Irish breastfeeding conference mired in ‘male milk’ row

The guest appearance of a US proponent of male ‘chestfeeding’ at an Irish conference has sparked outrage.

Jacob Engelsman, who promotes chestfeeding for “curiosity, fun, or sexual gratification”, has been invited to address the October convention of the Association of Lactation Consultants in Ireland (ALCI). The organisation recently removed details of the event from its website and paused ticket sales due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

ALCI, which receives money from the public purse, claimed its invitation to Engelsman was “consistent with” the Irish Government’s National LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy.

Gender ideology

Aontú Councillor Emer Tóibín raised serious concerns with ALCI over “what appears to be an increasing effort to embed gender ideology within the provision of breastfeeding support and maternal and infant healthcare in Ireland”.

Commenting on Engelman’s appearance at the conference, she said: “I have been contacted by midwives and lactation consultants who are deeply unhappy about this invitation. Some have told me that they completely oppose the decision by ALCI to platform him and believe the invitation should be withdrawn.”

She added: “Public funding is entirely appropriate where it helps mothers and babies access high-quality, evidence-based support. But public funding should not become a mechanism for embedding contested ideological positions into women’s healthcare.”

Catherine Monaghan, of Wicklow Women 4 Women, queried: “Is it too much to ask that women and babies remain at the centre of a profession established to support them?” She commented: “Men cannot breastfeed babies. It is not normal or healthy for a male to lactate”.

Drug-induced

In 2024, Marian Tompson, co-founder of the world’s oldest breastfeeding charity La Leche League, resigned over its promotion of male chestfeeding.

In her letter, Tompson lamented: “This shift from following the norms of nature, which is the core of mothering through breastfeeding, to indulging the fantasies of adults, is destroying our organisation.”

So-called chestfeeding by men is made possible by taking drugs such as domperidone, which induces lactation, but has been linked to heart problems, including for the babies receiving the milk.