Wonder
World’s ‘First Pregnant Man’ Is Back In The Shape After Giving Birth To His 3rd Child
“Everything was a whirlwind. But I still don’t regret it.”
Thomas Beatie, born as a woman named Tracy Lagondinoback, is the first-ever man to get pregnant, not just one, but thrice! He had always wanted to be a man, and so at the age of 20, he started taking testosterone injections that made facial hair visible and minimized his s*xual organ.
In 2012, he had his breasts removed, while his then-wife Nancy Beatie removed her uterus. But Thomas kept his female reproductive organ.
Thomas firmly believes the trans community benefited from his pregnancy’s media attention and how he and his family are doing today. Notably, he had his first child, Susan, in 2018 and has since given birth to two more children with Beatie, but they separated in 2012, and in 2016, Thomas married his second wife, Amber Beatie, nee Nicholas.
Both Thomas and Amber, who worked at the daycare his children had attended, have since welcomed a baby in 2018 [pictured], whom Amber gave birth to.
“When my story came out, there wasn’t a single person in the public eye as a transgender man. Most people had never heard of it. This was pre-Chaz Bono. This was pre-Caitlyn Jenner. This was before anyone knew anything. It was the first exposure for a lot of people. And then, on top of that, they can give birth! I think exposing the importance of fertility for trans people was a huge eye-opener,” Thomas told TODAY Health.
Photos of Thomas had spread around the world, including cradling his stomach – a bare, enlarged, pregnant stomach.
Expectedly, requests for TV and Magazines flooded in, and Thomas even wrote a book titled “Labor of Love.” He also became the subject of several TV specials and went on to star in a French reality show. “Everything was a whirlwind. But I still don’t regret it,” Thomas added. Back in 2018, after he wrote an essay for The Advocate about his pregnancy, he had sought advice and had feared authorities would take his daughter away.
Currently, the stockbroker and his family live a relatively quiet life in Phoenix, although Thomas still takes on public-speaking jobs or minor acting roles.
His older children, aged 11, 12, and 13, split their time between his house and their mom’s house, which is about ten miles away. And just when they’re all home, the family swims together, tests out new recipes, and plays checkers. While Thomas hasn’t been able to fully shake off the attention he earned in 2008, especially for the title “pregnant man,” he attested that he is proud to be a dad and still pleased to be a dad.
Thomas’s life wasn’t all smooth. He was b*tt of jokes on late-night talk shows, and Barbara Walters referred to his maternity photos as disturbing in an interview.
“It was hard when my story came out. People were saying things on TV and in the media that if they came close to saying today, they would be immediately fired. I’m just in shock about how wild Wild West it was back then.” However, Trystan Reese, a trans advocate in Oregon, also told TODAY had Thomas been more involved with the trans equality movement, he and others would have warned him about sharing his story.
“I remember thinking it was a little early to tell this kind of story publicly. Culture change is developmental. It takes people time to understand the kindergarten level of transgender issues. This was Ph.D – level stuff. I was scared for him.”
Thomas concluded that even though the public perception of his experience has shifted, there is still plenty more work to be done to support trans people hoping to start families, including more training among health care providers and equitable access to fertility treatments and parental leave. “I think a lot of people are still pigeonholed, thinking that if you want to be transgender, you have to completely get rid of all your (reproductive organs).”
“In order to be a true transgender person, you just have to go through with this – and that you shouldn’t want to have kids. There needs to be discussion about fertility, preservation. Being transgender, you shouldn’t have to lose your right of having a family. You’re entitled to be happy and have a family and be respected.”
