Friday, 24 August 2012
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A Breastfeeding Daddy
Popular in the news (particularly in Canada) is the story of Trevor MacDonald, a transgendered parent who breastfed his 16 month old son. Through his struggles, the La Leche League was an invaluable resource for support and information as he tread this new territory.
Recently, Trevor wanted to contribute his help by becoming a coach for one of the local support groups. "It is my hope that I could some day reciprocate the compassion, encouragement, and expertise that made such a difference to my personal breastfeeding experience."However, the La Leche League has a female-only leadership policy and he cannot assume such a role within the organization.
Both sides have stayed civil and supportive through this issue. But what do you think?
Would you feel comfortable with a male leader of a breastfeeding support group?
Should the qualification to act as a leader within the La Leche League include gender?
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Comments (14)
I think if I am being honest, I would feel a little bit weird about it.
However, I could also take it as a BIG encouragement if I were having difficulty breastfeeding. Like, if he could push through the problems he had with it, then I'm sure I could, too. The truth is, I bet he could be more help than the average breastfeeding mother, he had more to overcome.
I do wonder, though, about hormone issues relating to transgender treatment passing through breastmilk. However, I took hormonal birth control with the ok from my son's pediatrician. So...I think there are a lot of unknowns.
Support is support. I honestly wouldn't care if the person was male or female. However, I can understand how some women would not want the leader to be male for whatever reason. First, for social, cultural, and medical reasons it is odd for a man to be able to breastfeed. I won't even get into the ways some people feel about transgendered individuals. Some people may not be able to get over that. Second, some women may be survivors of sexual assault and may not be comfortable talking about their breast with a man even if he had breastfed before. Again,if I was struggling with breastfeeding, support is support. However, not everyone will feel the same way.
I wouldn't be comfortable with a male, and I sure as hell wouldn't be comfortable with one that's genetically female (or the other way around).
It's different, but I wouldn't be uncomfortable with it. It seems he just wants to give back, and I commend him for being so compassionate and giving. How fantastic it was for him to be able to breastfeed his child!
It's interesting that they're denying him entrance into the organization since he's now male, when one of the biggest issues for transgendered people is getting others to recognize them as the sex they want to be.. It just kind of shows you that humans will use any excuse they can to deny you a right to something.
I think if he wants to help, that's amazing & they should accept the help. It's a weird situation but sometimes the weirdest people have the best advice.
Well he's obviously still she enough to breast feed, so this could cause some confusion in some areas. I'm surprised he wants to give support, knowing there will be many who will be uncomfortable with the transgender state. I think he's looking for attention, for if he weren't, he'd leave those mothers to themselves. La Leche League was a different ball game when I was breast feeding in the 70's. They don't seem to operate the same way,or, maybe it's just the mothers not operating the same way. It seems like all infants go home with bottles and formula, and then a week later the mother can't figure out why the baby won't latch on. I think I have much to learn again in this area.
@Pollypinks@xanga - Men actually have the ability to bf too if they needed too.
It wouldn't bother me a bit. Support is support, and if it comes from a man, then that's just fine by me.
The comment about men having the ability to BF, let's look at that for a minute. We're talking about something that isn't published in science literature, and so even if they can, there would be months of hormone stimulation prior to the child's birth. I like to know what kind of hormones they'd be taking, and how long? I know women who are about to adopt have to start the process months in advance.
I don't think it would bother me. I've had dr's, therapists, friends of both genders and I've benefitted from all their input. I had some female LLL leaders that I didn't like and who I felt WAY uncomfortable with, so it's really not a gender as much as a style/personality issue for me.
...Wow.
I would be bothered and not okay with it at all.
Yeah, I think I would be bothered by it.
I'm sure he'd be a valuable source of information for any women who wanted to breastfeed after mastectomies. But if he wants to be a man, then I guess he is being treated like one now. Although, I don't get the squeamishness of a man helping out mothers, when biologically he is actually a woman and familiar with the same parts. I mean it is not as if a man born a man is asking to join. It is a man, born a female and still has some female abilities.