A new scientific case report from Breastfeeding Medicine has revealed that a 50-year-old trans-identified male had induced lactation to breastfeed his grandchild, an outcome that led to “gender affirmation.”
The case report, titled “Novel Lactation Induction Protocol for a Transgender Woman Wishing to Breastfeed,” was published on Wednesday and is the fifth such study into lactation in biological males who “identify” as women.
Focusing on a 50-year-old man who “expressed the unique desire to breastfeed [his] expected grandchild,” the report noted that the man told his endocrinologist that “this was a last-minute idea that came to [him] very close to [his] daughter’s due date.” His primary motivation, according to the report, was to “experience the bond from breastfeeding that [he] had not been able to experience with [his] own five children.”
Along with increasing doses of cross-sex hormones, in order to stimulate the production of breast milk, the grandfather began “manual pumping and nipple stimulation three to four times per day in five-minute increments,” which produced “clumps” of “milk.”
Disturbingly, the journal confirmed that the grandfather had “lactated for a total of two weeks and nursed the four-month-old infant on multiple occasions,” and that in addition, [he] noticed breast maturation,” as a result, despite only producing 38ml of excretion in total. By contrast, a nursing mother will typically produce 500-900ml of breastmilk per day. According to the Quebec Health Institute, 4 month olds typically require 850-1000ml of milk per day.
“[He] states that [he] stopped pursuing [his] personal goal to breastfeed due to logistical issues, such as the need to take care of [his] grandchild while [his] daughter was pumping,” the report continued. Apparently, the trans-identified man “tearfully” reported that breastfeeding his grandchild was a “significant and emotional experience,” adding that he now has a “special bond” with the baby.
“[He] regrets that she had not known about the possibility sooner and wished that other transgender women could know that breastfeeding a baby can be a reality,” the paper said.
Four major “benefits” were outlined in the study. The first two were expected; the production of “breast milk” and being able to “breastfeed” the grandchild. The latter two were not predicted before the study commenced, which were the “maturation” of the male’s breasts, and the resulting “female gender affirmation” that came from the breastfeeding and enlarged breasts.
“This is in line with existing literature identifying unique considerations for lactation in this patient population, including stigma reduction, social support, and gender dysphoria/affirmation counselling,” the paper argued, concluding that “efforts should be made… to understand the priorities, needs, and questions of transgender individuals who wish to either lactate, breastfeed, or both.”
As previously reported by The Publica in February, another aging trans-identified male named Margaret (Margie) Fancypants, formerly known as Murray Pearson, similarly induced lactation to “breastfeed” his infant daughter. Pearson is 52-year-old and is HIV+.
In a post to Reddit titled milk, baby, milk!” Pearson shared a series of photos expressing his excitement about being able to breastfeed his infant. The post included him declaring that you can get drunk while “pregnant” as a trans-woman, and that he “cannot wait to connect through feeding.”
He explained that being able to breastfeed his child is something he has wished for for decades and that his breasts are getting bigger: “I have gone from having lean pectoral muscle in March to full B-cups now and growing fast.”
Despite many expressing concern for the child’s health and safety, Pearson also added that he will potentially be involved in a study about breastfeeding while being HIV positive. The research is reportedly being documented by Dr. Marina Klein, an infectious disease researcher with McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
