Male lactation

I first became interested in male lactation in 1978 after reading Dana Raphael's book, The Tender Gift: Breastfeeding. Although Raphael only dealt with the subject briefly, she did say that men can and have produced milk after stimulating their nipples.
My husband, David, and I were intrigued with the idea. We had just had our first unassisted homebirth and were excited about applying our positive thinking techniques to other aspects of our lives. Although Raphael had written about milk production through nipple stimulation, perhaps, we thought, David could do it simply through suggestion. He began telling himself that he would lactate, and within a week, one of his breasts swelled up and milk began dripping out. When we excitedly showed my father (a physician) David's breast he said, "Obviously there's something physiologically wrong with David." The fact that David had willed himself to do this, did not impress him. We knew, however, that this was yet another example of the power of the mind.

www.unassistedchildbirth.com...

There is just something wrong with this!

...somehow the thought of guy 'stimulating' his nipples to encourage some form of milk production just seems...well...seems kinda EEEEEEW...

...kinda like there should be cheesy sleazy 70s guitar music playing in the background...

*chicka chicka bow bow...bow bow chicka chicka bow bow*

Men can and do lactate..because they also carry the hormone that causes/helps in lactation. Why you wonder? Well simple, if something were to happen to a mother, then a father could step in and induce enough lactation to help the newborn survive..it's all about survival and doing what it takes, no matter how silly or *wrong* it may seem. I guarantee one thing, the man might not feel so silly if he was able to keep the child from going hungry And can you imagine the bond? Amazing!

I think it would be a beautiful and *helpful* moment to see my man breastfeeding our baby
Mags

Mammary glands anyone? Men simply lack the hardware for producing milk. Regardless of how bad they want to lactate, it's just medically impossible. Women posess a gland within the breast tissue, called the mammary gland It's simply not possible for males to achieve lactation, simply becuase the lack the gland to do so. That is all. Peace.

Originally posted by magestica
Men can and do lactate..because they also carry the hormone that causes/helps in lactation. Why you wonder? Well simple, if something were to happen to a mother, then a father could step in and induce enough lactation to help the newborn survive..it's all about survival and doing what it takes, no matter how silly or *wrong* it may seem. I guarantee one thing, the man might not feel so silly if he was able to keep the child from going hungry

And can you imagine the bond?

Amazing!

I think it would be a beautiful and *helpful* moment to see my man breastfeeding our baby

Mags

Somehow I just dont share your vision Magestica
I think the thought of a baby sucking on a mans breast would be kinda nasty. I mean it just isnt meant to be that way. I dont think that it would be beautiful at all.
Can you imagine the baby when it got older and realized that he was breast fed by his dad...they better start saving for the therapy sessions.




Mark

Men CAN produce milk, and they can also get breast cancer..milk production is induced by hormones, otherwise women would be walking around lactating 24/7..

It's the maternal instinct that causes the flow of milk, and men are VERY capable of this..they do not need the glands, just the hormone, which can be jump started..

Originally posted by MarkosOrrealus
Somehow I just dont share your vision Magestica
I think the thought of a baby sucking on a mans breast would be kinda nasty. I mean it just isnt meant to be that way. I dont think that it would be beautiful at all.
Can you imagine the baby when it got older and realized that he was breast fed by his dad...they better start saving for the therapy sessions.

Mark

"Society" this word has hindered our capabilities for ions..and it will continue until we change how that word affects our actions..

It would be a very beautiful moment..my vision says so
Mags

Well after reading that article I have to say that it just seems unnatural but I guess your right . Society.
I mean look at how far women have come . And homosexuals and Bill Clinton.
lol
You have to admit though it would take some getting used too.

But change is ineveitable. I just wouldnt want to breast feed. My chest is a manly chest used for manly things.
in my manly world.

Mark

This is for you-

www.babycenter.com...

Simply amazing what we humans are capable of isn't it?

*Edit* wrong link

[Edited on 10/12/03 by magestica]

Originally posted by MarkosOrrealus
But change is ineveitable. I just wouldnt want to breast feed. My chest is a manly chest used for manly things.
in my manly world.

Mark

Your chest serves no purpose really if you think about it, so why not put it to use? It would be in the privacy of your own home and with a level of maturity, I'm sure you would feel good inside about nurturing your baby

haha, is this for real.... thats cool...

Markos: LMAO! I know what you mean!
Alien: "...kinda like there should be cheesy sleazy 70s guitar music playing in the background...
*chicka chicka bow bow...bow bow chicka chicka bow bow*" U krak me up Heke! LOL.

No, but seriously Magestica, I totally agree, why not?
True that society, through history, has shaped the very roles in which we find ourselves. Bah! Men breastfeeding??? So yeah, I agree with you, nevertheless... The part about feeling pride, by noroushing your child makes sense! Offcourse I would feel proud if I was able to do that! Just hasn't crossed my path yet...In that form, at least...
Peace!

I think it'd take a bit of getting used to with the guys at the golf club while sitting at the 19th hole."excuse me while i feed the baby"
I don't think I could do it, but then again I've been conditioned by society to think that breastfeeding is solely in the domain of women. There would need to be a huge amount of re-education if it was indeed possible for men to do this

Sorry,,,
i'm laughing too hard to comment here....

You know, I was the first to feed our daughter, and though it was by bottle, we have always held a tighter bond than she and her mother have. I am thousands of miles away, but there is something special there that canot be removed. It makes me smile just to imagine the bond that would be there if I had fed her.

while society has shaped a very strong male imge for us guys, I really don't give a hoot. I mean, I'm crocheting an afghan for my daughter here at the barracks. That doesn't make me any less of a man; I'm in outstanding physical shape and I know how to have a good time w/ the guys. I just do my best not to let others' opinions keep me from doing what I want.

WTF!!!!

Magestica. That is just purely wrong. Males breatfeeding? OMG! WTF is going through ur brain at this moment in time.

Would you like to see a man walking around with bigger breasts due to milk and having a baby sucking off his nipples? Sorry but that is not a sight i'd like to see, nor even think about.

It may not be wrong to you. But it sure as hell is wrong with me. And i'm guessing most people. The male breast is there for muscle. To lift heavy things! Not for getting sucked dry from a baby!

Every baby in the womb starts as a female.
But some evolve into males.
Males dont have breasts for feeding like a females.
A females chest is for feeding and good looks
Males chests are there purely for strength making us physically the stronger, superior one of the two.
Men are strong with muscles bulging. And they bulge for a reason. To hunt, fight, be strong.
The only thing bulging with women are thier breasts. And they too are there for a reason.

Do you think I could also stimulate myself to produce some sort of hairball medicine?

[Edited on 12-10-2003 by AZLS1]

Mammary glands anyone? Men simply lack the hardware for producing milk. Regardless of how bad they want to lactate, it's just medically impossible. Women posess a gland within the breast tissue, called the mammary gland It's simply not possible for males to achieve lactation, simply becuase the lack the gland to do so. That is all. Peace.

I agree. I think this whole topic is based off of something that is impossible.

(I was going to bitch and refer you to the link I posted again, but seeing as it's inoperable-I'll just bitch )

It *IS* is is..possible for a male gender human being(don't know about other creatures) to lactate

Now, if you don't want to or never will, that's your business, your right..but just keep in mind if one day you and your wife are stranded in the jungle and she passes during birth..I can bet your bottom or *breast* you'll be doing everything in your power to save your child..even if it means pumping some milk from your manly man boobs It's all about survival you guys..and we just don't know what we might do in worse case scenerios, all pride and dignity vanishes when it means saving anothers life
Mags~

PS: DaRage-would also ask you read the above & any other men here that think it's funny or gay or whatever to breastfeed.

[Edited on 10/13/03 by magestica]

It is true that men can secrete some milk. There is residual tissue in men that does not develop to the same extent as women's do. But it is not very developed and it does not and I would like to say could not support a baby. Some boys going through puberty actually have tenderness in their nipples. It has also been documented that men with nipple piercings an have a small amount of lactation due to the continuous stimulation.