Breastfeeding has been and continues to be
a hot button health topic.
Everyone has an opinion when it comes to nursing.
This latest news story will undoubtedly
spark a few more.
A documented medical first,
a transgender woman reportedly
has the ability to breastfeed her partner's baby
by producing her own milk
with the help of experimental drugs and hormones.
New York doctors prescribed
the 30 year old transgender woman
a regimen of drugs including
an anti-nausea medication that's banned in the U.S.
Within a month, the woman could express
droplets of milk.
Three months, she was producing eight ounces a day.
The couple's child is now six months old
and doctors say developing properly.
Is this new type of experimental breast milk
just as healthy as milk produced
by biologically born women?
Doctor Funk, first of all,
can you kind of clarify what's going on here
and how this is even possible?
Absolutely, so it may surprise some of you
to realize that we all started out as female,
including doctors Travis and Ordon (audience laughs)
So in other words, in utero,
way to go girls! (laughter)
That's okay.
So we all started off as the fairer sex, Dr. Funk
that's what you're saying?
Clearly, we do.
So in utero, we all start out female,
and about the sixth week of life,
an embryo's testosterone will kick in
and differentiate that embryo into a baby boy.
So, aha, that's why breasts stop developing,
but the nipples were already there,
so that explains why men have nipples,
they just started way back then and stuck around.
And out.
So when you enter into our transgender,
male to female transition patient here,
what she did about six years before
wanting to breastfeed this newborn
was take estrogen and progesterone,
the feminizing hormones that spike
during a girl's puberty phase,
and spironolactone, which is a testosterone inhibitor.
So in this way, she already developed that breast tissue
that was in its tiny little form
back from being in utero.
So she developed breasts,
and then when her partner was five months pregnant,
decided that she wanted to breastfeed their newborn
because the partner didn't want to.
At that point, they started
increasing the estrogen and progesterone
to further develop the breast tissue
and added a drug called domperidone.
This makes your brain release prolactin
which is the natural hormone that creates milk production.
She did this in conjunction with pumping
to stimulate the nipples and milk production,
and within a moth was making droplets
and by the baby's birth was making eight ounces a day.
She exclusively fed that newborn
for the first six weeks of life.
Is there a risk with this?
No risk to child,
but taking estrogen and progesterone
carries with it potential risks of blood clots
and strokes.
And then, eventually, breast cancer
because this is someone who will continue
on these feminizing hormones for her lifetime.
I can think of some interesting
applications if this continues to go forward.
Like even for heterosexual couples,
now they can share the feeding duties?
I mean, that's a possibility here.
That is not gonna happen, let me tell you.
Any kind of manly man out there,
when you take estrogen and progesterone,
besides developing breasts,
you are going to have minimal facial hair,
a higher voice, a loss in your muscle mass.
I don't think that's the look your husband was going for.
No, not great side effects.
Well and I also think it highlights,
when you start messing around with hormones,
this has to be something you're in concert with your doctor,
you know exactly what and why they're doing
what they're doing.
This is a pretty heavy duty move,
the hormones and then more drugs
to stimulate your pituitary to form
Well and this segment started with
our talking about cancer
and Dr. Funk just alluded to
potential increased risk of cancer,
I just think, you know,
obviously this has to be done in a way
that is the right way.
But I mean fascinating,
because a lot of people here at the show
were even trying to figure out, is this possible?
But clearly it is.
You know what else is possible Dr. Funk?
What?
Is that you're the smartest breast surgeon I know,
'cause you are (audience applauds and cheers)
Aw!
Thanks so much
for being with us.
