We at Sepia Mutiny are in favor of equal opportunity boobage. A couple of years ago, this oddity went out over the wire (via BridalBeer and Gene Expression):
Mr B Wijeratne, from Walapanee, near Colombo, took to breastfeeding her soon after his wife died three months ago while giving birth to their second child.His elder daughter, 18-month-old Nisansala Madhushani, was so used to her mother’s milk that she would not take formula milk. Mr Wijeratne told Sinhalese language newspaper Lankadeepa: “My child would reject the powdered milk I tried feeding through a bottle. “Unable to see her cry I offered my breast. That’s when I discovered that I could breastfeed her…”
Dr Kamal Jayasinghe, a spokesman for the hospital, said: “Men with a hyperactive prolactine hormone can produce breast milk.”
Wikipedia explains:
It is not so often understood that [human males] also have mammary glands… Under the appropriate hormonal stimulus… the mammary glands of human males can also produce milk… The volume… will be small relative to the amount that a female can produce.The most common circumstance under which lactation is induced is when hormonal treatments are given to men suffering from prostate cancer… Male-to-female transsexuals may also produce milk due to the hormones they take to reshape their bodies. Extreme stress has also been known to be a cause of male lactation, as evidenced upon the return of American POWs from the Korean and Vietnam Wars… It is also possible for males (and females) to induce lactation through constant massage and simulated ‘sucking’ of the nipple over a long period of time (months).
From an engineering standpoint, this is actually fairly cool. Just think of all the unused capabilities your body’s hiding away for when hormonal switches are flipped. It’s a pity none of them are superpowers. Beyond suckling, that is.
There’s a more disturbing story in this vein from India here (not for the squeamish). Now can we get back to posting Aishwarya photos?
“Unable to see her cry I offered her my breast.”
I find that line particularly heartwarming… this guy is doing all he can to be a good father. Why then do I also have an urge to vomit?
I find that line particularly heartwarming
I agree, man-boob that I am. It’s a good thing.
And now, I’m stuck here thinking of all the lip-to-nipple anecdotes or stories in the world. Thus far I have:
Grapes of Wrath Song of Solomon
But there’s got to be more, right?
Not any that I can think of… but I do believe there was a reference to milking a housecat in the movie “Meet the Parents”…. completely irrelevant.
I think “milking a cat” kind of fits, but maybe in a category with the woman suckling a monkey.
I wonder how the girl gets enough milk, does he really produce that much, do humans have the capacity to spontaneously change sex, is there a biologist in the house…
There’s an episode of Family Guy with some attempted male breastfeeding.
“There’s an episode of Family Guy with some attempted male breastfeeding.”
The expression on Stewie’s face when he realized that it was Peter’s nipple is possibly one of the funniest things I’ve seen in my life.
There some thing singularly tender yet sickening about this story
i totally agree…i first heard about male lactation from an officemate of my father. who fondly demonstrates his male breast producing milk in public…Out of amazement, i shared the information to my dormmates, they just laughed at me.Thats why i checked my computer if there is any living proof of men lactation and boom i found this page…thankful for this photo, now i know that the male nation’s twin gift can also be a gift to a sucking infant…
Hey guys i want to know more facts about this man coz we have to make a project on him. So if you know any place or any site which contains details about Mr. B Wijeratne please let me know asap. Senal