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

NC incase outing, but I do know of an LLL group / leader who gave wonderful support to a mother (herself by then a peer supporter) who's child was born with a condition that meant they couldn't bf at all. She had to pump and did so into his toddlerdom and was supported with domperidone. It's not a common drug but is used in some circumstances.

I'm so sorry to read of pp's negative experiences; this has not been my own experience at all of lll support at all, and I know of women who have been supported who do mix feed, use nipple shields etc.

Their point of view is very much around absolutely brilliant, regular support of the mother with positioning and helping her to get help from partners etc to be able to establish and continue bfing. It can take a phenomenal amount of time. And is the reason why many cultures have a 40 day post partum period where the mother stays in recovering and feeding and is looked after relatives. Here we have to be up and about going to yoga, baby classes and shopping within days.

This is obviously extremely challenging to do well in all honesty, and access to good face to face support been worsened by the pandemic.

I had to have a supporter sit with me on a sofa (push me back) and show me how to best position myself to feed, actually quite technical - and that was my second who was entirely different to my first.

Mind, I distinctly remember being told that domperidone was being used 'off label', but also that it was a regular occurance and was safe, just that it was hard to trial medications in pregnant women/breastfeeding women/kids, so many many meds that help those people are technically 'off label'. Not sure if thats actually how it works, but thats what I was told by my..lactation consultant.

I don't find talk of the amount of meds required to enable a male to produce something from the nipple, offensive. Despite needing meds to get any supply at all seemingly..I was pumping nonestop and literally mm. 2 days after starting that medication, I shot up to 5oz. Stalled there mind, but yeah..100x or more quickly.

The Daily Mail article says it's a policy that's been in place since 2017, according to Helen Lloyd the U.K. Chair.

LLL GB don't record by gender identity. Good, it's not relevant is it, though the trans men might be pissed off about that.

Do they record anything by sex? In the past you wouldn't need to as everyone going would be female. If their argument is that partners of breastfeeding mothers need support then they should record members by sex and support that group in their needs which is obviously practically very different from the one doing the breastfeeding (and arguably it's not within their mission statement anyway as they don't mention this group).

The NHS doesn't seem hugely enthusiastic about domperidone for that use.

Hmm. I wonder if this is very recent?

Just I was on a shit ton of the stuff with DD. And this was only 8 years back now.

Also the 'lactation consultant' that was picked up on earlier in the thread? I was referred to someone with that very job title, who was the one who wrte to my GP requesting my handful of pills per day to swallow to try and bring in supply. Had never heard of it before, so yeah hats also a thing in the UK seemingly.

Assumed that was 'usual' meds actually, seems not? I was advised against ANY other drugs at all though, as I said earlier in the thread, even paracetamol at one stage. I was also unable to continue any of my usual medication while trying to relactate..

It only takes one man rocking up with a newborn and a nursing bra to a breastfeeding cafe to raise eyebrows but the women will avert their gaze, feel objectified if stared at in a supposedly all-female space and probably not report it and not go back.

It would make sense for LLL to monitor attendance figures at sessions once they implement this happy-clappy inclusion of males policy. I suspect the data would be highly informative about the acceptability of mixed sex sessions to their service users.

Probably not Necessary though they will alway claim 'robust safeguarding' and perform bigoteering to anyone who asks questions.

It's just NSPCC all over again. A quiet and under-the-door change in definitions and/or policy whilst presenting concerns and honest faces to the public and anyone who goes to them for help.

The charity commission needs more teeth to deal with this shite. I get their emails and it's always about financial breeches not moral or ethical issues.

It only takes one man rocking up with a newborn and a nursing bra to a breastfeeding cafe to raise eyebrows but the women will avert their gaze, feel objectified if stared at in a supposedly all-female space and probably not report it and not go back.

What's the LLL's view on penisfeeding? Or is that not a thing yet? Maybe that's 2021.

(Is there any point at which they'd say no?)

We should not be undermining safeguarding in the name of inclusivity, and yet that is what we see happening again and again. LLL now have a policy to offer support to male born people who want to breastfeed a baby, they will allow them to attend their meetings with women who are breastfeeding. We know why certain males want to breastfeed, why are LLL happy to open the door to them? This is not best for babies or for mothers. Such a lack of scrutiny going on here.

All males should have the right to bond with their children in any way they wish. I believe that breastfeeding is the most amazing activity you can do with your hungry child.

You obviously have not read the transwomen bf accounts. I have read at least three and they all talk about their arousal while breastfeeding.

Maybe you should do some research from their personally written articles. Or do you think deriving sexual pleasure from a child is ok?

And yeah, I kind of got off on it. Don't judge

In other words, don't question my sexual fetish and exclude me. Just accept. No, no questions allowed. Acceptance without exception.

A useful quote to point out in terms of safeguarding to LLL.

(And yeah, I kind of got off on it. Don't judge.)

Imagine the most electric thing a partner has ever done to you, then multiply it by 10.

Like that?

Why would a male want to breastfeed a baby?

Well I think we all know the answer to why a biological man might want to Bf a baby. We just can’t say it.

Of course a biological woman who identifies as a man and has given birth is totally different . Because it’s about biology.

Male parents can bond with their child via skin on skin, baby carrying, taking an active role in their daily routine - bath time, bed time, reading stories and feeding via a bottle if mum wants a break and has expressed milk or the baby is being fed formula. Since males don't produce milk naturally without chemical intervention when the baby is born, why would they breastfeed the baby? Why would a male want to breastfeed a baby?

It’s not about the rights of the adult to do anything they want, as long as they say it’s about bonding ( or any other reason ). It’s about the rights of the child.

Feeding a child ( by Bf or bottle feeding ) is not primarily about giving the adult an “ amazing activity “. It’s about the needs of the child.

Let me say it again - the needs of the child.

Males, can already. They can bottle feed, sing to, rock, bathe etc the baby.

What they cant do is breastfeed safely without potentially damaging the child and the mother. Why would a male want to do that?

All males should have the right to bond with their children in any way they wish. I believe that breastfeeding is the most amazing activity you can do with your hungry child.

@paintedpanda , almost exactly my own experience. Makes me fucking sick to my stomach that a TW after an accessory would get more support than I did. I was treated with contempt and like a failure. I was dismissed as not being helpful to whatever fucking bf targets they were working towards.

Sorry about your experience, painted. When I had my baby, it was after WHO had made a big thing and the hospital I was in were promoting breastfeeding big time.

I had a caesarian and was a bit sorry for myself and also found the latch on sore. There was a nurse breastfeeding leader, who was fantastic but not flexible. Very dismissive of nipple shields. I understand they can affect milk production and give rise to a different suck.

One evening I was so sore, I asked one of the nurses on duty if she would get me a nipple shield. She did but said not to tell the breastfeeding leader. It made the difference for me. Just once or twice to get over the soreness. And knowing I had them gave me the feeling of a way out if I got too sore again.

for you painted

I'm so sorry.

I'm also so sorry that women like you should be helped by LLL and instead they will they will be made to be complicit in a fetish. I feel sick.

Shame that one didnt make the news too.

Maybe then we wouldn't have to keep avoiding the use if certain acronyms or restraining ourselves from using the f word incase of reports and deletions etc..

Oh god yes that one, didn't it all go a bit wrong in the end? Not long or painful enough etc ? Another fine example of the logical conclusion that you end up at when supporting without question.

That person wasn't just simulating pregnancy (which is obviously bad enough), it was pregnancy ending in stillbirth, a woman who had actually had a stillborn baby objected and was kicked out of the group by stupid woke women.

painted. I could have done with more support (or at least someone talking me through the medical issues such that I didn't feel such a damn failure - genuine low supply for medical reasons is the elephant in the room that evangelicals like LLL refuse to talk about.)

But my god I haven't been this knackered since DS was a toddler.