Breastfeeding and Chestfeeding Experiences of Cisgender Sexual Minority Women,Transgender,and Gender Diverse Parents

Abstract

Background:

Sexual and gender minority adults are increasingly growing their families and having children, yet there is limited information on the lactation experiences of sexual and gender minority parents.

Method:

Using data from The PRIDE Study, a national cohort of sexual and gender minority adults in the United States, we examined patterns and correlates of lifetime breast/chestfeeding among sexual minority (i.e., lesbian, bisexual, queer) cisgender women, transgender women, transgender men, and gender diverse individuals who were parents.

Results:

Our analysis included 1,562 parents aged 19–83 years with a median of two children (IQR 1–3). Among this population, 941 (60.2%) were sexual minority cisgender women, 232 (14.9%) transgender women, 199 (12.7%) transgender men, and 190 (12.2%) gender diverse parents assigned female at birth. Among 962 parents who had ever carried a pregnancy and delivered a child, sexual minority cisgender women were most likely to have ever breast/chestfed (91.7%), followed by gender diverse parents (88.8%) and transgender men (83.3%). No other demographic factors were associated with ever breast/chestfeeding. Few participants (6.7%) had ever breast/chestfed a child from another person’s pregnancy. Ever having delivered a child and having an increasing number of children were associated with ever breast/chestfeeding a child from another person’s pregnancy. In addition, seven (3%) transgender women had ever breast/chestfed a child.

Conclusions:

In our cohort, rates of lifetime breast/chestfeeding were high among sexual and gender minority parents who had ever carried a pregnancy. Breast/chestfeeding provides important health and infant–parent bonding benefits in families where one or more parents has the interest in and capacity for lactation. Co-lactation and/or lactation induction may be particularly beneficial for sexual and gender minority families.