Communication on new building - room available for 'chest feeding'

[Sizzlysausage]

I got an email today about our new building (I work at a university). This explained space had been put aside in the new building for 'breast and chest feeding.' I find this so ridiculous I just need somewhere to vent (don't dare do so to any of my colleagues)!

Which university is this? I think you’ll find that most of your colleagues will be in agreement - nobody really believes that “chest feeding” is the appropriate terminology.

Sigh!

We're in London. I just don't know. I find it insulting and a bit exclusionary but really have no idea how others feel. We do have quite a few pronoun users.

Chest feeding. How bloody ridiculous. Just another delusion that we’re all expected to accept. Absolutely not about the baby and all about the whims and needs of the chest feeding individual.

I read somebody on here say that she always tries to “out-woke” this kind of thing, and usually you can end up making an argument that actually a saner/more normal use of language is the least offensive option.

So in this case I’d reply politely asking to clarify: is this room only available for people who are feeding their children by lactation? Say that you’re concerned that this excludes people who for any reason, whether medical or personal choice, are feeding their babies using formula from bottles. Say you’re concerned this could be seen as judgmental or imposing expectations of lactation on parents. Maybe the room could be named “Baby feeding room” instead so we don’t exclude anybody?

you get the idea. Basically never directly attack the term “chest feeding”, talk instead about some other poor oppressed minority that’s at risk of being excluded.

Genius!

(And naming it a baby feeding room makes clear to women that there could be men in there as obv they can feed babies from bottles, personally when breastfeeding i preferred female only spaces - and back then could get them! - but at least people will know what to expect)

I'd actually raise this as an issue. The only acceptable terms are "baby feeding room" "infant feeding room" or a picture of a baby with no words. Infant feeding is for the child's benefit, not the gratification of random adults, they shouldn't be allowed to hijack it.

Will there be babies at work to be fed? Or is it actually an expressing room? In which case that opens up a whole other option for naming, although I quite like Milking Parlour.

Following on from the "infant feeding room", could you suggest that breastfeeding women need their own room, as a single-sex space, for private when feeding their baby, as opposed to being in with bottle-feeding fathers?

Or just go full Terf and complain that this is illegal sex discrimination and a breach of the Equality Act 2010?

I'd imagine some religious women would need a single sex space else they won't be able to work while lactating (whether feeding directly or expressing).

While I think that chest feeding is a silly term in this case are they thinking about trans identifying females who identify as non binary or even as men rather than trans identifying men? The former is much more likely and we must support women and their babies however they identify.

If you are responding it's probably also important to flag that women are free to feed their babies wherever and however they wish so although a feeding room is provided as an option they can also breast feed anywhere appropriate on campus. By appropriate I mean anywhere they can be legally and sensibly (so not the toilet and maybe not in a work area where you wouldn't be expecting someone to be sitting down)

I understand the rationale of “out-woking” and in some situations it could be quite funny but this is actually serious and makes many women’s blood BOIL.

This is about babies needing to be fed in a quiet, clean space whether by breast or bottle and about the parent feeding the baby - although wondering how many male academics take their baby in to work?? - feeling comfortable and unhurried.

A baby’s need to be fed shouldn’t be hijacked by genderist ideology and its meaningless phrases. You may as well say “toe-feed” or “knee-feed” given the absolute nonsense that is “chest-feed”.

Please call it out, using plain language and common sense. Everyone, absolutely everyone around you will agree, and be relieved that someone has spoken out. It’s actually very refreshing to speak out - keeps the blood pressure from rising too high - and perhaps you’ll make new friends in doing so.

Not sure "chest feeding" is protected. This was just added to the Equality Hub page:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-equality-act-2010-amendment-regulations-2023

Any employer needs to comply with the law

And of course @LostMySocks makes a very valid point that women should be able to feed their babies anywhere on campus they choose but sometimes it’s helpful especially in the early days to have a quiet spot.

@LostMySocks you lose me with your first paragraph though! Trans identifying yadder yadder - just plain old women/ parents works.

I imagine they envisaged chest feeding was the inclusive way of referring to females identifying as TM who would find reference to their breasts triggering or offensive (though why that doesn't extend to using them to feed their children is a mystery to me..). I doubt they were thinking of TW attempting to feed fetishise babies - though of course it does now reflect that.

How many staff or students bring their babies to campus though? Is there really a need for the room? I can understand a need to provide expressing facilities - is that what this includes, in which case the sign appears to exclude that.

So many people are desperate to be outraged. It says “breast and chest feeding.” So, a breast feeding room. To be inclusive to trans men, it also refers to chest feeding. It has nothing to do with trans women.

If it’s a room for anyone to feed their infant, then they have no need to refer to lactation at all.

The thing is though, if transmen are feeding their babies, then they must have breasts. And while it may be triggering to refer to breasts surely that would be nothing in comparison to the fact that by definition, they must have breasts in order to be feeding their baby.

Oooh look fellow females, a MAN is here to explain something he doesn't know anything about. He has clearly done zero research on the topic but he has a penis so I think we should listen to him! Our ladybrains will thank us later.
Never mind all those articles on transwomen taking domperidone to stimulate lactation. Can't be true because a man said it isn't!

Shut up, women! What do you know about feeding babies anyway? Don’t you know that it’s perfectly possible to use your CHEST? Get with the programme!

You can take that up with all the men who desperately try to squeeze some liquid out of their nipples in order to pretend they're breastfeeding their babies.

I used to think it was worth it to “out-woke” these idiots but I don’t think it is anymore. Firstly, they’re too stupid and woke to get the irony, and second, it’s vital that a strong objection is made, to say a big loud No otherwise they can ( and have in the past) just turn around and claim no one minded.

There is no such thing as chest feeding. Just No.

Wouldn't it be more sensible if everyone remembered that males have breasts too? You could get breast cancer. A transman can. 'Chestfeeding' is simply anatomically nonsensical. Chests don't produce milk.

You can take that up with all the men who desperately try to squeeze some liquid out of their nipples in order to pretend they're breastfeeding their babies.

They're going to be perfectly happy with the term 'breastfeeding' though. 'Chestfeeding' really is for the (dubious) benefit of trans mothers.