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UK nurses instructed to use words like ‘chestfeeding’ to be more inclusive of transgender parents

Of all the progressive adaptations the world has seen recently, this one may take the cake. 

Nurses and midwives at a hospital in the United Kingdom were instructed to ditch words like “breastfeeding” and “breastmilk” in order to be more inclusive towards transgender parents. 

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust are the first hospitals in the country to use gender-inclusive language for their maternity services, a term which has now been changed to “perinatal services.” 

In a statement on Monday, the hospital advised nurses and midwives to replace “breast milk” with “human milk” or “chestmilk,” replace “mother” with “birthing parents,” and changed “maternal” to “parental.” 

This is real, and it’s happening: erasing the joys and terminology that come along with motherhood to appeal to the emotions of everyone who wants to experience it. 

“At BSHU, we are proud to care for trans and non-binary (including agender, bigender and genderqueer) people as birthing parents and co-parents,” the hospital said in its statement. 

“As professionals, and as an organization, we have a responsibility to promote good health. We do this not only through quality care, but also by creating policies and developing service provision that contributes to societal and cultural progress, promoting tolerance and equity, whilst striving to eliminate discrimination, prejudice and stigma,” BSHU added. 

“This approach requires that health policy and programmes prioritize the needs of those furthest behind towards greater equity. Research shows that trans and non-binary people experience poorer mental and physical health than the general population.” 

The hospital’s website says, “the midwife’s role is to support a pregnant person’s journey through each stage of pregnancy, birth, and the early days with their new baby.” 

“We are taking a gender-additive approach to the language used to describe our services,” the hospital continued.” 

According to the hospital, this means using “gender-neutral language alongside the language of womanhood, in order to ensure that everyone is represented and included.” 

But, it seems to simply erase women and their motherly duties by reducing them to their organs. 

To sum it up, this statement is neither progressive nor inclusive.

 When talking about those who give birth, and the terminology that comes along with it, women should ideally be first on the list.

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