The 'world's first pregnant man' who gave birth to three children while transitioning from a woman to a man has revealed he is having a hysterectomy.

Thomas Beatie, 42, from Phoenix, Arizona, was born as a woman named Tracy Lagondino in 1974, but began transitioning in his twenties before having gender reassignment surgery in 2012.

After carrying three children with his first wife, Nancy, Thomas has recently remarried and hopes his new spouse will be able to give him a child of their own.

While Thomas had initially kept his female sexual organs in order to carry children, a the new operation would complete his transition into a man.

'I'm having a hysterectomy and my ovaries removed next year,' he told Closer magazine.

'I can't carry another baby due to abdominal surgery and I couldn't have a natural birth now I've got a penis anyway.

'I've got two frozen embryos so we're trying IVF with those.'

Explaining this hopes for a fourth child, he added: 'I love being a father. We're hoping our next attempt at pregnancy works - I'd love another daughter.'

Thomas also welcomed the news that the NHS will now give free fertility treatment to men who were born as women.

When Thomas was in his twenties he began having testosterone injections, giving him facial hair, a lower voice and altering his sexual organs.

And after he married his first wife, Nancy, in 2003, who was unable to have children, he decided to keep his female sexual organs in order to carry their baby himself.

Thomas had already had a mastectomy to remove his breasts, and hormone treatment that gave him an outwardly male appearance.

The couple bought sperm from an anonymous donor and Thomas underwent artificial insemination.

He eventually fell pregnant with Susan in late 2007 and had his next two children shortly after, as he only wanted a short window of not taking testosterone.

Thomas famously posed for a picture in 2007 which displayed him as heavily pregnant but with facial hair.

He told Oprah Winfrey on her show: 'I wanted to have a child one day. I didn't know how. It was just a dream.'

The couple were open about their sex life, revealing on Oprah that the testosterone had enlarged Thomas' clitoris. It grew to something like a small penis, allowing him to have sex with his wife, he said.

But the relationship soured and by 2012, the couple had separated with Thomas given full custody of the children - and the pair finalised their divorce last year, leaving Thomas free to marry his new partner, Amber Nicholas, in February 2016.

Now the pair are desperate to have a child of their own before Thomas completes his transition with a hysterectomy.

Speaking about what it is like to date the world's most famous transgender, Amber previously said: 'My friends, they're kind of always joking and asking questions like, "How did this happen? How does this work?"

'Just funny things, but really my friends and family are very supportive of us and they love Thomas.'

Thomas previously revealed his wishes to have a hysterectomy in 2011, explaining that it would help 'stabilise' him medically as a male.