UK Hospitals Replace Words 'Breastmilk' and 'Mother' to Ensure Trans Inclusion

© Photo : Pixabay

(Sputnik News) - The staff at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust have been instructed to opt for terms “chestfeeding” and "mother or birthing parent", as well as use phrases like as "human milk", "breast/chestmilk", and "milk from the feeding mother or parent".
The instruction comes from the decision to introduce an official gender-inclusive language policy for its maternity services department. Although the latter will also be renamed - into "perinatal services".

Vocabulary changes will also mean that the terms "woman" and "father" will be pushed down the list by "woman or person" and "parent", "co-parent" or "second biological parent" respectively.

The maternity department of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals shared the news on its Twitter page.

Today we are launching the UK’s first clinical and language guidelines supporting trans and non-binary birthing people.

Follow us as we post throughout the week.

Find out more on our webpage
➡️ https://t.co/EPaesy4RWN#transpregnancy #nonbinarypregnancy #genderinclusion pic.twitter.com/qgzhJ2e6On

— Brighton and Sussex Maternity (@BSUH_maternity) February 8, 2021

The post triggered a variety of comments, some supportive, while others completely opposing the changes.

Feminist sociologist Dr Ruth Pearce called the innovation “absolutely groundbreaking work on trans inclusion in perinatal services.”

This is absolutely groundbreaking work on trans inclusion in perinatal services from the BSUH Maternity Gender Inclusion Midwives team. I am honoured to have acted as an external reviewer. https://t.co/LHwbr9Kk4j

— Dr Ruth Pearce (@NotRightRuth) February 8, 2021

Other comments however were less approving, as one user said: “Just when you think it can't possibly get any crazier...voila!”

Today we are launching the UK’s first clinical and language guidelines supporting trans and non-binary birthing people.

Follow us as we post throughout the week.

Find out more on our webpage
➡️ https://t.co/EPaesy4RWN#transpregnancy #nonbinarypregnancy #genderinclusion pic.twitter.com/qgzhJ2e6On

— Brighton and Sussex Maternity (@BSUH_maternity) February 8, 2021

Today we are launching the UK’s first clinical and language guidelines supporting trans and non-binary birthing people.

Follow us as we post throughout the week.

Find out more on our webpage
➡️ https://t.co/EPaesy4RWN#transpregnancy #nonbinarypregnancy #genderinclusion pic.twitter.com/qgzhJ2e6On

— Brighton and Sussex Maternity (@BSUH_maternity) February 8, 2021

The BSUH staff have been referred to a language guide to make sure they are using the correct terms during their shifts.

BSUH said their approach has been carefully considered “to be inclusive of trans & non-binary birthing people without excluding the language of women or motherhood.”

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