# Male Lactation **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [May 24, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-lactation/305295 "2005-05-24T17:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aradia\_Paganus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Aradia\_Paganus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aradia_Paganus)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-lactation/305295/1 "2005-05-24T17:59:15Z")
I read Cecil’s Q & A about male lactation, and I was slightly shocked that it did not mention the gaining poplarity of men who breastfeed. It is quite common in fact for men to breastfeed without hormones or herbal supplementation. It is considered natures way of making sure that even if the mama’s dies or goes away, the baby will be nurished. All that is nessacary to make any male mammal or serrogate female lactate is a baby of that species to suck on the nipple. Need equals supply, therefore the more time a baby spends suckling the nipple wether it be a male or female breast, the more milk will be supplied. This does not just apply to humans, either, all mammals have this capabilty, in fact the medical instutions first became aware of the phenomenon after seeing it in livestock, and in bats. Today many homosexual male couples who adopt will breastfeed their baby, just as a women who adopts can- all without horomonal therapy or professional help. In 2002 a man in Sir Lanka began breastfeeding his daughter after his wife died, the article : [Live Chat Software](http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_700634.html) A fun book mentions male lactation, “Fresh Milk: The Secret Life of the Breast” by Fiona Giles’ ( mentions male lactation among many interesting things about boobies that no one talks about!!) While I am not of any of these religions, it is interesting to note that the Jewish Talmund and the Christian Bible have excerpts discussing male lactation, For example: Numbers 11:12 “Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?” Isaiah 49:23 “And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.” And from the 1918 translation of the Talmund: “The rabbis taught: “It happened with one man whose wife died and left him a nursing child, he was so poor that he could not pay a wet-nurse. A miracle happened to him; his breasts opened and he nursed his child.” Said R. Joseph: Come and see how great the man must have been that such a miracle was wrought for him. Said Abayi to him: On the contrary, Behold how bad the man must have been that the nature of mankind changed in him and nothing occurred to enable him to earn enough money to pay a nurse. Says R. Jehudah: Come and see how hard it is for heaven to change the fate of a man concerning his livelihood, that the nature of the world was changed, but not his fate. Said R. Na’hman: It is proven by this fact that a miracle occurred, but he was not provided with means for paying a wet-nurse.” Just thought I would pass on the information! Aradia Paganus 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Perderabo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Perderabo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perderabo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-lactation/305295/2 "2005-05-24T20:11:17Z")
Cecil’s column: [Is there any mammal species in which the males breastfeed the young?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_321.html) ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-lactation/305295/3 "2005-05-24T20:43:01Z")
The idea and the practice are getting more and more popular, it seems. Googling male lactation brings up many sites, including: [http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/miscarticles/milkmen.html](http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/miscarticles/milkmen.html) Nummy in the tummy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![citybadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@citybadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citybadger)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-lactation/305295/4 "2005-05-25T01:07:13Z")
> [@Aradia Paganus](#): > > I read Cecil’s Q & A about male lactation, and I was slightly shocked that it did not mention the gaining poplarity of men who breastfeed. Keep in mind the article was written in 1984. That said - welcome to the board! Awesome first post. Interesting! Cites! A model post for all. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-lactation/305295/5 "2005-05-25T02:32:06Z")
> [@](#): > > While I am not of any of these religions, it is interesting to note that the Jewish Talmund and the Christian Bible have excerpts discussing male lactation, For example: > Numbers 11:12 “Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?” > Isaiah 49:23 “And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.” I note that both of the excerpts you present here are from the King James version of the Bible. While the KJV is widely recognized as having the most beautiful language of any English translation, it’s not so well-regarded on the accuracy of its translation. If we look at those passages in, say, the New International Version, we see no reference to male lactation. [Numbers 11:10-14](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2011:10-14;&version=31;) > [@](#): > > [sup]10[/sup] Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. [sup]11[/sup] He asked the LORD, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? [sup]12[/sup] Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? [sup]13[/sup] Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ [sup]14[/sup] I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. [Isaiah 49:23](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2049:23;&version=31;) > [@](#): > > [sup]23[/sup] Kings will be your foster fathers, > and their queens your nursing mothers. > They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; > they will lick the dust at your feet. > Then you will know that I am the LORD; > those who hope in me will not be disappointed." From context, it even appears that the Numbers passage is ridiculing the notion of male nursing: “What do I look like, their mother? Why is this all my job?”. Not being Jewish nor trained in study of the Talmud, I can’t directly address the Talmud example, but I do note that the account there is regarded as miraculous. As such, it can’t really be read as encouraging male lactation, any more than the Bible could be said to be encouraging virgin birth or rising from the dead. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-lactation/305295/6 "2005-05-29T00:00:51Z")
If males can lactate, what is the purpose of the female boobie? ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-lactation/305295/7 "2005-05-29T00:29:37Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > If males can lactate, what is the purpose of the female boobie? As far as anyone can tell, decoration. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-lactation/305295/8 "2005-05-29T00:44:51Z")
I just have to take issue with some phrasing in the OP such as “quite common” and “all that is necessary”. I doubt these things are true.