Breastfeeding is now chestfeeding, Brighton’s trans-friendly midwives are told

The problem seems to a progressive absence of backbones in in society.

Although a bit lengthy, perinatalwomen's ward / services / health care would be a workaround that natal women could use? As the service only relates to natal women.

Ah, so Freddie McConnell’s involved in this? Now it makes more sense.

Is someone seriously whinging because her bloke wasn’t offered tea? Really?

I'm so fucking angry. When will this shit end?

www.bsuh.nhs.uk/maternity/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/01/Gender-Inclusive-Language-in-Perinatal-Services-BSUH.pdf

You can do a search for "Maternity" - it occurs six times. The first five times are in the table that explains the old and new terms. The last in the title of one of the references. Note that the less-familiar term "perinatal" is in an academic context:

Knight, M., Bunch, K., Tuffnell, D., Jayakody, H., Shakespeare, J., Kotnis, R., Kenyon, S., Kurinczuk, JJ. eds, on behalf of MBRRACE-UK, 2018. Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care - Lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2014-16. Oxford: National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford.

"Gender Inclusive Language in Perinatal Services:
Mission Statement and Rationale"

Table 1 When referring to the birthing parent:

Previous term: “Maternal” or “maternity”

New term: “Maternity” or “perinatal” (this acknowledges that “Maternity” sometimes refers to terminology which it is not possible for BSUH to change at present)

Previous example: “Maternity care should be available to all”

New example: “Perinatal care should be available to all”

There are far more serious issues to do with the care of pregnant people who use he/him pronouns than the language used to describe NHS services - and I am not being facetious.

For example, there is the issue that many young women planning to go on testosterone have other mental health issues in addition to gender dysphoria and that these remain untreated - because transition is expected to cure them. Some of these young women decide to have a baby before starting testosterone. Are their mental health problems taken into account, eg. when seeking artificial insemination by sperm donor, during pregnancy, birth and following delivery?

These are a serious questions that need proper answers from Maternity Services and Midwives, not vague reassurances and hand-waving at "inclusive language" that makes services "more accessible".

@andyoldlabour me neither. How many transmen get pregnant - I know of one (already mentioned) and their attitude seems bizarre and self- serving to me.

Other than that one is this a common thing, and if not why is the NHS putting so much energy into this and not maternity care generally where it's badly needed?

Oops hit send too soon. I'd meant to reply that the judge in the McConnell case wasn't buying it either, which is doubtless why McConnell has become involved in this particular debate.

Couldn't capture the justice system, so the NHS provides them with a softer target.

If you are so dysphoric and hate the female body you were born with, possibly had binding/hormones/breast removal, then why would you do the one thing that a female can do and a male cannot do - get pregnant and give birth to a child.
Surely this is close to "self-misgendering"?
I am not buying into this at all.

Impatiens

"Seems to be the question no one dares to ask in case it's 'transphobic'"

I have asked the question before in this way.
If you are so dysphoric and hate the female body you were born with, possibly had binding/hormones/breast removal, then why would you do the one thing that a female can do and a male cannot do - get pregnant and give birth to a child.
Surely this is close to "self-misgendering"?
I am not buying into this at all.

Poor menz ...

I’ve been discussing this thread with my DP who completely gets our frustration and one of the first things he said which I think helps cut through this madness was, ‘if they are so keen for equality, how about they start by offering Father’s a cup of tea along with the mother instead of pretending they are not there on the maternity ward’.

Was the humour in this post intentional? Thank you, I've just had my much-needed best laugh of the day.

I’ve been discussing this thread with my DP who completely gets our frustration and one of the first things he said which I think helps cut through this madness was, ‘if they are so keen for equality, how about they start by offering Father’s a cup of tea along with the mother instead of pretending they are not there on the maternity ward’. During my 40 hours of labour (where he spent most with me), each time I was offered a drink, he was blatantly ignored because it was their policy to not give drinks or snacks to anyone who wasn’t the patient. It was just embarrassing and awkward. Surely we need to sort out our approach to care and respect for new father’s and their mental health before diverting funds and attention into these ridiculous initiatives.

Hello Sir... Ma'am. What size chest to you have?
"42A"
"Here you go Ma'am... 42A"

I am still being dim... Are they going to change the wording of "breast cancer" to "chest cancer" too? If not why not? Transmen can get breast cancer too and I think that if the term "breastfeeding" is triggering then surely "breast cancer" is also triggering. If we are going to change our language we should do it across the board and be consistent. Make it make sense.

How is it compatible with “living as a man” to do literally the most female thing possible?

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/02/10/forcing-midwives-say-chestfeeding-can-undermine-trans-rights/

Trans woman Telegraph columnist Diana Thomas criticises "woke" Brighton Trust.

"Giving birth is a female act. It helps nobody to pretend otherwise".

Extract "If we trans people want the recognition, the rights, the care and the freedom from abuse and violence that we deserve, then a) don't demand respect for our gender identity while showing scant respect for the identities of conventional men and women and b) don't encourage haters who think we are all delusional nutjobs by insisting on things that might easily be seen as delusional and nutty.

"Both a) and b) apply times 10, to organisations that think they are acting in our interests. Brighton NHS Trust, please take note."

Looks like the absurdity of it all this pretence has been really brought home to Diana Thomas by the fact that she said she is due to "pitch up at a prostate clinic in a frock" next Monday for an urgent prostate operation.

midwives got on board in the 90’s with women centred care, an emphasis on choice, control and informed consent. Evidence based practice and respect for women became the focus. Part of this was empowering language, that is the use of anatomically correct language to describe women’s bodies but also avoiding phrases such as “good girl” to encourage women during labour because these are adult women giving birth not children. Also avoiding the use of the word lady which is a euphemism for woman, somehow being part of the aristocracy made being female acceptable in times past but the word woman was being reclaimed. A woman was considered a powerful adult human being competent to make choices about her birth, able to take charge and fully capable of consenting or not to procedures.

It's a good point, DaisiesAndButtercups. It should be centred on the mother. I don't like this depersonalised language shift.

I am worried about this shift too. Even when it was called maternity services efforts actually had to be made to centre mothers.

Now with perinatal services the disembodied, depersonalised process of birth is centred. What becomes of mother and baby?

When the mother is centred then the baby benefits because the mother is the source of life, nurture and love for the baby.

When birth was moved out of the home and into the hospitals we saw the rise of obstetric violence and the needs of the institution and its functioning took precedence over individual mother-baby dyads. The 70’s and 80’s were the peak of this. Women created a grassroots movement to humanise birth and midwives got on board in the 90’s with women centred care, an emphasis on choice, control and informed consent. Evidence based practice and respect for women became the focus. Part of this was empowering language, that is the use of anatomically correct language to describe women’s bodies but also avoiding phrases such as “good girl” to encourage women during labour because these are adult women giving birth not children. Also avoiding the use of the word lady which is a euphemism for woman, somehow being part of the aristocracy made being female acceptable in times past but the word woman was being reclaimed. A woman was considered a powerful adult human being competent to make choices about her birth, able to take charge and fully capable of consenting or not to procedures.

Now what is a woman and what is her place in “perinatal services”?

Once it would have been women’s grassroots groups that were consulted on these changes, the NCT, AIMS, and local committees. Where are they now? Well I have seen that AIMS has been captured. I don’t know about the NCT.

That was a beautiful way of describing something horrible.

Top post.

Agree merrymouse why have they dropped maternity. There must be an agenda, word association perhaps, maternity = woman, perinatal = f%ck knows who

I think it’s important to note that perinatal is an existing word that has long been in common use in hospitals if not elsewhere.

However, I think they should clarify if they have actually dropped ‘maternity’, and if so, why.

Worth considering whether this language shift will result in changes in the culture of services, intended or otherwise, ie. babies as "products" or "outputs".

It is bad enough that the NHS is again adopting terms that many will find unfamiliar. It also triggers my spidey-sense that the term "Maternity" has been dropped at the same time that surrogacy is being pushed as a civil/human rights issue for men who want women to provide them with surrogate-birth babies.

Yes I agree. None of this is done with the well being of women in mind.