think 'he' is and always has been a woman....a woman who had her breasts removed and

starting taking testosterone......

I have heard....somewhere....that an actual man COULD have a foetus + placenta planted

in a cavity of the body and that it would develop and then be 'cut out'....but I don't know if

this is correct.........

EDIT....you posted while I was writing.....we are in agreement Bill Hill....about the

so-called pregnant 'man'........

Edited March 26, 2008 by bee

[crtDzyn 2]

Now there's something you don't hear about everyday....

[goalienan 10]

I'm at a loss for words... :

[SS79 2]

A little unusual I guess but technically he is still a woman who just has the appearance of a man and wishes to live as a man . but at the end of the day . So long as the child is loved and wanted thats all that matters . IMO .

[1.618 4]

That's fantastic!

[chemical-licker 1]

kid when its 3 years : mum dad mum dad mum dad mum dad mum dad mum dad mum dad mum dad mum dad mum im so confused

[theGhost_and_theDarkness 15]

Could you imagine if you were someone that didn't know that it was really sort of a woman?

Edited March 26, 2008 by Sweetsalem82103

[bee 15,800]

Could you imagine if you were someone that didn't know that it was really a woman?

Well......I've seen men with beer bellies....as big as if they were expecting triplets....

not a pretty sight!!!!...........

[swtp 1]

I feel the whole situation is strange, and conflicting! And just plain wierd!

[SirRedeye 0]

who's the father? someone had to get him/her pregnant....

Edited March 26, 2008 by SirRedeye

[Bear's Quest 0]

Is it true -If you eat a watermelon seed?...

I'm not sure he has the mammories for the baby.

[Radek 0]

He or rather she only changed her appearance, she unfortunatelly only pretend to be a man that 's why it is absolutely possible to get pregnat in this case.

She only feels like man but will have always girls body even if removed her breasts.

If real man were pregnat... (not natural idea)

[Illuminaughty 0]

So let me get this straight, a woman can legally marry another woman in the US as long as she has her boobs removed? I think I found a loophole for the gay marriage crowd! Of course if it was two guys one of them.... they'd have to draw straws!

[Bill Hill 6]

who's the father? someone had to get him/her pregnant....

I'm assuming, it was his wife....

His wife, Nancy, cannot have children following a hysterectomy 20 years ago, so two years ago, when they decided to start a family, they decided he would carry the baby.

you never know.. er these are confusing times...

[KyrusRose 0]

I'm assuming, it was his wife....

you never know.. er these are confusing times...

Sperm bank.. Could be anyone, but they do screen those things..

As for him being a man.. well if he hasn't had testosterone in 2 years.. he must have been a pretty hairy woman to start with. I'll stick with Him, not Her.. just because its what he seems to want to be called.

But oh well, who really cares, its two people in love who want to have, raise and care for a child of their own.. anyone who has a problem with this really needs help. And if any dumb a** human rights activists or those loony Phelps go after this guy I'm gonna be pretty disappointed in the human race.. oh wait, already am.

[therion24 0]

Now I have seen it all! lol

[jaylemurph 13,348]

I think 'he' is and always has been a woman....a woman who had her breasts removed and

starting taking testosterone......

bee, what right to you have to lord it over someone's else identity? He and he alone gets to choose who and what he wants to be. You really ought to respect that; what if everyone else decided you couldn't be a Believer anymore?

So let me get this straight, a woman can legally marry another woman in the US as long as she has her boobs removed? I think I found a loophole for the gay marriage crowd! Of course if it was two guys one of them.... they'd have to draw straws!

It's sort of a sticking point for the LGBT community; transsexuals can go through gender re-assignment surgery and legally become the other sex. When they do so, they're free to marry in a way that gay people and pre-op trans. people can't.

And his surgery, by the way, was /way/ more than just breast removal. The original article in Advocate magazine is more explicit on what was done, but not (Mods) graphic or inappropriate.

--Jaylemurph

edit: grammar

Edited March 27, 2008 by jaylemurph

[InHuman 1]

Did, uh, "he" have an operation down THERE to be a man?

And couldn't they JUST ADOPT?

[jaylemurph 13,348]

Did, uh, "he" have an operation down THERE to be a man?

Yep. The glory of prosthetics. (If you think that's bad, find out what they do to MTF people. *shudders* It apparently hurts every bit as much as you'd imagine. /That's/ commitment.

And couldn't they JUST ADOPT?

They could have -- and Oregon and Washington -- have really progressive adoption policies, but they wanted /their/ own child.

--Jaylemurph

[girty1600 0]

Neato... I bet there's plenty of ladies out there that wish their hubbys could go the way of the seahorse...

I found this in the original article- kinda sad really.

He was shocked by our situation and told me to shave my facial hair. After a $300 consultation, he reluctantly performed my initial checkups. He then required us to see the clinic’s psychologist to see if we were fit to bring a child into this world and consulted with the ethics board of his hospital. A few months and a couple thousand dollars later, he told us that he would no longer treat us, saying he and his staff felt uncomfortable working with “someone like me.”

Edited March 27, 2008 by girty1600

[MUM24/7 2]

The strangest story I've read in ages......It makes me wonder if in the future, they'll be honest with their child and tell her that daddy actually gave birth to her and that he was once a lady ??......How would it affect their daughter ?? It's all well and good debating about people's rights but what about the child's right ??

Anyone thinking about her ??

[girty1600 0]

It's all well and good debating about people's rights but what about the child's right ??

Anyone thinking about her ??

True but we cant tell prostitutes and drug addicts they cant have kids either.

[MUM24/7 2]

True but we cant tell prostitutes and drug addicts they cant have kids either.

Unfortunately so true as well girty, seems like the kiddies will always get the rough end of the stick......My sister and her hubby were trying for years to have kids (they have two boys now, God bless IVF) and it's so cruel that babies are born to those who don't derserve them, while there are couples out there who struggle to conceive naturally......

I suppose this baby girl will be blessed with two adoring parents but still, it's a tricky situation none the less.......