There was a time when changing genders seemed like a medical impossibility. But scientific advancements have not only helped make this transition possible, they have also paved the way for other medical marvels. The latest is Transgender Breastfeeding, which is a promising new discovery that can open up amazing ways adoptive parents can better care for their little ones.
Transgender Health details how a transgender woman managed to breastfeed her partner's baby, who she also adopted, for over a month.
How was Transgender breastfeeding made possible?
The 30-year-old transgender woman, whose identity has been withheld, reportedly underwent hormone therapy (domperidone, estradiol and progesterone), and she used a breast pump prior to the baby's birth.
A week after she began taking domperidone, "she was able to express droplets of milk," according to the case report.
After three months of hormone therapy, she reportedly started producing 8 oz. of milk daily. After two weeks, the baby was born. She then began to exclusively breastfeed the newborn for six weeks.
The transgender woman first began taking feminising hormones in 2011. But she has yet to undergo gender-affirming procedures, like breast augmentation and vaginoplasty.
After six weeks of breastfeeding, the baby is reportedly healthy and nursing normally.
Transgender breastfeeding: What's next?
It is not entirely impossible for those who are born male to lactate. Those with prostate cancer, for instance, who are undergoing hormonal treatment can produce breastmilk. However, more research is needed to determine "the optimal treatment regimen for induced lactation in transgender women."
What's more, Domperidone is not readily available in certain countries because of its cardiovascular health risks. Though it surely helped the transgender woman breastfeed, it could very well be the use of a breast pump that made lactation possible.
Adoptive parents want to induce lactation in order to give their children the best in life. Not only does breastfeeding have well-known health and economic advantages, it also strengthens the bond between mother and child.
Love knows no gender, even when it comes to the love between a parent to a child. Though some might frown upon this controversial advancement, what truly matters is that the baby grows up happy, healthy, and most of all, with an endless supply of love.
Sources: Live Science, Transgender Health
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