Breastfeeding

Um, where did you get that information from? It's a scientific fact any man that spends his life with a pregnant woman becomes more in tune with her hormonally. His prolaction and oxytocin levels go up, and this is natural and healthy, to increase the bonding experience with his baby once it's born.

Those diseases you warn against with regards to male lactation seem spurious to me, as breastfeeding is temporary. And I've never read anything about women's testosterone going down when lactating, just that her prolaction levels go up. A man's estrogen wouldn't go up during lactation, as estrogen controls ovulation, not lactation.

A man's IQ wouldnt go down just because he lactated!

Women and men are built differently - while lactation may not cause a drop in T for a woman, it requires increased estrogen in men and E is antagonistic to T in men. Even if a man were to stop lactating after a short while, the damage to his hormones would take longer to repair. A Man's T drops low enough already post pregnancy without lactation thrown in.

This is from a friend of mine who studied endocrinology extensively. It's plenty healthy for men to bond with their children, just not to have the Estrogen levels required for lactation.
 
Well, I don't know about that, or the actual risks associated with that, and it's all a bit moot anyway. If a man had a baby in a 3rd world country, and no female to feed it, and no income for formula, or clean water to mix it, the benefits of his milk for his baby would outweigh any possible risks to his health because of the horrors of estrogen, I am sure.
 
Well, I don't know about that, or the actual risks associated with that, and it's all a bit moot anyway. If a man had a baby in a 3rd world country, and no female to feed it, and no income for formula, or clean water to mix it, the benefits of his milk for his baby would outweigh any possible risks to his health because of the horrors of estrogen, I am sure.

I think that's precisely the situation where male lactation would be important and indeed necessary. My point was merely that it's not simply an issue of pride - it's actually not healthy for men.

And I don't mean to paint Estrogen as being the evil of the world, but increased Estrogen levels in men do pose significant health risks, along with the obvious lack of er, functionality. In fact, it has been theorized that xenoestrogens are responsible in a large part for many of the health problems that have seen a significant increase in the male population over the past 50 years, and there is fascinating data on the subject as well. Anyhow, sorry for the off-topic tidbits.
 
Originally Posted by MrFarFromRight
Many people would feel freaked out at the idea, but it is possible for a woman who has never been pregnant to induce lactation.
I always thought this is pretty much common knowledge. I wouldn't think anyone would freak out about it.
Common knowledge? See BlackUnicorn's reply. "Freaked out" is perhaps too strong a term. I certainly think that some people would find the idea of one woman breastfeeding another woman's child to be... unnatural, even distasteful. (There are some [especially among the men and children] who find the whole "female processes" - especially menstruation - to be rather shameful, or at least embarrassing.)
 
Originally Posted by MrFarFromRight
[...] it is possible for a woman who has never been pregnant to induce lactation. AH, if it were only possible for a man!:(:(:(
Actualy it is totally possible for men to lactate.
I don't mean to paint Estrogen as being the evil of the world, but increased Estrogen levels in men do pose significant health risks, along with the obvious lack of er, functionality. In fact, it has been theorized that xenoestrogens are responsible in a large part for many of the health problems that have seen a significant increase in the male population over the past 50 years, and there is fascinating data on the subject as well. Anyhow, sorry for the off-topic tidbits.
More information on both of these facets, please!

I got interested in the subject of men breastfeeding over 30 years ago while reading my favourite novel, "Woman On The Edge Of Time" by Marge Piercy. In this utopia, social and cultural imbalances between the sexes have been - as far as possible - removed. The word "father" does not exist. Each child has 3 mothers - who can be of either sex - and usually 2 of these (again: independent of sex) decide to share the responsibilities and joys of breastfeeding. I was enchanted by the idea, but a medical-student friend of mine warned me of the health risks, without being specific.

I'm old enough not to worry about dying young, I have virtually NO male pride, and I would gladly trade some "er, functionality" for the deep bond that breastfeeding would bring. But just how high ARE the risks? And how would a man provoke enough lactation in himself to be useful?
 
I certainly think that some people would find the idea of one woman breastfeeding another woman's child to be... unnatural, even distasteful. (There are some [especially among the men and children] who find the whole "female processes" - especially menstruation - to be rather shameful, or at least embarrassing.)

Then I guess those people never heard of wet nurses. I feel like I've known about it, like... forever.
 
I certainly think that some people would find the idea of one woman breastfeeding another woman's child to be... unnatural, even distasteful. (There are some [especially among the men and children] who find the whole "female processes" - especially menstruation - to be rather shameful, or at least embarrassing.)

That was invented my the patriarchal misogynistic judeo-christian establishment in order to "keep women in their place".

If you read anything about Paganism, Celtic culture, and other non-"western" histories, you will find plenty of examples of where the "female processes" are celebrated as a source of power and strength because [DUH] they represent fertility and the continuation of the species [/DUH].

On the flip-side of the argument, there are also folks who think that breast-feeding one's OWN child is "unnatural, even distasteful".

So, poo-poo on your argument from both sides of the fence, yo.
 
More information on both of these facets, please!

I got interested in the subject of men breastfeeding over 30 years ago while reading my favourite novel, "Woman On The Edge Of Time" by Marge Piercy. In this utopia, social and cultural imbalances between the sexes have been - as far as possible - removed. The word "father" does not exist. Each child has 3 mothers - who can be of either sex - and usually 2 of these (again: independent of sex) decide to share the responsibilities and joys of breastfeeding. I was enchanted by the idea, but a medical-student friend of mine warned me of the health risks, without being specific.

I'm old enough not to worry about dying young, I have virtually NO male pride, and I would gladly trade some "er, functionality" for the deep bond that breastfeeding would bring. But just how high ARE the risks? And how would a man provoke enough lactation in himself to be useful?

MrFFR, congrats on a post with no smilies, no brackets, no bolding, no underlining, no italics, no large fonts, and no colors! Refreshing!
 
Then I guess those people never heard of wet nurses. I feel like I've known about it, like... forever.

I know! It seems to me it used to be the norm for rich women NOT to breastfeed their own kids, and have someone else do it.
 
That was invented my the patriarchal misogynistic judeo-christian establishment in order to "keep women in their place".

If you read anything about Paganism, Celtic culture, and other non-"western" histories, you will find plenty of examples of where the "female processes" are celebrated as a source of power and strength because [DUH] they represent fertility and the continuation of the species [/DUH].

On the flip-side of the argument, there are also folks who think that breast-feeding one's OWN child is "unnatural, even distasteful".

So, poo-poo on your argument from both sides of the fence, yo.
It's not MY argument. I wouldn't have started this whole line of thought (on another thread, moved twice to end up here) if I weren't a big fan of breastfeeding and - incidentally - "female processes" in general. I actually felt a LOT more comfortable (meaning: less squeamish, less embarrassed, not "physically comfortable", so PLEASE don't anybody jump on me with: "Of course you felt more comfortable!") with menstruation than one of my girlfriends, who used to wrap each used sanitary towel in about a metre of toilet paper before burying it at the bottom of the rubbish bin.

I agree with everything else you say: it's the fucked-up patriarchal, consumerist, male-is-better-than-female society that is the norm in the First World that has distanced us from a healthy respect for The Female.
 
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Look at this blissful face!

800px-Pig_lactation.jpg
 
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