Mr Mom: can we deliver?

Man’s age-old fascination with the idea of male pregnancy is evident from numerous references to it in ancient mythology. Today, in the wake of the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) revolution and other examples of innovative reproductive technology opening up a world of reproductive possibility, the thought of procreation sans female captivates the public consciousness more than ever. Several attempts (both human and non-human) at proving the feasibility of male pregnancy have been documented. The hypothetical process that would be involved in introducing a pregnancy in the man, given our current understanding of reproduction, is in essence analogous to creating an extrauterine pregnancy in the woman, which is itself fraught with risks and complications. There are many reasons behind the demand for feasible extrauterine pregnancy that are explored in this essay, and the psychosomatic phenomenon peculiar to expectant fathers overly sympathetic to their pregnant partners’ plight known as ‘Couvade syndrome’ is discussed at some length. Should man want to keep pursuing the quest for getting men pregnant, we would do well to take a closer look at the only known examples of male mothers in the animal kingdom: seahorses and pipefish. My concluding sentiments are that male pregnancy is definitely a possibility and part of a natural progression in our longstanding challenge of stereotypical gender roles in society.