'Pregnant Man' Thomas Beatie Debuts Daughter Susan Juliette

Having welcomed daughter Susan Juliette on June 29th, Thomas Beatie — known as the Pregnant Man — and his wife Nancy introduce their bundle of joy in the latest issue of PEOPLE. Weighing in at 9 lbs, 5 oz when she arrived at 8:55 p.m., Susan was the product of 40 hours of hard labor, Thomas explained. "[Nancy] wanted to take the pain away. She held my hand, she fed me ice chips, she brought jelly beans from home, she practically crawled into bed with me." After many hours, Thomas’ midwife announced that it was time to push.

When Susan finally came out, it was like in slow motion. I was full of wonder. She’s so precious, I just can’t stop staring at her. Justholding her is the best feeling in the world. We’re finally the family we’ve been dreaming of.

Named for Thomas’ late mother Susan, carrying Nancy’s middle name of Juliette, and conceived through artificial insemination with donor sperm, 3-week-old Susan is unaware of her status as the child given birth to by a transgender male. Calling his blue-eyed daughter "easygoing, mellow, and intelligent," Thomas, 34, sounds like any new mother assessing their post-baby body — except he’s the father!

I weigh two pounds less than I did before I got pregnant. And I don’t have a single stretch mark!

Settling into their Bend, Oregon home with their "miracle" Susan, Thomas and Nancy, 45, are learning to care for their infant. After raising two daughters from a previous marriage, Nancy has found herself nursing again, through the process of induced lactation. Practiced occasionally by adoptive moms and others who have lost their milk, hormones and physical stimulation with a pump can be used to start a supply. For more information, visit KellyMom.com, or see Jack Newman’s Lactation Protocol.

[Even before I started taking the pills,] my brain was sending messages to my body, saying, ‘Get ready, you’re breastfeeding!’

Now that Susan is here, Nancy reveals she’s grown three cup sizes and is off the hormones — "It’s just me and the baby." With that, Susan starts crying and Thomas brings her over, saying, "Nancy, she’s still hungry! I’m just like any typical father — all I can do is walk around and rock her!"

As for the unusual circumstances surrounding her birth, Thomas says, "We know prejudice is out there, but how can anyone judge this beautiful little baby?" He explains that Susan will know everything, always.

We’ll opt for full-disclosure. It’s not going to be some big shock. She’s going to know.

Click here for a photo of Susan Juliette. Five more images are available in the latest issue, on newsstands in major cities today.

Source: People

Comments

That’s just awesome, that one partner gets to birth the baby adn the other nurses her…That is going to be an incredibly well-bonded family!

- Looney on July 23rd, 2008

Congrats to them — I think this is a wonderful story.

- heather on July 23rd, 2008

odd….but beautiful little girl! Love the adorable bow on that pretty dress of hers. There will be a lot of explaining to do in the next few years, but if they can manage a normal life for that little girl…more power to them!

- akc on July 23rd, 2008

Awww…she’s adorable! They must be so happy! I give them a lot of credit for being so open about this. They have nothing to hide nor be ashamed of and frankly that will make their situation a whole lot easier for their daughter to understand while she grows up. They won’t have to really explain anything! I also believe that by the time she’s an adult, this won’t be so taboo.And for all those naysayers out there about their situation–she has two incredibly loving and devoted parents. That’s two more than many children in this country that go unnoticed every single day.

- Ekaterina on July 23rd, 2008

What a fantastic thing Nancy is doing for her baby.
There is no better gift a mother can give than to breastfeed her baby, it is any babiy’s birth right — and for her to go out of her way to do that, after not even birthing her, is amazing of her.

Kudos to her.

- N.S on July 23rd, 2008

The baby is beautiful and I hope she won’t be confused later in life about how her family works.

I do disagree with everyone saying: pregnant man. If that was true it was really news! She was born a woman, that she can have a baby is not strange or something new.

- Sarita on July 23rd, 2008

Congratulations to their beautiful family!!!

Susan is a cutie that’s gonna be as beautiful as her father!

- Tracy on July 23rd, 2008

such a strange and odd situation all around, but darn thaat baby is gorgeous!! Congrats to the happy family!

- tink1217 on July 23rd, 2008

Sarita I agree with you… why do they make it sounds like a biological male has given birth, they should say a transgender male has given birth.

steph

- steph on July 23rd, 2008

Aw, she’s a cutie, and what a beautiful name they’ve chosen for her!

I don’t think Susan will be confused by her unusual birth (I believe children are much more understanding and accepting than many adults give them credit for), but I *do* think she might be harmed by the shameful bigotry others have already shown toward her family, and may show to herself when she’s older. But if that should happen, I’m sure her family’s love will bring her through safe.

I must, however, point out that Thomas is *not* the first transman (female-to-male transsexual) to be pregnant and successfully give birth to a baby. That honour goes to Matt Rice, who became pregnant by artificial insemination and gave birth to a son, Blake, way back in 1999; Matt’s ex-partner and Blake’s other father is another transman, writer and activist Patrick Califia. A link to their story: http://www.villagevoice.com/2000-06-20/news/family-values.

Another, more recent picture of Matt and Blake can be found here: http://www.janamarcus.com/docus/TransPresentation/sld015.htm.

- Miranda on July 23rd, 2008

I think Pregnant Man just makes people more interested in the story, so that’s what he’s called. The articles usually say transgender male though, here it’s in the second paragraph.

Susan is really gorgeous (the magazine is out in Brooklyn now and I saw the photos). Her nursery is beautiful as well.

I am glad they plan to be open with her about the circumstances. That’s the way to go with adoption and things like this, I think.

- Allie on July 23rd, 2008

What a cute baby!!!!!

At one point in my life worked with transgendered people and being that Thomas Beatie self-identifies as a man and I don’t have a problem with the description “pregnant man”. While technically/biologically incorrect, socially it is correct.

It’s actually okay to ask a transgendered person how they would like to be referred to as either male or female woman or man Ms. or Mr. Some prefer to be addressed as their transgender and some don’t mind if they are still referred to as their biological gender.

- sheba on July 23rd, 2008

Miranda, when did the Califia-Rices break up? Sorry to hear about it

- Lee on July 23rd, 2008

i’m totally against this. i hope they are going to help this little girl understand the circumstances under which she was born, and i don’t think it’s fair that her privacy has been violated under such interesting circumstances… what’s going to happen to her when she’s 13 and she just wants to be a regular girl…

plus i’m of the opinion that whenever possible, one should adopt…as pretty as she it… i really feel sorry for her…

- fay on July 23rd, 2008

Lee, I don’t know when the Califia-Rices split.

To be much more long winded, based on some brief Googling I speculate it was probably between November 2001 and May 2004. I base this solely on the fact that the family was reported as together in a “San Francisco Examiner” article dated November 14, 2001 (http://snipurl.com/33suk, sorry, can’t find a working link to the actual article), yet Patrick wasn’t mentioned at all in Matt and Blake’s slide in “Transfigurations”, which was first talked about in “Good Times” article dated May 6, 2004 (http://snipurl.com/33sv9) (I can’t seem to find either an exact premiere date for “Transfigurations” on the artist’s site, sorry).

I also found a review of Patrick’s book “Speaking Sex to Power” which briefly mentions that Patrick and Matt “are now separated”, but the book was published November 9, 2001 per Amazon.com, and the review itself isn’t dated as far as I can see: http://rainbow-reviews.com/?p=111.

I’m sorry I can’t be of more help!

- Miranda on July 23rd, 2008

I’m glad the baby is healthy; however, it is not factual to call him the “pregnant man”. He was born as a woman and women give birth every day. It’s ridiculous to treat the story as anything other than that.

- lindsay on July 23rd, 2008

That baby is adorable, and her cheeks are just as round. Her little dress is cute.

Congratulations to the family!

- FC on July 23rd, 2008

Okay first of all, that is such a cute baby and congratulations to the family!

Secondly, it sounds like Thomas gave birth through a vagina? Then he’s not 100% a man if he has female reproductive organs so wouldn’t that make Thomas biologically a woman?

If so, then yeah, it is just sensationalist stuff for the media to use “Pregnant Man gives birth” instead of “Transgender Man gives birth.”

We’re still a very long way, if never, to enable 100% men to be carriers. Only in fanfiction I would say, hehe.

- DLR on July 23rd, 2008

I think calling him/her “the pregnant man” is incorrect as well. While reading the first story about the birth I had to laugh that they kept calling her a man and then go on to say that “he delivered vaginally”. If you have to use the work vagina then its not a real “man”. Women give birth everyday I have no clue while she is so famous.

- momof3girls on July 23rd, 2008

How is this person a celeb??

Since this is just a woman pretending to be a man, I do not see the big deal eiher….

- SeanJay on July 23rd, 2008

I don’t know what makes them a celebrity couple having a celebrity baby? What have they done besides come out on national t.v. to explain their VERY odd lifestyle!!!
And I don’t need anyone starting with the it’s their life they can do as they please! Sure I’m all about the to each their own lifestyle but doesn’t mean I agree with it. I say if your a woman longing to be a man then just be a man and vis versa. I have no problems with that but I do have a problem with someone wanting to be both and that’s just my opinion!! It’s like trying to have your cake and eat it to! Just pick what you want to be and stick to it.

That being said, a child is precious no matter where or who it comes from but I don’t agree with it being on this website for it’s a website dedicated to celebs and their babies which they are not.

I do wish them (and this child) all the best. Unfortunately this child is going to have a lifetime of explaining to others no matter how okay it is in “their” family it’s going to be one that’s not always going to sit well with other familes.

- J.M. on July 23rd, 2008

I’m happy for them as I would be for any couple that wants and has a baby. Although the press has continually said a “pregnant man”,Thomas is still a female and I personally am tired of this being referred to nothing short of miraculous.

- Lisa on July 23rd, 2008

Thanks Miranda. Sorry to sound so gloomy in my first post. I hate to think about families like mine breaking up. We struggle so hard to make a family that it’s awful to think of anything tearing it apart.

I should have commented on the miracle of the new life. Congratulations to the Beatie Family, your daughter is beautiful. May your days together be filled with joy.

- Lee on July 23rd, 2008

This is a stupid story and it should never have been published. What people will do these days…sad.

- LisaB on July 23rd, 2008

This is just NASTY!!!! This should be against the law and these homo’s Should not be allowed to have kids.

This is going to be one screwed up kid. Homosexuality should be made Illegal. by the way thanks for bringing aids into the world you perverts
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/msm/resources/factsheets/msm.htm

- NASTY on July 23rd, 2008

Child aside.

I think this person should never have been allowed to do this. He/she is coining the term pregnant man. Excuse me, but he is still a she and most transexuals wants to become the opposite sex to be defined by that sex.

He/She can’t have it both ways.

I pity the child who has been brought up in a circus freak show. I pity the child so much.

- SJ on July 23rd, 2008

I think its high time that our western culture recognized that there are more than TWO genders.

Thomas is a biological woman but a man by gender. Pregnant man sounds like an accurate, if dramatic, description.

I’m happy the family is doing well and I would hope that other CBB readers could leave out the closed-minded descriptions of this family’s “lifestyle”. The child has two loving parents-that is all that matters.

- Amanda on July 23rd, 2008

I think it’s great that they have a family. I think it is fine to say pregnant man because he has been living as a man for a long time and is officially considered a man. He kept his female reproductive organs because he knew he wanted to have a baby and i don’t see anything wrong with that. He is NOT a woman. I could also see how they could have put that a trans man was having a baby. But some people on here sound like they think of him still as a her, which is wrong. Kids are excepting so i don’t think it would be susan’s generation that would be biased against her.

- Liv on July 23rd, 2008

you know what that thing is not a pregnant man first of all anything that has a vagina is a women I don’t care what the outside looks like I think this story is sick

- Ariane on July 23rd, 2008

Amanda, it is their “lifestyle” and they can live it as they please but they’re on Oprah, the cover of People, a celebrity related website, why is there story headline news??!! Technically HE is not a man he’s biologically a WOMAN. So yes sHE can have a baby!! That is something that happens in everyday life so why are they any special? Because he chose to be a different gender then decide to switch again in order to give his wife a baby?? Sorry I’m not close minded I just don’t get why this is making news?!
Live your life. Raise your baby. Do as you wish. But prancing around the television and magazines for money to me is all they’re doing. They’re selling a “story” and they claim they did it to protect the world from being cruel to their child and letting the world know that they’re a loving “normal” family. Let’s face it much of the world could careless because had you not come out much of the world would never know about you!

But the baby is beautiful. I think it’s great that the whole family has worked it out to their best effort to provide a somewhat stable loving home for her. But I still won’t get why this is something that needs to be headline news! JMO

- JM on July 23rd, 2008

Well said Amanda, I couldn’t agree with you more.

Susan is so adorable! She is going to be a beuaty when she grows up! And that dress is too cute!

- Elyse on July 23rd, 2008

Um, Amanda? Not trying to stir the pot here, but I honestly would like to know why, if anyone on here or elsewhere disagrees with the moral, ethical, and biological aspects of this, they or we are being considered close-minded? I wasn’t aware that everyone had to be of the same opinion and the same mind. Furthermore, nobody on here has been even remotely insulting, just asking honest questions.

Frankly, I think the “close-mindedness” comes from those who think that anyone who doesn’t think like THEY do is ignorant and close-minded. Pot, kettle, black.

- Becca on July 23rd, 2008

While I understand the temptation to view Thomas and Nancy’s choice to be very public about their story as a publicity or monetary stunt I think succumbing to such temptation is dangerous and irresponsible. Whatever people may feel about their choice (and the media’s) to refer to Thomas as the “pregnant man” despite his anatomically female genitals, this story is certainly not like the average birth story. I appreciate Amanda’s comment on the difference between gender and biological sex. We are social beings, more influenced by our cultural norms than by our biology. I think because our cultural norms regarding relationships/childbearing/family roles are so ingrained in us all, it is difficult to break away and see that while biologically this individual has done something that occurs everyday (although I would assume that individuals undergoing/having undergone hormone treatments involving testosterone don’t give birth that often), socially he has not. He has done something that obviously is uncomfortable for people to see in such a public domain. The fact that we have an abundance of books, websites, television shows, etc that celebrate the remarkable process of creating and bearing a child but refer to a family who step outside socially acceptable behaviors as “prancing around the television and magazines for money” shows that it is less about “the world caring less” about the subject and more about the world feeling uncomfortable with being exposed to it in a nonconventional way. So I applaud this family, who are not only facing criticism for their choice to have a child in this way but also for the mere act of telling it. There is always a backlash waiting for those who choose to “prance” a lifestyle that society disapproves of but imagine if several “pregnant men” graced our magazines, newspapers, websites, and news programs for several years. It actually would become “old news”. History is full of exceptional and controversial subjects that, after being over-sensationalized and over-exposed to the general public, become less unnerving and eventually socially acceptable. So bravo to this family and the families that will inevitably make their similar stories public in the future. I can only hope that by the time this child is asked questions regarding her family the idea of a transgender male giving birth to a child won’t invoke such negative reactions but rather a desire to know about and celebrate all families and the ways they are created.

- scully on July 23rd, 2008

Biologically, Thomas was born a woman, but he is legally recognized as a man, which is why he was allowed to marry his wife Nancy. That’s why they’re calling him the pregnant man. Legally, he is a man. And it may not be spectacular or miraculous that he used biologically female reproductive parts to carry and give birth to this baby, but it’s pretty clear that society is becoming more tolerant of transgender men and women by simply referring to Thomas as the pregnant man, and not the pregnant trans-gender man. I like it. As the daughter of two women, I’ve lived with the hatred, prejudice, and constantly having to correct people because of the fact that I was raised by my biological mother and her partner. The lesson in all of this is simple; you may not agree, like, support, or understand something that isn’t what you’re used to, but that doesn’t make it terrible. It’s natural for people to seek “normalcy”, but those of us who are okay with being different don’t mind sharing.

- Stephanie on July 23rd, 2008

Susan is a beautiful baby!!! Glad everyone is healthy and happy!
I honestly could care less about this family’s lifestyle as they seem very loving and I can’t think of a better environment to bring a baby into than a loving one BUT am I the only one who is more than a little uncomfortable with how much they are milking this for everything it has? Oprah, magazines, tv shows, ect I wouldn’t be surprised if they come out with a movie! Whether people want to admit it or not this little girl will face some harsh things in her life because of the actions of her parents. If they would have gotten pregnant, delivered the baby and lived their lives without all the media I doubt anyone would even realize this baby’s family was any different than any of her classmates with a mother and a father. Awareness is a great thing, but I’m sorry, this is a child’s life, a child that had no choice in the matter. Now the whole world knows not only her parents, but her full name, birthdate and even birth weight as well!
It’s one thing being a celebrity and people are going to know because they are watching you and you have camera lenses on you all the time. It’s another to purposely draw attention to yourself when you know it will result in some criticism and that child is going to have her whole family history known by the world.

- Amanda on July 23rd, 2008

Its awesome that she’s induced lactation! They’ve thought it all through, I suppose.

Congrats to them!

- Megan on July 24th, 2008

Cute baby………….

- Stephanie on July 24th, 2008

What a gorgeous baby!
I’m so happy for them.

- Heather on July 24th, 2008

Aww! What a beautiful name! I wish tons of luck for this family.

- Laura on July 24th, 2008

I don’t see how this is a big deal! I mean this IS a woman just with body/facial hair!! She has female organs and a vagina! This is NOT a man I wish people would stop saying that a ‘man gave birth’ to a baby. This is the truth there’s no way of getting around it. Also, I don’t this should be in with ‘celebrity babies’.

- Doreen on July 25th, 2008