Photo Credit: Adam Bouska, NOH8. Featuring Mahaliyah Grace of Phoenix and Cindy Manit of San Francisco. Though the aforementioned subjects are reportedly are not a couple, this photo is worth a thousand words in all the wonderful possibilities it represents.
A historic moment witnessed today: Same-sex marriage is now legal in all 50 states of the U.S.!
Now that I’ve cried all my happy tears, I’m thinking back on the great struggle it took to get us here. A stigma still exists against same-sex couples adopting, for instance. But same-sex couples know love is love, and many of them wish to share that love with families of their own.
Have you given much thought to the issue of infant feeding by same-sex parents? For the vast majority of babies, breast is best. And the vast majority of all couples, regardless of sex, want the best for their babies. So how does that work — is it even possible?
A few of the current considerations for same-sex parents in regard to infant feeding:
- What will happen with your parental leave at work, if any?
- In a woman/woman partnership, will one (or both) of you breastfeed or express milk?
- In a man/man partnership, from whom do you intend to procure human breast milk for your child–the birth mother (decisions about breastfeeding and/or short-term or long-term pumping must be stipulated in your contract) or an outside donor?
- In what ratio do you plan to supply milk options (human or alternative) for your child, if any?
Via scienceandsensibility.org
Resources:
- “Co-Nursing: How Two Moms Can Breastfeed Baby” – Medela Moments
- “Guidelines for Heathcare Providers Working With Same-Sex Parented Families” – The Bouverie Centre at LaTrobe University in Victoria
- “Induced Lactation for the Nongestating Mother in a Lesbian Couple” – a commentary on ethics from the perspective of Lance Wahlert, PhD and Autumn Fiester, PhD
- Milk Junkies – an eye-opening blog about breastfeeding and parenting from the transgender perspective
- “Why I’m a Breastfeeding Dad” – Trevor MacDonald
- “Mothers’ Milk: Two-Parent Co-Nursing in Queer Families” – Jules Moon, Bachelor’s Research Project in Midwifery
Mama's Milk, No Chaser 