PREGNANT MEN:THOMAS BEATIE AND A SWELLING FASHION

The most high profile 'male mother' in the world is American man Thomas Beatie (pictured above).

Beatie made headlines around the world in 2008 when he was revealed as the first legally transgender male to conceive.

Months after giving birth to a daughter, Susan Juliette, he announced he was pregnant again and had a boy, Austin, in June 2009, before giving birth to a third child, Jenson.

Beattie, now in his late 30s, raises the children his wife Nancy.

He was born a woman - Tracy Lagondino -  in Hawaii in 1974. When he was in his twenties began having testosterone injections, giving him facial hair, a lower voice and altering his sexual organs.

In 2002 he had a mastectomy and legally became a man - but he chose to keep his vagina, uterus and other female sexual organs so the couple could have children, as his wife had had a hysterectomy.

His relatively rare situation is not unique though and a Spanish transsexual, Ruben Noe Coronado Jimenez (pictured below), was reportedly pregnant with twins in June 2009 before having a miscarriage.

In Israel, Yuval Topper, 24, also a transsexual man, gave birth in November 2011.