Post by Sasha Brown-Worsham
A man studying to become a midwife in the UK has been banned from a breastfeeding class because the women in it weren't comfortable with a male presence. It's a completely backwards situation that is going to backfire and put male midwives at a disadvantage. As a woman, I get it, but as a mom and someone who wants to see more public acceptance of breastfeeding and comfort with women's bodies, I think it sets a terrible precedent. In the UK, there are 20,000 midwives, only 132 of which are male. It's a rare profession for a man, and we should support the idea that some men may choose to go into a caring profession that is so heavily focused on women and their bodies. This isn't something we should be discouraging at all! Also: how many women deliver their babies with male OB/GYNs? My guess is a whole lot. So how is this different?![]()
A man studying to become a midwife in the UK has been banned from a breastfeeding class because the women in it weren't comfortable with a male presence. It's a completely backwards situation that is going to backfire and put male midwives at a disadvantage. As a woman, I get it, but as a mom and someone who wants to see more public acceptance of breastfeeding and comfort with women's bodies, I think it sets a terrible precedent. In the UK, there are 20,000 midwives, only 132 of which are male. It's a rare profession for a man, and we should support the idea that some men may choose to go into a caring profession that is so heavily focused on women and their bodies. This isn't something we should be discouraging at all! Also: how many women deliver their babies with male OB/GYNs? My guess is a whole lot. So how is this different?