Man claims he is 'pregnant'

By Sima Kotecha
Newsbeat reporter in New York

Thomas Beatie claims he is five months pregnant

Is this man really pregnant? Thomas Beatie claims he is - and the baby is due in July.

Confused? Well, here's the Science bit: he's had partial sex change surgery though is legally classified as a man after having testosterene treatment and having surgery to remove his breasts.

He has a wife and lives in Bend, Oregon and says he's looking forward to being his daughter's father.

Doctors say it is all perfectly possible: he's able to conceive because he didn't have reconstructive surgery to the lower half of his body including his reproductive organs.

Donor sperm

He claims to have been artificially inseminated using donor sperm.

News of the pregnancy was broken by a magazine aimed at lesbian, gay and transgender readers, The Advocate.

Its editor Anne Stockwell says they believe him. She said: "We asked Thomas to supply us with the name of his doctor, we called her and she confirmed that his pregnancy is proceeding as it should."

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 Thomas Beatie

In the article he states: "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."

While medical and social commentators here debate the rights and wrongs of the issue and the effect all this is likely to have on the child, people back in Bend aren't too sure what to make of it.

Neighbour Ron Schlieper told reporters: "I saw him just a few days ago, he didn't look like that."