Pregnant man Thomas Beatie feels 'incredible'
By staff writers
March 26, 2008 12:06pm
Article from: NEWS.com.au
* Transgender man five months pregnant
* Says he and his wife are doing well
* Have begun experiencing anger from offended people
A TRANSGENDER man says he is five months pregnant with a baby girl.
Oregon resident Thomas Beatie told the The Advocate that carrying a daughter for his wife, Nancy, and himself was an "incredible" experience.
Mr Beatie, born a woman, has had a chest reconstruction and testosterone therapy, but decided to keep his female reproductive organs.
When Nancy had to have a hysterectomy due to severe endometriosis 20 years ago, the couple started thinking about Thomas carrying their child.
"I stopped taking my bimonthly testosterone injections. It had been roughly eight years since I had my last menstrual cycle, so this wasn’t a decision that I took lightly," Mr Beatie said.
"My body regulated itself after about four months, and I didn’t have to take any exogenous estrogen, progesterone, or fertility drugs to aid my pregnancy."
This is Mr Beatie's second pregnancy. The first was an ectopic pregnancy with triplets.
"It was a life-threatening event that required surgical intervention, resulting in the loss of all embryos and my right fallopian tube," he said.
"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'.”
Mr Beatie said he and his wife had begun experiencing anger from people offended by their decision.
"Doctors have discriminated against us, turning us away due to their religious beliefs. Health care professionals have refused to call me by a male pronoun or recognise Nancy as my wife," he said.
"Receptionists have laughed at us. Friends and family have been unsupportive; most of Nancy’s family doesn’t even know I’m transgender."
Mr Beatie said his identity as a male remained "constant" despite his growing stomach.
"...I am so lucky to have such a loving, supportive wife. I will be my daughter’s father, and Nancy will be her mother. We will be a family," he said.
Mr Beatie doesn't appear to be the first "pregnant" male. See the story of Mr Lee Mingwei who is apparently the first born male to give birth to a baby from his body.
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