Mothers group in turmoil over ‘chestfeeding’ pressure

People who ‘chestfeed’ are the target of a new transgender-inclusive guide from the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

The term ‘breastfeeding’ is said to trigger the bodily discomfort of biological females who identify as men.

People who “chestfeed” are the target of a new transgender-inclusive guide from the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

The booklet, fruit of a two-year $20,000 project with the LGBTQ+ group Rainbow Families, also ­details how biological males who identify as female can chemically induce “human milk feeding”.

Conflict within the ABA has sharpened as a group of activists among the 1100-plus breastfeeding counsellors has met resistance from women who insist the organisation must not be diverted from its mother-centred mission.

One counsellor critical of the new booklet, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing the threat of complaints and disciplinary hearings, said the majority of the organisation’s members “have no idea that this is going on”.

“(They) identify very strongly as mothers, and value and love the single-sex space — the mother-to-mother space that the association has always provided,” she said.

The Queer Theory-influenced publication “undermines breastfeeding and mothers, and science and female biology, and mother-to-mother support, she said.

“It opens the door to biological males to participate in ‘human milk feeding’ with babies, and ­babies deserve better than that.”

Biological males who identify as trans women may be taking cross-sex hormones, treatment to suppress their natural testosterone, as well as the chemicals to ­induce lactation, and the health ­effects of this are unclear.

La Leche League USA shares a post celebrating diversity in feeding.

The association’s senior manager for breastfeeding information and research, Naomi Hull, said the booklet — titled Breastfeeding, Chestfeeding And Human Milk Feeding — used language tailored to the LGBTQ+ community.

The term “breastfeeding” is said to trigger the bodily discomfort of biological females who identify as men.

The prize-winning TransHub website, run by ACON, says: “Being pregnant is also not a thing that women can do, it’s a thing that people can do. Being pregnant or the ability to become pregnant doesn’t define your gender in any way, only you get to do that.”

Ms Hull said the booklet drew on “available evidence whilst encouraging parents to seek advice from their healthcare provider”.

Information aimed at a nationwide audience “continues to use the language we have always used (with) pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers”, she said.

Rainbow Families and ACON did not respond to requests for comment on Friday.

There is disagreement within the association whether the booklet will “ring-fence” or serve as a bridgehead for the activist language that has made deep inroads into the global breastfeeding body La Leche League International, which operates in more than 70 countries.

Video: British politician George Galloway on “chestfeeding”

Several hospitals in Britain earlier this year formally implemented a gender-inclusive language policy in maternity service departments, which are now known as “peri-natal services”.

Staff at those hospitals were told to use “birthing parent”, “chestfeeding” and ­“father or second biological parent”.

Another counsellor, speaking anonymously, said there was pressure coming from North America. She said the “human milk feeding” term popularised by La Leche was part of a trend dehumanising women and disembodying breastfeeding.

Institutions across society are wrestling with dilemmas created by activist campaigns under the banner of diversity and inclusivity.

The anonymous ABA volunteer said a trans-inclusive focus was putting at risk the values of the organisation and the needs of tens of ­thousands of women, especially those with poor literacy or ­migrants who would be confused by arcane terminology.

“(If the association is captured) the real world effect will be that the (infant) formula industry will win because normal Australian mothers will look at the ABA and say, you’re not there for me, I don’t speak your language,” the volunteer said.