Midwives told to stop using terms such as 'breastfeeding' and 'breastmilk'

[MissMoped]

because it’s not gender inclusive language, I believe with particular reference to the transexual debate.

This is at Brighton and Sussex nhs trust btw, good to know NHS money is being spent wisely btw, poring over the “incorrect” use of language.

The word “mother” apparently should not be used on its own; instead “mother or birthing parent” (um, isn’t that a mother?).

Breast milk and breastfeeding is to be replace by “breast/chest milk” or “milk from the feeding parent”. “Woman” should be replaced with “woman or person”.

Gobsmacked.

Not gender inclusive??
Women have breasts...
Men have breasts...

But men have breasts so what's the problem?

So does that mean a “ mother or birthing parent” who uses formula doesn’t have breasts anymore?

Fucksake. Link??

😡😡. Erasure of women again. I'm actually glad that this nonsense is being published though. More people will be outraged and despair anyone's feelings on the daily fail, if they get people up in arms about this utter coddswollap then they'll have support from me!

I’m a breastfeeding mother and gender inclusive language is not harmful to me, but may help others. This doesn’t bother me at all.

It is Brighton though, they’re terminally loopy (I’m from nearby).

If anyone tried any of this nonsense with me they’d get short shrift.

To be fair, they also probably have a lot of gay couples so actually both could be “mother” even though only one is giving birth. Add in a few gay surrogacy couples to that mix too.

But surely they are intelligent enough to just ask a family what they would prefer and surely even in the woke capital that is Brighton, the majority are still man, woman, woman having the baby.

You need breasts to feed so I don't understand why it needs to be called anything else other than breastfeeding, thats simply just what the term means... feeding from a breast 🤷‍♀️

@KatyClaire

I’m a breastfeeding mother and gender inclusive language is not harmful to me, but may help others. This doesn’t bother me at all.

But it' not inclusive, it doesn't include women.

@KatyClaire

I’m a breastfeeding mother and gender inclusive language is not harmful to me, but may help others. This doesn’t bother me at all.

But how is the term breastfeeding not inclusive?

Has there been any change to words that refer to men and male?

Obviously not with birth (though non-birthing partner) but within the NHS.

Yes, well.

It's not okay to be hypothetically offensive towards trans or non binary persons but very much okay to be actually dismissive and offensive to women who have been accepting of being women since birth.

The erasure of woman as a single class defined by pure physical biology continues.

@CherryValanc

Has there been any change to words that refer to men and male?

Obviously not with birth (though non-birthing partner) but within the NHS.

Interesting, do they still use the correct worda for male body parts? Should we call them men? "Spermsuppliers"?

So being a proud dm bf your new baby is to be an achievement to be kept quiet?
Bonkers..

Oz, girl, fair point, about Brighton. But what is wrong with the word “mother”. The woman giving birth is the one who goes through it spiritually and hormonal my and physically in every way, by definition a mother in this case! A man cannot give birth to a child, last time I looked, nor even a lesbian’s partner. If this is where gender inclusivity gets you, you can shove it. Loopy or not, it’s madness.

@KatyClaire

I’m a breastfeeding mother and gender inclusive language is not harmful to me, but may help others. This doesn’t bother me at all.

Wrong. You're a chest feeding birthing parent.

And I was in such a good mood earlier this evening!

I'm horrified. How can they do this without national consultation unless this is private?

Exactly Chonky.

Ffs.

My (born) male friend had breast cancer. It was called breast cancer throughout. Not chest cancer. So I have no idea why breast feeding should be deemed not inclusive.

Is this because women who identify as men may give birth to a child, and then want to breastfeed while saying they're a man, but most people tend to think of breasts as womanly? Honestly, this stiff makes my head hurt

@Snowymcsnowsony

So being a proud dm bf your new baby is to be an achievement to be kept quiet? Bonkers..

Oh no, have no fear. Testicle danglers are still allowed to be called 'men'. Its just us 'uterus havers' that are expected to acquiesce, lest we be called transphobes or TERFs.

As far as I am aware, it's not intended to replace current language, but to be used in addition to, where appropriate.

Midwives, like anyone else in a caring role are encouraged to be inclusive. That doesn't automatically mean not using terms like "breastfeeding" or "woman" it means treating people as individuals- asking for pronouns and preferences. So if for example, a transgender man would prefer terms like "breast" are not used, "chest feeding" may be used as an alternative.

Are you for real??

Haven't people heard of trans men? Surely if being female is being 'eroded' by men transitioning to women, being male is also 'eroded' by females transitioning to males. So maybe it all cancels out and we can just get on with things? Some women have moaned forever about not wanting to hear 'breast is best' maybe now we're just told it's milk. I don't see how the experience and inclusivity of any gender, trans or otherwise in birth classes or maternity services makes any difference to my experience. It must be a source of great pain that trans women can't biologically conceive, or even those born without a clear gender - if there's some way they can have families of their own with a partner etc then fair play to them. I'm not going to deny someone else something that I've been able to take for granted.