[Oklahoma Mama]

I read somewhere one time that men can breastfeed. Is this true? If so, can you point me to a study or some website that would "prove" this. My dh keeps saying that there is no way men can breastfeed.

 

[sadean]

I have heard of individual extreme cases where men have lactated, usually in response to the loss of the mother. I think there may have even been a thread about it some time back. I don't know of any "scientific studies" tracking the occurances, only anecdotal accounts. I bet if you did a web search on google using "male lactation" as your search term, you would find some stuff.

I'd be interested in seeing if their are many substantiated cases...

editted to add: I found this website. It was referenced before in some discussion I had somewhere (I remember the picture). I cannot speak to it authenticity or scientific "truth", but it is interesting.

http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/milkmen.htm

 

[SagMom]

*IF* a man was lactating, wouldn't that indicate a hormonal imbalance?

Since the male breast doesn't develop in the same way a female's does during puberty, I wouldn't think that a male would have the anatomical ability to lactate. (To say nothing of the lack of prolactin.)

:

 

[kama'aina mama]

I am pretty sure that there is actually no biological difference between the male and female breast.

 

[kofduke]

In Fresh Milk, there is a story written by a dad that nursed his daughter - he wasn't sure if he ever produced milk, but she got a lot of comfort from the nursing.

 

[Sustainer]

Men and women are more similar than they are different. Men do have nipples, after all. I don't think it's physically impossible, and I have heard anecdotal accounts of individual cases (one of the books about unassisted birth describes the father using visualization to make his "breast" fill with milk). However, it would be extremely unusual. It's hard for me to imagine a man being able to produce as much milk as a woman without taking hormones.

 

[Lucysmama]

kofduke did mention this, but there is a chapter in Fresh Milk by Fiona Giles called Milkmen...it's all about men who have breastfed their children - some induced lactation. On man's wife gave birth to multiples, and he helped to feed the babies.
I absolutley believe it is possible. Men had nipples for a reason...there are no body parts there "for decoration"!

 

[PinkSunfish]

Some men can produce milk, it is usually thought to be as a result of overproduction of prolactin by the male.

There was a case of this recently in Sri Lanka, here is the link to the news article about it.

 

[UlrikeDG]

There was a thread about this on ParentsPlace recently. http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/...ed&msg=69980.1

 

[SagMom]

Quote:

Originally posted by Lucysmama Men had nipples for a reason...there are no body parts there "for decoration"!

Males have nipples because in utero, all babies begin to develop as female--sort of a default setting--it isn't until after a certain number of weeks (and I forget the time frame at the moment) that the babies begin developing toward their genetic male or female selves.

While male and female breasts are similar, there ARE changes that occur during puberty that allow women to later nurse. Those hormonal changes aren't usually present in males, which is why I brought up a hormonal imbalance.

 

[DaryLLL]

That site,

http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/milkmen.htm

is great! Very informative and comprehensive. Even has a comic strip!

I don't know where I read this, but there are studies that the more involved a man is with his wife and her pregnancy, the more his hormonal state begins to mirror hers. Which explains some very attached men gaining weight and even having morning sickness and labor pains along the his partner. This could go on to the lactation phase, if you extrapolate, why not?

Has to do with pheremones, a relatively new area of study.

Quote:

By Jan Barger, R.N., M.A., IBCLC [See Biography] Question: Can men breastfeed? Answer: What an intriguing question! I'm sure that many men have wished they could, especially when they see the closeness that develops between a nursing mother and her infant. In theory, it is possible that a man could breastfeed. Male breasts have milk ducts, sinuses, and some mammary tissue. They also have oxytocin and prolactin, the hormones responsible for milk production. There have been reports of men who were able to produce milk through extensive breast and nipple stimulation, but no one knows whether the milk was of the same composition or quality as the kind women produce. Using a feeding tube (a small silicone tube attached to a plastic bottle filled with formula) at his breast, he might be able to get a baby to latch on and suckle, but how long it would take to produce even drops of milk is anyone's guess.

http://www.babycenter.com/expert/bab...feed/8824.html

Obviously this LC has not seen the above website.

 

[chellemarie]

My husband could...if my babies were really, really fond of hair.

 

[laurashanley]

Since I wrote the Milkmen article, I might as well get involved in the discussion.

DaryLLL, you're right about that study. If I look around the internet I could probably find some articles about it. I believe there was an article titled something like "When men are pregnant." (Not literally pregnant; This was an article about the hormones men produce when their wives are pregnant.)

There was actually a man recently who called into a New Zealand TV talk show to say his wife had just given birth and for some reason he was producing milk! He didn't consciously try to do this and was a bit concerned. They referred him to my article. But men do produce more "female" hormones as birth approaches.

Anyway, if you read my article you'll see that there are several cases in the medical books where men have produced enough milk to feed a child. The mind is a powerful thing.

By the way, I don't necessarily believe that men should start nursing their babies. I just think it's an interesting concept. It certainly gets people thinking!

Laura

 

[Sustainer]

Quote:

Originally posted by laurashanley By the way, I don't necessarily believe that men should start nursing their babies. I just think it's an interesting concept. It certainly gets people thinking!

I think it's a great idea, if the mother can't or won't. But you're right, it's better for the mother to do it, since she has already had the bonding experiences of pregnancy and birth.

 

[ja mama]

One of my sons was born lactating, doesn't that show male breasts can produse milk, even if it was due to my hormones.