Understanding inclusive terminology – Chestfeeding parents and carers returning to sport and physical activity 

Chestfeeding in sport and physical activity

Many people will want to return to physical activity after having children, adopting children or taking on the responsibility of childcare.

The role of parent or carer can often be accompanied by the responsibility of chestfeeding. Chestfeeding isn’t always suitable for everyone, and no one should feel pressured. Where people can and want to chestfeed, we need to think about how to make the experience as easy and comfortable as possible.

It’s great that language is becoming more inclusive. By talking about chestfeeding rather than breastfeeding, it ensures we’re being inclusive of individuals who are trans, non-binary, gender diverse, and people who have differences in sex development.

Cisnormativity is very common in society in general and is often hyper-present in the pregnancy, chestfeeding and postpartum space, so organisations must be consciously showing inclusion to people who are trans and gender diverse.

This research around transmasculine individuals’ experiences with lactation, chestfeeding, and gender identity shows that every individual has very different experiences. Two things that were more common to several of the study participants were being misgendered during pregnancy and many people feeling that their privacy was extremely important during chestfeeding. For example: ‘Two participants mentioned in interviews that the need to chestfeed without anyone witnessing, judging, or gendering the process conflicted with their ability to seek chestfeeding support and help.’

This shows how important it is to provide an inclusive environment for people.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust were the first to begin using gender-inclusive language for perinatal services. They have gender inclusion midwives and teams who have the expertise to provide the most supportive experience.

Whether we’re thinking about recreational activity, more competitive activity/sport or the talent and high-performance space there are things you can consider to ensure people who are chestfeeding feel included.

Things to consider

Language

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust are adopting language ‘designed to be “inclusive of trans & non-binary birthing people without excluding the language of women or motherhood”

They use the terms:

• Chestfeeding
• Human milk
• Co-parent/second biological parent

·        They ask people for their preferred pronouns and will use gender-neutral pronouns until they are aware of preferred pronouns.

·        It is also important to think about the intersectionality of parenthood and chestfeeding and other protected characteristics where people might have experienced discrimination and microaggressions based on their ethnicity/race, sexual orientation and/or disability.

Provide a private space

It’s important that people have access to comfortable private spaces where they can chestfeed or express milk.

Be informed

Whether your focus is recreational sport in the community, you’re a leisure provider, you work/volunteer with a competitive club, or you’re involved in talent and high-performance pathways, it’s important that staff, colleagues, coaches and teammates have an inclusive approach to chestfeeding.

Often this is about being open and asking the individual about their needs and what’s best for them and show that you want to support them.

In circumstances where you work, train or play within a team it’s good to discuss chestfeeding schedules and the unique needs of the individual so that everyone can be supportive and flexible.

Training schedules

Be led by the individual who is chestfeeding and create flexibility. Where appropriate engage the team and any support staff so that people can work together to figure out the best route. The same applies when a coach or member of the support team are chestfeeding.

Communicate

This sounds obvious, but constant communication will ensure that any changes can be managed and that participants, athletes and coaches can continue to engage in sport and physical activity while navigating chestfeeding and everything that comes with it.  Ensure the communication is two-way and you’re listening to the individual’s needs.

Competition

It’s important to ensure an inclusive approach when designing competition rules and policies. You can do this by including people with knowledge of pregnancy, maternity, paternity, parenthood, and chestfeeding in the conversation. Conducting an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is a great way to ensure you consider the impact on everyone and engage people with experience and expertise in different protected characteristics in the process. You can speak to us about supporting you with EIAs

Case study

An example from the Tokyo Paralympics and Olympics demonstrates how discrimination can manifest when individuals who are often marginalised are not involved in decision-making.

Several athletes who were chestfeeding their children were told they could not bring their babies to Tokyo due to Covid 19 restrictions. Covid 19 restrictions allowed press from around the world to attend and Japanese fans, but no friends or family of participating athletes could attend. When chestfeeding parents appealed this decision, it was rejected so athletes would have to make the choice between chestfeeding their children or competing in the Paralympics/Olympics (and not see them for 28 days).

After several athletes raised the issue publicly on social media and in the press, the decision was overturned but the distress caused to the athletes and teams could have been avoided.

• Watch Olympic swimmer Ona Carbonell ,and how they were forced to leave their breastfeeding son at home.
• Watch U.S. marathoner fights to bring her breastfeeding baby to Tokyo Olympics 

Mental health

Becoming a parent can impact people’s mental health. It can affect people who have adopted, fostered, or become carers, people who have given birth and their partners.

Perinatal mental health can impact an individual from becoming pregnant to a year after a baby is born and affects 27% of new and expectant parents.

It is essential to be mindful and considerate that people might be experiencing poor mental health.

Visit the Mind website for more information.

You don’t need to have all of the answers or be experts in chestfeeding, but you do need to create environments where people can tell you what support will be best for them. So, ensure your actions are led by the chestfeeding person and be understanding and flexible to their needs.

Further links

• http://www.birthforeverybody.org/
• https://www.laleche.org.uk/support-transgender-non-binary-parents/
• ttps://www.laleche.org.uk/