Comments on: Today’s Question: Can Men Breastfeed?

By: David

David — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:59:17 +0000

I would totally volunteer to share the breastfeeding with my wife if I could lactate. I think it would create an intimate bond with the child that some men never have with their children.

By: Jenn

Jenn — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:52:40 +0000

Momo-

I don’t quiet understand where you’re coming from. Yes an egg does have X chromosomes and it’s the responsibility of the sperm to bring the male Y to produce a boy. However, once fertilization has taken place one of the X chromosomes in the egg is inactivated. This is within the first week before much cellular differentiation has occurred. At that point you really only have your 3 germ layers and possibly some neurulation and gastrulation. There really isn’t any gonadal organ development at this time. It’s still just a mass of cells (that can be considered life, I’m not looking for a debate on that topic)

True both sexes will develop the same rough organs but it is the hormonal cue triggered from the presence of the Y , or absence of it for females, that will lead the developmental outcome of these organs.

From this I could maybe see some rough point of where you’re coming from. It just seems like maybe I’m confused by your statement as a over simplization or a complex process. You make it sound as if there is a rather developed fetus with nipples and all that’s just waiting for for it’s cue to grow a penis. Hormonal cues are different from the beginning.

I guess I was just looking for more of an explanation on your statement.

By: Don Jones

Don Jones — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:22:03 +0000

For all of you that question if a man can lactate and breastfeed, the answer is yes. I have been able since I was in my 50′s to start and stop breast milk. Also I have breastfeed not one but two babies.
Don

By: anita

anita — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:28:30 +0000

It shouldn’t, but the idea of a man lactating just does not sit quite well with me… If a woman, why not a man?

Anyway, this is TOO funny…a man breastfeeding…:D

By: jack

jack — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 03:12:00 +0000

Can you say… Its time for your breast reduction Sir!

By: Benita

Benita — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 01:07:00 +0000

Maybe the red brick road goes to Kumbricia’s cave? (from “Wicked”)

And this idea of lactating in times of need reminds me of “Grapes of Wrath”!

By: aidan

aidan — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:05:00 +0000

is this really true? xD

By: Momo

Momo — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 01:31:00 +0000

Men having breasts and mammary glands isn’t actually a natural “backup plan” per se, because the female gender is the template for all human beings. All humans are female to start with and the Y chromosome is what turns boys into boys. They also still have an X chromosome. Interestingly, women only have the X and no Y. Men have nipples because they started out life in the womb as a female template.

It is a great thing that men can lactate, though.

Also, the comment above about breasts getting “bigger and bigger” was quite misguided and is representative of just how ignorant men are about breasts. How exactly should an orgasm make a breast bigger, anyway? The only way a breast size can increase is by making the fat cells bigger or through lactation which will fill the milk ducts with milk (and this can only be temporary because the milk has to come out or it will stop producing.) Breast implants do not actually make a breast bigger. The breast will be the same size with a bag of saline next to it.

By: Eloise

Eloise — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:59:00 +0000

I think the whole idea of a man being able to breastfeed a baby is the coolest thing I have ever heard! It’s like Mother Nature was smart enough to create a backup plan in case something happened to the mother. How clever! Now we know why men have nipples and that they actually WORK.

Does anyone know if there is video proof of a man lactating and feeding a baby? I’d love to see it.

By: MrsHashBrown

MrsHashBrown — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:13:00 +0000

I would NEVER want my husband to nurse because I’d miss out. I didn’t care for it the first six weeks, but it got much better in the seventh week. And now I absolutely love the time I spend nursing my little tater tot. . .which is a good thing as he won’t take a bottle. I guess that’s a downside to nursing exclusively. But he started to drink from a cup at 5 1/2 months.