Breastfeeding controversy: Aussie mum volunteer speaks out about push for ‘chestfeeding’

Can men breastfeed? One Aussie mother who’s spent more than a decade teaching mums about breastfeeding says no – but her outspoken views have landed her in hot water.

A volunteer breastfeeding counsellor who was sacked for “hate speech” over her “excessive” use of the word mother is waiting to find out if she will also have her membership cancelled from the nation’s peak breastfeeding group over going public with her story.

A total of five volunteer counsellors have now left the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) over the saga, which saw seven women investigated over complaints about their “near obsessive use of the word mother” on social media posts.

The association has partnered with Rainbow Families NSW to use gender neutral language for some clients, including saying “parent” instead of “mother”. Course materials for the counsellors also encourage them to advise transwomen, who were born men, that they can induce lactation.

Mother of three Jasmine Sussex, who has worked for 15 years advising mums on breastfeeding, says her “men can’t breastfeed” despite official course materials suggesting transwomen, born biologically male, can.

“Men can produce small amounts of unknown nipple secretions but it isn’t mothers’ milk.”

Breastfeeding counsellor for 15 years and mother of three Jasmine Sussex. Picture: Supplied

“Men shouldn’t breastfeed. Because breastfeeding is for the baby.”

On Tuesday night Ms Sussex spoke at a hearing of the ABA’s board, justifying why she should stay as a member after being told she had been “engaging in sectarian controversy” and had brought the organisation into disrepute by going public over why she was sacked.

She lost her role as a volunteer breastfeeding adviser after being told she had engaged in “hate speech” and “bullying” for saying only mothers breastfeed.

“I’ve got done for wrong-think,” she said. “It’s authoritarian and wrong, women are a biological reality.

“Some of the training videos we have are coercing counsellors to support biological men to breastfeed. The video says trans women are often eager to breastfeed. It’s dangerous for mothers and babies.”

Several other counsellors were suspended and investigated amid accusations of bullying and harassment over the introduction of gender neutral trans friendly training materials and a booklet titled: Breastfeeding, Chestfeeding and Human Milk Feeding.

Ms Sussex was investigated over several social media posts including one linking to a TV show talking about the issue of transgender breastfeeding.

Volunteer breastfeeding counsellors have been given a guide on inclusive language around breastfeeding called Breastfeeding, Chestfeeding and Human Milk Feeding. Picture: Supplied

The new booklet from the Australian Breastfeeding Association states: “People who have never been pregnant, who no longer have (or have never had) ovaries or are past menopause can often produce some milk to varying levels.”

Her post stated that “Australian Breastfeeding Mums say no to men feeding our babies Time to Mum Up – Mums Everywhere. Only women Breastfeed.”

The association told her this would bring ABA into disrepute. In another post that landed her in hot water she stated: “not hate speech to say only mothers” and a third post to a Facebook breastfeeding support group she stated: “as a volunteer you train to provide mother to mother support as an experienced breastfeeding mother. It is the most rewarding way to help mums be the mums they want to be”.

Training materials volunteers are now given including statements such as “It may be possible for a transgender woman to breastfeed a baby, either following induction of lactation or through the use of a supply line where they’d had donor milk or formula.”

“People who have never been pregnant, who no longer have (or have never had) ovaries or are past menopause can often produce some milk to varying levels.”

Counsellors were also told that previous documents had been “written in mother-to-mother language and may not reflect their personal situation”.

“For example, if the parent is a chestfeeding man.”

The ABA has been approached for comment. It has previously denied that it was erasing sexed language or the words mum or mother, saying it had no plans to use the term chestfeeding generally within the association. Volunteers had been asked not to touch on issues of gender identity on the association’s national social media pages.