When we peel back the layers of history, it is interesting to note that a pregnant man image has always been a source of fascination throughout the centuries. Folklore, literature, mythology, anthropology as well as psychology all have many tales attesting to its appeal.
The concept of male reproduction was not unknown in the seventeenth-century, although an example of a man who gave birth to a monster in Granada may be just a tale. In Europe and Spain, tales of pregnant men appeared and continued for centuries.
Since it is the most uncommon phenomenon, the reaction to the news of two men Lee Menwei and Thomas Beattie being pregnant comes as a surprise (should we say shock,) and feelings of wondrous disbelief at the new world of human reproduction.
Lee Mingwei is a Taiwanese American and a fairly popular artist, who is said to be the first pregnant man in modern history. Reports say that the credit to this astonishing feat goes to a team of doctors at RYT Hospital, Dwayne Medical Center in New York. Using In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF), they induced an ectopic pregnancy by implanting an embryo and placenta into Minwei’s abdominal cavity.
Doctors say that Mingwei, will deliver through a Caesarian session (a pretty obvious observation.)
Dr. Elizabeth Preatner, a prenatal geneticist and embryologist at RYT Hospital says, “Fertility experts have known for years that men could bear children.” She further explains, “With the success of delivering ectopic pregnancies in women, it has become clear that a uterus is not essential to childbirth. We have proven that within the proper biochemical environment, an embryo can indeed implant itself within a male abdominal cavity and thrive.”
As is wont to be, a lot of people around the globe condemned this development, and they say that if this experiment is a success, it would undoubtedly lead to many gay couples reproducing children who are like them and this is not something that should be happening.
Amidst all the opposition, there are many that support it and the doctors at RYT have received many mails asking them for details of the procedure, and many men are said to have shown interest in actually undergoing this.
Coming to the second father/mother-to-be, Thomas Beattie, who is six months pregnant is a transgender man. Beattie says that he was born a woman and had a sex-change operation and became a man ten years ago. Although, he got everything done including taking testosterone treatments, breast surgery, he opted to keep the reproductive organs, as he was always keen on having a child. His wife Nancy said that she herself inseminated him with sperm from the sperm bank, using a syringe.
Dr. Kimberly James, his obstetrician from Oregon, said, “This baby is totally healthy. This is what I consider a normal pregnancy.” She also said that it is a normal pregnancy. She said that Thomas Beatie stopped taking testosterone two years ago and he has normal levels of hormones.
When it comes to the parenthood, women always had the upper hand and had the excuse to trump men by saying that they have given birth to the child. This equilibrium will change if these pregnancies go through successfully.
