Gay feeding

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They focus on the effects of gender transition on pregnancy and breast/chestfeeding, as well as special considerations for inducing lactation and supporting co-lactation.

This protocol is a great introduction to issues of lactation in relation to LGBTQ+ health, by providing accurate definitions, and special considerations that we should all be addressing when caring for individuals in these populations.

gay feeding

Individuals who engage in co-lactation to feed their child all need to maintain lactation with either frequent nursing or hand expression/pumping. They are often on estrogen and progesterone. After several months, when expression begins, the estrogen and progesterone hormonal supplementation would be brought back down, possibly lowering the estrogen to less than the baseline dose.

Co-lactation is defined as more than one parent breast/chestfeeding their child.

Which statements do you believe are true regarding the LGBTQ+ population and lactation? Transgender men face having to make a decision on when or whether they will have top surgery, since removing the mammary tissue will significantly impact lactation.

The estrogen and progesterone can be increased during the initial process of inducing lactation.

The first section of the protocol reviews the definitions of several terms used in regard to LGBTQ+ health, addressing both sexuality and gender.

The authors of this protocol share some general considerations on supporting, caring for, and counseling LGBTQ+ individuals in the healthcare setting.

LGBTQIA+

Nondiscrimination Policy

It is the policy of Happy Milk Lactation Support to not allow discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, HIV status, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Resources

Note: Resources and information are always changing and being updated, and I am not responsible for the following content.

Their milk is certainly of high quality in all other ways. People who induce lactation do not experience a colostral stage to their milk. Please do let me know if something should be added or deleted.

Transgender women can lactate.

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Assuming people are familiar with most of these terms, ‘queer’ is a word often used to generally describe individuals whose sexuality or gender identity do not fit within societal norms.

‘Plus’ is meant to acknowledge the variety of ways that individuals describe their sexuality and/or gender identity, which may not be captured among the term LGBTQ. Thank you!

  • Jan 2025: Resource suggested by student Olivia in her Gender Identity Class: A Nurse’s Comprehensive Guide to Gender-Affirming Care, written by Raychel Ria Agramon-Gacayan, BSN, RN, MPM, http://www.npprograms.org/nurses-comprehensive-guide-gender-affirming-care/

  • Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine: ABM Clinical Protocol #33: Lactation Care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Plus Patients

  • United States Breastfeeding Committee Resources

  • The Basics of Inducing Lactation — Breastfeeding Without Birthing (Alyssa Schnell, IBCLC)

  • Milk Junkies — Breastfeeding and parenting from a transgender perspective (Trevor MacDonald)

  • La Leche League International

  • Transmasculine individuals’ experiences with lactation, chestfeeding, and gender identity: a qualitative study, authors Trevor MacDonald, Joy Noel-Weiss, Diana West, Michelle Walks, MaryLynne Biener, Alanna Kibbe & Elizabeth Myler, 2016

  • Rates of breastfeeding or chestfeeding and influencing factors among transgender and gender-diverse parents: a cross sectional study, authors Haibing Yang, Xiaona Na, Yanwen Zhang, Menglu Xi, Yucheng Yang, Runsen Chen, and Ai Zhaoa, 2023

  • Transwomen and Breastfeeding: A Personal Interview

  • Tips for Transgender Breastfeedings and their Lactation Educators, prepared by Trevor MacDonald

  • Using an At-Chest Supplementer

  • Human Milk Banking Association of North America

  • Community Donor Milk: Eats on Feets and Human Milk for Human Babies

  • Jaye’s Musings About Breastfeeding and Life: When Two Communities Collide

  • LGTBQ Parenting — American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

  • Strong Families Network

  • Breastfeeding Without Giving Birth (from La Leche League International’s Blog)

  • Family Equality Council

  • Professional Organizations on LGBT Parenting — Human Rights Council

  • GLAAD Transgender FAQ

  • GLAAD Tips for Allies of Transgender People

  • Transgender 101: Identity, Inclusion, and Resources (Unitarian Universalist Association)

  • Information about Gender Variability

  • A Guide to Gender

  • Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Transgender People But Were Afraid To Ask

  • Straight for Equality

  • The UCSF Gender Affirming Health Program

  • World Professional Association for Transgender Health: Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People

  • Endocrine Society

Lactation and LGBTQ+ Individuals

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Clinical Protocol #33 addresses lactation care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, plus individuals (LGBTQ+).