Thomas Beatie, who is married and from the US state of Oregon, has written an article in the gay magazine Advocate, saying it feels "incredible" to be a "pregnant man". He adds: "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."

Born Tracy Lagondino, Mr Beatie kept his female organs when he changed genders. He turned to home insemination after what he says was discrimination from doctors. He says he is carrying a child on behalf of his wife, Nancy, because she has had a hysterectomy. The couple have been together for 10 years.

"Doctors have discriminated against us, turning us away due to their religious beliefs," Mr Beatie explained in the article.

"Healthcare professionals have refused to call me by a male pronoun or recognise Nancy as my wife. Receptionists have laughed at us. Friends and family have been unsupportive; most of Nancy's family doesn't even know I'm transgender," he added. "Sterilisation is not a requirement for sex reassignment, so I decided to have chest reconstruction and testosterone therapy but kept my reproductive rights," he said. "Wanting to have a biological child is neither a male nor female desire but a human desire."

The couple, who manage a custom screen-printing business in the town of Bend, lived a normal life "until we decided that I would carry our child," Mr Beatie wrote. A previous insemination ended in a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy with triplets, requiring surgery, resulting in the loss of all his embryos and his right fallopian tube.

"I will be my daughter's father, and Nancy will be her mother. We will be a family," Mr Beatie wrote. Advocate says it has confirmed with Mr Beatie's doctors that he is indeed pregnant.