Stories of transwomen and their personal experiences of #inducinglactation!

[pombear]

I know this board has covered this before.

But GetBoober, a US-based organisation, whose apparent main objective is supporting mums who are needing support in getting breastfeeding established have recently tweeted this:

twitter.com/getboober/status/1118122981102899201

We loved reading Katelyn Burns article sharing anecdotal stories from three #transwomen and their personal experiences with #inducinglactation!
Katelyn does note that a lot of ways for trans women to induce lactation are still very experimental.

The article from Katelyn highlights three anecodtal stories of males keen to breastfeed their children.

Kaia, 30:
My wife and I have a really nice basis for comparison, because we went from two boobs to four boobs when I transitioned.

Including Brettany who is 56:
My body will never allow me to conceive and bear a child, and I've always wanted to at least be able to nurse one. That was the main motivation for this. The secondary motivation was that I wanted to bring my breasts to full maturity.

And Dr Laura, who is 68:

When I was in my late 50s, I decided that I was going to try this to see if I could do it. I underwent a drug regimen and used a breast pump fairly regularly. And gosh, within about a month, I guess, I was producing milk!

After I got to the point where I understood that I could lactate, I didn’t pursue it further — I didn’t have any need to maintain lactation. It’s a supply and demand sort of thing, so I stopped the medication and the pumping and of course I dried up. It was just super, super neat.

I think it strongly reinforced my sense of womanhood. I had some great inner satisfaction in knowing that I could do what a cisgender woman could. It was very important to me, and I’m proud and happy that I did that.

My only thought on this is - where are the children, the babies, centrered in this narcisstic objective? I'm trying to find a similar analogy to this - transwomen trying a touch of endometriosis, or a touch of ovarian cancer? A bit of mastisis? A sense of womanhood through PND? (Though I'm sure somone will find someone claiming it under the trans-umbrella)

Actually, I had another thought. GetBoober what the fuck are you doing?

Hold onto your breakfasts, but I heard it described as being more like pus type substance than breast milk.

So it has the texture of pus, has little or no nutritional value, islaced with drugs and hormones, and probably tastes like shit.

Child abuse.

Hold onto your breakfasts, but I heard it described as being more like pus type substance than breast milk. As a veteran of hospital pumps, the descriptions in the article do not sound like lactation to me. I am sure if you stimulate any glandular tissue enough you will get something out, but not necessarily very functional.

Sounds like what erupted from a humongous lump I had for years before it exploded like Cracatoa.

I've had to start breastfeeding twice, after c sections, by expressing and then gradually switching over to direct breastfeeding. I find it wholly unconvincing that male bodied people could induce lactation and sustain a baby.

It's an obsession or a fetish and it definitely doesn't centre babies. No medical professional should be experimenting like this with babies or supporting anyone who tries.

Now I’ve made myself feel queezy.

Mums tend to put their babies first. They would wrestle a tiger to keep their baby safe. Some forgo chemo to protect to their baby.

But this - this is putting a man’s own selfish desires first. Why not just suckle a doll or consenting adult?

It looks like Get Boober have deleted that tweet, I clicked on the link and it didn't work. Thank god!

I remember having a panic when I slipped a disc and used topical pain relieve (haha no it doesn’t) on my back. When it clicked that I was breastfeeding I got really worried in case it got into the breast milk.

That’s what being a mum is.

I’ve sat reading this whilst breastfeeding and honestly feel sick. Who in their right mind thinks this is ok?

I’m doing this for the benefit of my babies, I know they’re fed, happy and healthy and aside from the numerous extra cuddles, it is no benefit to me. I can’t even get up to pee when I want because I’m usually trapped under two hungry babies. I’ve had no bloody support to make sure I’m producing enough milk, again when I’ve got a blocked duct or blister, don’t even get me started on teething babies! I’m in fucking agony, and some genius thinks it’s ok to encourage those with xy chromosomes to have a crack at it??? 🤦🏽‍♀️

I nursed all three of mine. And while I was glad to be able to do so and I did enjoy the bonding aspects, I also experienced excruciating, toe curling pain, blocked ducts, mastitis with serious fever, cracked, bleeding nipples, countless agonising bites, leaking all over the place - in public, in my exam and in more intimate situations (which were a tiny bit funny but mostly awkward buzz kills).

My boobs also turned from erogenous zones to infant food supply and after a total of three and a half years of being clamped down on by three babies' astonishingly powerful jaws they never went back. I also grew from a C-cup to a G-cup and don't find that remotely useful (although it helps hide my post-baby belly in that my boobs stick out further than my belly which makes clothes more flattering - if I can find tops that don't make me look like Barbara Windsor in Carry On Camping).

Exclusively breastfeeding also meant that I spent entire weeks nursing 21 to 24 times in any given 24-hour-period (I kept detailed logs with my younger two DC), I never got a rest, a night's respite, it ruined my sleeping patterns for life. I dragged myself through my kids' infant years like a zombie.

I got cursed and shouted at for the obscene act of nursing my babies in public, told to feed them in stinking toilets where such things belonged. Had a dentist tell me that nursing after my oldest DC's teeth came in gave him cavities and made to feel like I was an irresponsible, neglectful mother for not weaning him sooner.

I was all touched out for years after nursing all day, when DH returned from work instead of a friendly chat, he got a baby thrust at him so I could sit in a room by myself for half an hour.

(Of course I know the latter applies even when you're bottle feeding, but you are so much more tied down when you nurse.)

When those men who fetishise nursing share stories like that, I might reconsider what I think of the veracity of their lactation stories.

Until then I call bullshit.

So it has the texture of pus, has little or no nutritional value, islaced with drugs and hormones, and probably tastes like shit.

Sounds like Angel Delight.

I find this vile tbh. Milk produced by a bloke with the help of loads of random hormones and stuff cannot possibly be healthy for the baby. A womans body specifically adapts the milk to what the baby needs too..where I am 100% sure a mans body will not do this, considering they are not meant to produce milk to start with, and generally when they do, it means theres a medical issue!

But I guess, its not about whats good for the baby is it. Its about validation.

I used domperidone when I was sturggling to BF DD..because of inaccurate advice. It did boost supply a lot but it was just too late by the stage I had it, as had to be referred to 'lactation consultant' to even get it, which took 4 months in total. Never managed to get anymore than about 7oz per day, even with a load of domperidone. But it did make a noticeable difference,

I wonder if they get engorged breasts and mastitis?

Terrifying

Reading those comments from the trans people, a couple of things are also notable. The trans people get to talk about their boobs/breasts, while women are being told to use the term ‘chest feeding’ in case they offend men that become trans. One gets called a parent, but that person’s wife doesn’t even given her true title ‘mother’.

But of course, they’re the most oppressed people in the world. I wonder the innocent babies go on to suffer health problems due to drinking this revolting mixture of liquid and drugs, do they automatically become mini terfs?

*even get given

Lots of women don't breastfeed for lots of different reasons, but you would never ever hear of a woman in her 50s who hadn't breastfed deciding to take drugs to induce milk production "just to prove she can". Even though women have the actual equipment and might very well produce real milk.

Men's fetishes are something else. Maybe GetBoober wised up to what they were promoting.

I seem to be blocked by GetBoober . Not interacted with them - my have liked a tweet or two.

Same old story.

If a women were taking chemicals for something she wanted to do but without regard for the baby she was breastfeeding, you can imagine the condemnation...but men must always be prioritised.

Why would someone want to 'bring my breasts to full maturity' at the age of 56? Mine were well past their best by about 42!

As for the 68 year old - if I was knocking on 70 and started producing 'milk', I'd be off to the doctors quick.

GetBoober appears to have locked their account, so that their tweets can only be seen by confirmed followers. I wonder why....?