Hospital Infant Feeding Network - LGBTQI advice

[GCGayDad]

So I've just seen that the UK-bases HIFN - an organisation that promotes breastfeeding in hospitals - has devoted a week to tweeting advice to healthcate workers about encouraging "chestfeeding" even if it involves artificially induced lactation by transwomen parents.

twitter.com/HIFN12/status/1275353652266295296?s=19
"When supporting LGBTQ families, don't make assumptions about which parent is breastfeeding/chestfeeding (or that only one parent is doing so). Transgender & non-birthing lesbian parents may induce full or partial lactation with medications & pumping, and/or use a supplementer"

As the universally negative responses to these tweets point out, how are such practices helping the baby? It's just revolting.

And this organisation claims to be acting in support of LGBT people. I for one want nothing to do with this $h1t.

Similarly the US branch of the La Leche breastfeeding charity has amended its mission statement to totally erase women and mothers:
"La Leche League USA helps parents, families, and communities to breastfeed, chestfeed, and human milk feed their babies through parent-to-parent support."

lllusa.org/about-us/

I get a massive rush from my letdown when breastfeeding and I can imagine how your body/mind can interpret that as sexual feeling - more so with a first baby.

For women who breastfeed your essentially re-educating the purpose of your breasts when Nearly every comment or interaction and media portrayal before that will have been sexualised. Most definitely in cultures like the UK of where breastfeeding past 6 months is practically extinct so you don’t have children who view or remember it.

However I can’t understand how a trans women would get that hormone rush so yes in that sense it’s a dubious statement.

I didn’t breast feed for long as I found it too painful, but I do remember getting sexual type feelings

But I recognised it as a flood of hormones which caused it, not the fact I was actually turned on.

I’m sat here breastfeeding my 20 month old trying not to cry it’s driving me so crazy (I’m ovulating, I always have aversion for 3 days around ovulation). The thought of it being sexual makes me feel sick.

I’d actually really like to look into the composition of the milk produced by men if lactation is induced vs women. No idea how I’d phrase that funding application so as not to piss off the LGBT lobby though...

@ToesAndFingersCrossed I was going to say that its stronger for me around ovulation - it helps when my 16 month old whacks me in the face with her leg or pulls my hair.

I won't be referring to breastfeeding as "chest feeding"

My breasts became entirely non-sexual for me while I was breastfeeding - I didn't want them touched at all during sex. I've heard more than one woman say similar on here, so I presume that's at least as likely as the opposite.

I think, at least I hope, that they are talking about situations where the "non-birthing" partner is also female, and the medication that would be used to cause her to produce milk.

@BlackForestCake

I think, at least I hope, that they are talking about situations where the "non-birthing" partner is also female, and the medication that would be used to cause her to produce milk.

Would that medication be transferred to the baby? Yes, is that a great idea for the baby? No.

But when did men stop having breasts (of greater or lesser size) and nipples? Yet again, I don't understand neurotic reactions to perfectly ordinary language.

For women who breastfeed your essentially re-educating the purpose of your breasts when Nearly every comment or interaction and media portrayal before that will have been sexualised. Most definitely in cultures like the UK of where breastfeeding past 6 months is practically extinct so you don’t have children who view or remember it.

Really agree with this. I experienced a very intense hormone rush when breastfeeding which made me feel totally in love with my baby and that I'd do ANYTHING to protect them, I'd say the overriding feeling was of a very strong protective love. (to the extent that I'd agonise over taking a paracetamol before I breastfed so concerned was I about my baby's wellbeing).

Ever since I breastfed my children, I've stopped viewing breasts as in any way sexual.

It would be interesting to know what the majority view was among women who have breastfed.

When post natal wards are so understaffed that women press the buzzer in the night and no one comes to help them feed their baby, (you know, with their uniquely adapted colostrum for their own baby) and new mothers are often discharged from hospital rapidly and not confident in their milk supply or latch, I just can’t see how faffing about trying to produce artificial lactation in another person is the best use of time or resources, when there’s no clear benefit for the baby at all.

My thoughts exactly. Once again natal women are sidelined in favour of what is woke.

This is a perfect example of what happens when it's assumed that trans people's needs must be put first at all times. Do we even know what's in the fluid produced as a result of this process, and what the impact is on the infant? Do we know if any other meds the person is taking may be transmitted to the infant via the lactation process? Given how many things breastfeeding women are generally told to avoid I really can't see how being on a cocktail of transition related medications is compatible with safe breastfeeding.

Is there where we pretend they're not doing it out of sexual fetish? Either way, it endangers the health of the baby. It's unethical.