1. The Pregnant Man

Thomas Beatie, a trans-gendered man who was born a woman, caused a global double-take when he announced in March that he was pregnant. Beatie, who kept his (apparently well-functioning) female reproductive system while undergoing testosterone therapy and a chest reconstruction, was artificially inseminated using donor sperm. (A hysterectomy had left Beatie's wife, Nancy, unable to carry a child.) The result: a healthy baby girl, Susan Juliette, born in June. Beatie professed to be shocked at all the attention his pregnancy caused, despite having published an article about his condition, making an appearance on Oprah and writing a book about his experience. If he misses the limelight, however, there's more on the way: Beatie announced in November that he's pregnant with his second child.

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