La Leche League are consulting to remove the words: Womanly, Art and Breastfeeding from their book, 'The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding'

[WomanlyArtOfBreastfeeding]

A global poll has been sent to La Leche League Leaders and applicants which proposes to remove the words Woman and Breastfeeding (as well as Art) from The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, first published in 1956.

The survey states:
The WAB 9th edition Task Force has been asked by the LLLI Board to make a recommendation regarding whether the title of the book The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding should change or not in the next edition.

Then goes on to ask:
If the title is changed, how would you feel about the word 'womanly' being removed?
Pleased
Neutral
Displeased
Please explain your response to the question above (removing 'womanly').
Your answer

If the title is changed, how would you feel about the word 'art' being removed?
Pleased
Neutral
Displeased
Please explain your response to the question above (removing 'art').
Your answer

If the title is changed, how would you feel about the word 'breastfeeding' being removed?
Pleased
Neutral
Displeased
Please explain your response to the question above (removing 'breastfeeding').
Your answer

Well, I understand that those who are not part of LLL will be confused by this. And it should not be a public discussion. Any LLL Leader or Leader Applicant who shares more information is violating policies of confidentiality and protecting the LLL brand so it is not possible to answer your questions. You could write to LLL if you have questions.

@sharonwalsh

Well, I understand that those who are not part of LLL will be confused by this. And it should not be a public discussion. Any LLL Leader or Leader Applicant who shares more information is violating policies of confidentiality and protecting the LLL brand so it is not possible to answer your questions. You could write to LLL if you have questions.

I am sure you know very well that talking about biological reality will cause leaders to be ostracised or even asked to leave the organization.

“How To Use Your Mammary Glands to Nourish Your Child”.

Sharonwalsh - what makes you think that at least some of the posters aren’t LAs or Leaders? Or used to be. I resigned, because I decided not to fund and support an organisation that was becoming political, and no longer focusing purely on the mother/baby dyad.

It’s a real shame, there are almost certainly women who desperately need support who will no longer get it - there’s no local NHS breastfeeding support here, LLL was it. Whether people needed help to stop without mastitis, or deal with under-supply, or just to chat to other mums and feel heard and reassured... all the things LLL does so well. It was not an easy decision to go.

I imagine the OP is a Leader or Leader Applicant (how else does she have the survey? Maybe a Leader or LA shared it I guess). Any Leaders or LAs commenting here who are confused and seeking clarification are looking in the wrong place. And Leaders risk violating their SOC.

I doubt the Leaders or Applicants commenting here are confused. they know very well what is on the cards. How LLL has stated that biological males can not only breastfeed, but can call to get help or come to meetings. LLL is failing to draw a line and assert the binderies that keep women and children safe. This debate is killing into the public domain because LLL has made gender ideology a priority and decided that those who disagree are bigoted. Whatever happened to not mixing causes?

To be fair, I often got strange whiffs of internalised misogyny[*] coming from some (not all) breastfeeding activists, so can't say am completely surprised by this new development.

[*] as in, the idea of keeping mothers attached to their babies for as long as possible, and therefore at home and financially dependent, is fairly attractive to the patriarchy

Sharonwalsh, I find it a little patronising that your assumption is that I am an confused, and that I haven’t taken it up with LLL. Neither is true. LLL wasn’t able to answer clearly (policies are being revised, apparently, but it is not a transparent or open process). And, as oneplan said, what happened to not mixing causes?

Robot - I see what you mean. But IME, a good LLL group is all about making it possible for women to breastfeed if they want to, and helping them find a group in which it is normal to breastfeed. It does involve either a lot of time attached to the baby for the first year or so, or quite a lot of faff with pumping and bottles. But that’s biology for you...

I don’t see the problem with the title, it’s about teaching women the art of breastfeeding. Is it smug to call breastfeeding an art? Most women don’t find it easy at all it needs a lot of perserverance to do and skill. I’m not sure why it’s considered smug but some women get very sensitive regarding anything to do with breastfeeding, it seems to be the most emotive subject. I think a title called infant feeding would be very bland.

I found the title strange and off-fashioned before I had a baby- maybe a case to update it.
But having breastfed I think breastfeeding is a 'womanly art'. I would be upset if La Leche League decided they couldn't reflect that. Breastfeeding to my mind is one of the most biologically female things you can do.
I found LLL's philosophy all about mothers important- and the biological reality is that to feed our babies breastmilk it is much easier if we are with them at least for the first year/10 months. I never found LLL judgemental of different circumstances- just supportive of helping women meet their goals. (I am a member but not a leader)

I think transmen who want to feed their babies from their mammary glands (whatever they want to call it) could be included perhaps with an extra chapter in the book covering any specific issues they face, but without changing the rest of the book.

If LLL started referring routinely to breastfeeding/chestfeeding I don't think I would renew my membership. (fine in specific circumstances e.g. a chapter for transmen)

I think transmen who want to feed their babies from their mammary glands (whatever they want to call it) could be included perhaps with an extra chapter in the book covering any specific issues they face, but without changing the rest of the book.

this is such an obvious solution- just like you might have a chapter for multiple births or trying to lactate when adopting

Honestly, it's a hugely dated name and in need of an update anyway. It's very smug and as a woman-identifying woman who found 1 year+ of breastfeeding easy once I got off the ground with it, I found it really off-putting.

How To Breastfeed Your Baby and Stay More or Less Sane would do it for me!

Or "Breastfeeding Explained & We Have A Helpline Too"

I think transmen who want to feed their babies from their mammary glands (whatever they want to call it) could be included perhaps with an extra chapter in the book covering any specific issues they face, but without changing the rest of the book.

Absolutely. Because it's definitely a niche that needs and deserves specific support, and rewriting an existing book to not piss off transmen feels hugely clunky, when their needs are really specific anyway, from a physical and emotional standpoint.

Actually, you could probably have an edition FOR transmen and avoid the whole issue. 95% of it would be the same content, just rephrased to ensure that transmen feel supported and heard during a particularly stressful time.

But still ditch "womanly" either way because it's has very dated connotations anyway.

I must admit I think the title is very old fashioned. I had this book 22 years ago and it felt dated then. 100% women breastfeed but as a book title it's sexist. How about simply "breastfeeding your baby". To the point and less fussy

Supporting people to breastfeed/chestfeed and give human milk to their babies is not mixing causes, what a funny idea! Denying support to people because of how they identify is mixing causes and discrimination.

People on this thread who are Leaders/Leader Applicants have access to the full survey and to information via internal LLL channels, and should be able to see there has been no decision to change the title, just a request for opinions on more things that the OP tells us. Those who are not Leaders/Leader Applicants are receiving distorted information and that's a shame. Anyone finding their local LLL is not supporting mothers needs to let their LLL entity know.

Denying support to people because of how they identify is mixing causes and discrimination.

I see this

@Helleofabore

Denying support to people because of how they identify is mixing causes and discrimination.

I see this

Oops

I see the language changes to make the terms used gender neutral as being discriminatory though.

Changing terms rather than using additive language is causing confusion and making communication unclear for others.

@JaniceBattersby

The Of.

Catchy.

So it's great that LLLI's policy is to use additive language rather than gender-neutral language.

It's breastfeeding. It needs breasts. Those who have had their breasts removed cannot feed the baby from their chest.

'The Art of Breastfeeding' would be a better title (I disliked the 'womanly' bit of it anyway; felt more like a milch-cow, frankly).

It's bonkers to say that using normal language is "denying support to people because of how they identify". It's up to them if they want to turn down support. Nobody is going to turn away a breastfeeding mother because she likes to see herself as a man.

Breast just aren't the same as chests. A breast infection is not the same as a chest infection. Honestly, Sharon, it would be better to reassure transmen that breasts are normal features in both men and women.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10276161/Breastfeeding-guide-axe-word-womanly-title-attempt-appease-transgender-groups.html