La Leche League will support males (of the male sex) who wish to breastfeed.

I had struggles breast feeding and no support from these groups. Just guilt ladled on me when I was at my most vulnerable.
And they are offering support to men who get off on it.

Wasn’t implying you were (sorry) just a general comment on the way some people do though.

Also please read the link provided by ALLIS0N as to why the drug is sometimes recommend.

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/domperidone/

Extremely reliable site used by many UK HCP.

Why risk it? The baby is the most important person here. If you can’t guarantee it, don’t do it.

The link on the LLLGB page about trans chestfeeding or whatever they call it goes to some US-based advice about domperidone that only talks about breastfeeding in women, it specifically says mothers.

It says that this drug doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier and would only go to the baby in very small amounts so it is deemed safe. There wasn't nothing from the NHS as far as I could see but it was just a quick check but it appears to be broadly considered as safe. In women.

I recently saw a study about corona virus in semen, and that it was only in small amounts (one imagines the breathing in close proximity and kissing before and during the sex would do spread it anyway but maybe I'm the old fashioned vanilla type). Small amounts are like a get-out clause and forgive me if I'm not so trusting of doctors since they claimed that puberty blockers are reversible and the MMR vaccines will make your kid autistic.

Anyway, I digress...my point is do we know it only goes to the baby in small amounts? If so has that been proven to be the case in men as well as women? There are many differences between men and women as we know, maybe this is one of them. Has someone, anyone, tested a baby who has been consistently fed on this fluid (if so how and what are the ethics around that?) and has proof that it is safe for a baby to be fed this bodily fluid from a man on these drugs? Are there any children who were fed this fluid from their fathers who are now in their teens who show no ill-effects or has no one tracked them? Is it too early to tell and therefore the LLLGB shouldn't be advising on stuff they don't know about yet?

I see no danger in being sceptical but there is danger in trusting 'experts' who don't have any actual evidence.

Has as much effort been out into helping mums who have problems breastfeeding as this? Are women told to leave groups if they question why a mum is taking medication to encourage lactation?

A breastfeeding mum won’t take an aspirin without checking. Will check hair dye or cleaning products. Will panick when they slip a bloody disk and have topical pain killer then worry about if it will get into their milk...

Bizarre to read well put forward arguments dismissed as "frothing". Oh wait, no it's not. It's the same misogynist attitude that has been always used to silence women with enough knowledge & experience to question patriarchal authority.

It is possible to disagree without resorting to this.

I don't know anything about its use for men or transgender women but I'm getting quite pissed off at all this frothing about what is a fairly common drug because "omg, hormones in breast milk!". There are loads of drugs which are prescribed to breastfeeding mums.. I'm also taking thyroid hormones but no one bats an eye about that

Is it not more to do with the other hormones that male-bodied people are taking or producing when they breastfeed a baby? Their bodies are not the same as women's. They produce higher levels of testosterone naturally. They have to take cross-sex hormones. There is a risk that this stuff will all get passed onto the baby through the breast milk and I fail to see how taking that risk is in the baby's best interests.

I have never breastfed myself but IME women who are breastfeeding are very, very careful about what they put in their bodies. My friends have been so careful about alcohol, caffeine and painkillers while breastfeeding that I've internally rolled my eyes.

I find it very interesting that male-bodied people who choose to breastfeed do not seem to have any concern about the impact of their medication on the baby. It is almost as if they don't think in the same way as a typical breastfeeding mother.

Prove it is beneficial for the baby.

Frothing? Prove it’s safe. Don’t bully, abuse and throw out of the groups women who query.

I don't know anything about its use for men or transgender women but I'm getting quite pissed off at all this frothing about what is a fairly common drug because "omg, hormones in breast milk!". There are loads of drugs which are prescribed to breastfeeding mums.. I'm also taking thyroid hormones but no one bats an eye about that

Thyroid hormones ( I assume you mean thyroxine ) is to replace what your body would make naturally. The same as insulin for type one diabetics.

It’s not the same as cross sex hormones.

And most BF women have been told that they can’t take very common drugs , such as pain killers or antihistamines.

Many women spend years of their lives being pregnant or breast feeding and often suffer significant distress / discomfort / health problems because they can’t take certain drugs. It’s a common reason for women stopping BF, which of course has risks for them and their baby.

This isn’t a weird theoretical risk - it’s a big issue for many women.

I’d be less worried about that specific drug, and more worried about the myriad of other drugs and hormones that transgender individuals take.
I’m by no means an expert on what medication is commonly used, but surely CSH would filter through?

@HecatesCats yes, I get that. It's just the hoo-ha about the specific drug that is annoying me.

Massive my main concern here is LLL purporting to have a mission centring successful breastfeeding as key to the health and well-being of babies and mothers while meanwhile introducing a policy that runs counter to that. Allowing transwomen to breastfeed wouldn't be the best for baby and mother in any circumstance. It also raises serious safeguarding red flags. That's also why it's important to define who the mother is and to hold LLL to their purpose as a charity. They raise funds based upon their mission.

@OhHolyJesus

No side effects so far.

Ifaik the main concern about it is the possible effect on the heart of the mother - I think there has been one case whereby an older person with a history of arrythmia was taking it and died (they weren't taking it for lactation but for digestive issues, so a much higher dose, and they were much older than a new mother would be). Very little passes through to the milk and there is no suggestion that it causes harm to the baby.

I'm still taking it and my supply is coming up, but very slowly. I understand it can cause quite a miraculous increase in supply for some people though.

I don't know anything about its use for men or transgender women but I'm getting quite pissed off at all this frothing about what is a fairly common drug because "omg, hormones in breast milk!". There are loads of drugs which are prescribed to breastfeeding mums.. I'm also taking thyroid hormones but no one bats an eye about that.

(I am very tempted to go off on a tangent about how much I dislike LLL for other reasons but will save that for another thread )

I've been reading more about it Massive, did you experience any side effects? I imagine you took it once you realised you were struggling rather than taking it during pregnancy, or did you plan to take it due to adoption? Can I ask how long you took it for and what your doctor advised? I'm just interested in your experience.

So far I can't find any science about a man taking it in order to breastfeed a baby.

*their

@ThatIsNotMyUsername

The drug that is being referred to is domperidone, a drug which I and many other women take in order to be able to breastfeed there children.

kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/meds/prescript_galactagogue/

Breast milk gets fetishised because of the risk element – because it’s natural, and because it gives women a feeling of absolute power over their babies.”

What an absolute pillock.

When DD1 was not feeding well, not gaining weight and I was pumping, trying to bottle feed and and give milk via an SNS I remember thinking I cant even switch to formula she wont take a bottle.

When omen breastfeed they are responsive to thier baby. That is how breastfeeding works the baby need to take out milk for the mum to make more. Mums can’t will themselves to make more milk nor can they make the baby take more milk if the baby doesn’t want to.

I really wish those righting about breastfeeding would take the time to understand the mechanics of it before laying academic theories over it.

In fact that is sort of how we get to the point that we are debating LLL including men in breastfeeding. LLL are focusing on academic theories rather than the nuts and bolts.

The link is here, better quality!

twitter.com/baroness_nichol/status/1334210792468717573?s=21

I could have cried when I read that. What adult - let alone a parent - would knowingly put this into their baby?

The drug causes heart failure in adult men - oh my god. What are they advocating giving to babies???

The Baroness has written to LLL:

"What about men who are widowed? Or whose partner's are mentally incaple of breastfeeding due to trauma?"

I was "incapable " of breastfeeding - fuck off with that nasty insensitive word, btw - DD's father never thought once that he needed to bf to be a dad to her.
And "fuck off" if you missed me saying it the first time.