A married man says he is six months pregnant and looking forward to the birth of his "miracle" daughter.

Thomas Beatie, 34, of Bend, Oregon, used to be a woman.

He first claimed he was pregnant in an article headlined "Labour of Love" in a gay magazine last month.

But many observers thought the story was a hoax after he said he would not give any interviews until April Fool's Day.

Reports speculated that the story could be connected to a new series masterminded by actor Ashton Kutcher, which plays pranks on the media.

But Mr Beatie told US TV chat show host Oprah: "I see pregnancy as a process and it doesn't define who I am. It's not a male or female desire to want to have a child, it's a human desire."

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