Men Can Breastfeed—Seriously!
Posted by: Justine Fields
Filed in:
news
5:20PM, Monday August 17th 2009
Weird alert! Besides enhancing the pectorals of the male species, male nipples can actually play a purpose other than decoration. Since men posses both mammary glands and pituitary glands––the essentials for lactation—they also have the ability to breastfeed. When the factors align properly, some doctors believe that men can partake in nourishing their children in the same way as women. Though this doesn’t happen in everyday circumstances, in some rare instances, men have been the breastfeeders.
In one African tribe, the Akas, men breastfeeding is commonplace, although no milk is produced. In this hunter-gatherer society, men play an equal role in caregiving as the women. So when a baby is in search of breast milk, although the Aka men can’t actually supply milk, males will still allow the children to suck on their nipples to fulfill the oral urge.
In another case, one Sri Lankan man whose wife had passed away offered his newborn daughter his nipple because she refused a bottle. To his surprise, he learned that he was lactating and could actually feed her. His unique ability was due to having a hyperactive prolactine hormone, which is the hormone for producing milk.
So men, take note, because even if you can’t produce milk, you can still calm and satiate your child’s craving when the baby mama isn’t around! [Mom Logic]
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impoddity
wrote on August 17 2009 @ 04:33 pm: [report]
Now if only men could naturally conceive, I’d gladly have children without the worry of losing my killer bikini bod.
Dave The Rave
wrote on August 17 2009 @ 04:57 pm: [report]
impoddity,
Don’t give the ‘gene therapy’ gurus any ideas or they may test that theory out! Let Mother Nature alone!
Still, if that is something that does or could happen in men, then I would LOVE to see a guy breast-feeding a child and have a woman walk by and see the look on their faces!
Lilypie
wrote on August 17 2009 @ 05:05 pm: [report]
Eek.
impoddity
wrote on August 17 2009 @ 05:15 pm: [report]
@Dave: I think having pregnant men would definitely foster more sympathy towards pregnant women and their ‘condition’. One step closer to equality.
Dave The Rave
wrote on August 17 2009 @ 05:27 pm: [report]
impoddity,
I went to have a sonogram to check for kidney stones a few years back. The female technician got me ready and asked why I was having one done.
“They think I might be pregnant.”
The look on her face was PRICELESS!!!
“What? You never said the movie ‘Junior’?”
Also, there was an episode of ‘Bewitched’ where the husband made a comment about her, Samantha, having kids. She twinkled her nose and the next thing he was being wheeled out of the delivery room yelling at her!
‘Sam!’
LOL
Also, I have a question: WHY do women now have photo albums of SONOGRAMS!!!!!!!
How do you explain that to your child?
“This is you at three months.”
I have a co-worker who is doing that now. Showing a photo book of sonograms to the women. As I guy, I would just LOVE to ask to see them and see the look I’ll get!
Any opinions?
writergirl
wrote on August 17 2009 @ 05:34 pm: [report]
@Dave—just ask.
Its not like there is anything “private” shown in sonogram pictures. It’s pictures of the baby that can’t be seen clearly.
As to why you KEEP the sonograms and make an album of them. I had U/S every other week from week six to week 12, so the change in the fetus was absolutely amazing from this peanut blob to an identifiable baby standing on his head annd kicking his legs. It really was cool. The of course, the difference between 12 weeks and 25 weeks and then the last 3-D U/S when he was flipping us the bird at 32 weeks is just incredible!
The in utero development of babies is something that is truly awesome.
Birth, on the other hand, is disgusting.
_jsw_
wrote on August 17 2009 @ 05:40 pm: [report]
Of course men would breastfeed seriously. It’s no laughing matter.
maroon
wrote on August 17 2009 @ 07:28 pm: [report]
all i can think of with this article is the episode of family guy when peter gets in touch with his feminine side and tries to breast-feed stewie…who ends up gagging on a chest hair. YICK!
moogyboobles
wrote on August 18 2009 @ 04:17 am: [report]
Doesn’t surprise me, women who have never given birth (say they are adopting) can still breastfeed.
wild-ting
wrote on August 18 2009 @ 09:00 am: [report]
No need for a “weird alert”. It’s just biology education. Good you learned this and are sharing your new found knowledge with others.
bogart4017
wrote on August 18 2009 @ 12:57 pm: [report]
You should have told me before my wife pinched and pulled my nipples to smithereens.