Odd: A Man Experiences The Pain Of Childbirth

Henry McKean, Ireland, has just returned from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where last week he 'gave birth' to Baby David after a labour that lasted over two hours.

The Geboortehuis Private Maternity Clinic offers men the opportunity to go through labour, or at least simulated labour, with the help of a machine that induces pain through electrodes attached to various parts of the patient's body. It is, according to McKean, the closest thing men get to experiencing labour.

He says the machine was invented by the Russians, possibly so they could "basically electrocute their

weightlifters to help them feel and withstand pain". "Then the Americans took it over and used it in physio to help athletes recover from injury," says McKean.

McKean, who works for Newstalk as Sean Moncrieff's roaming reporter, says the road to Amsterdam was a long one. Having come across a clip of "the Dutch equivalent of Ant and Dec" giving birth last year, McKean's producer suggested he might make a perfect candidate. Reluctantly, he accepted.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes agreed to take on his cause and sponsor the birth of his child. After a three-week 'pregnancy', McKean flew to Amsterdam with his 'birth partner', Hayley O'Connor from Ladbrokes. O'Connor went there to lend McKean support, but was also keeping an eye on her bet. Ladbrokes had McKean at even money to last less than half an hour, and he was four to five on to cry.