Swedish Dad Tries to Breastfeed
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A Swedish Dad is going above and beyond the typical dad duties of changing diapers or reading a bedtime story. He is attempting to breastfeed.
Ragnar Bengtsson, a 26-year-old student at Stockholm University, is currently in the process of inducing lactation from his own breasts by regularly pumping them. Bengtsson, who is the father of a two-year-old, has no plans to nurse his toddler, but instead wants to plan ahead for his future children.
“Anything that doesn’t do any harm is worth trying out. And if it works it could prove very important for men’s ability to get much closer to their children at an early stage,” Bengtsson told The Local, an English newspaper in Sweden.
Bengtsson’s breastfeeding experimentwill be documented by Swedish TV8, a station Bengtsson maintains a website for.
So what exactly is his plan? Bengtsson plans to pump his breasts every three hours until the beginning of December. He is also a full-time student, which means he’ll be pulling out the pump during his lectures.
WATCH THE VIDEO OF BENGTSSON BELOW:
“It doesn’t bother me if it makes people uncomfortable. If they have issues with it that’s their problem.”
Endocrinologist Sigbritt Werner told The Local that Bengtsson might produce “a drop or two” after three or four months, but that without hormones (which Bengtsson does not plan on taking) it will likely be impossible for him to produce enough milk to feed a child.
“Women breastfeed after they’ve been bathing in estrogen during a nine month pregnancy, so obviously it takes some time,” Werner, a professor of endocrinology at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, said. “But if he works on it regularly he’ll likely notice a layer of tissue forming beneath the areola and it should be possible to produce enough of the hormone prolactin to cause lactation,” she said.
How do you feel about this? If men could easily produce milk, would you want them to help out with nursing? Leave your comments below.
Just gotta try this Creamy Avocado Dip recipe via Momables.com - love how you can spread it on a sandwich in lieu of Mayo! 
Comment by Rachel on Sep 09 2009 10:55:30:
I would have loved for my husband to have been able to share in part of the responsibility of feeding our child every two-three hours. However, if God intended for men to breastfeed, then He would have given them this ability. I think this is as crazy as men trying to get pregnant.
Comment by Shawnnelle on Sep 10 2009 03:09:19:
I think it is crazy! It would be great to have help with the feedings, but like Rachel said, God did not intend for men to breastfeed or give birth. Breastfeeding is a mother’s duty not the fathers & trying to do a role reversal is insane.
Comment by Tocheanna on Sep 10 2009 09:41:09:
I have heard men say “if I could breastfeed I would.” I would love that. Baby starts crying and my husband gets up- lovely!! While I understand his need to form a closer bond with his child, his method is ridiculous. Men obviously were not meant to breastfeed. Be closer with your child through a bottle!
Comment by Sarah on Sep 11 2009 02:01:01:
I think it’s totally disgusting. What is wrong with people!!
Pingback by Man Milk: The Breast-Pumping Dad » Express Yourself on Sep 15 2009 10:13:03:
[...] Ragnar Bengtsson [...]
Comment by 12345 on Oct 02 2009 02:16:49:
I agree with all the previous statements! It’s just wrong. Another whole other issue….why is it ok for him to lift and show his lactating breast but its a huge issue for some people if a woman even nurses under a blanket in public!!!???!!
Comment by Renee on Oct 07 2009 06:20:06:
Wow, I understand his want of being closer to his future children. But men were not meant to be able to breastfeed! He should just use a bottle whenever mom is not around and just do the normal things a dad does. Like, read a book or play with their children.
Comment by nicole on Oct 28 2009 03:25:08:
this is the kind of information that gives me nightmares
Comment by JT on Jun 18 2010 11:44:20:
why is it ok for him to lift and show his lactating breast but its a huge issue for some people if a woman even nurses under a blanket in public!!!???!!
LOVE THIS COMMENT!
So he wants to try to nurse? Pumping sucks, more power to him. God gave him nipples, maybe at one time in history, men were able to nurse. If a women can do it, why can’t a man try? I don’t feel threatened in any way.
Comment by Dora on Dec 05 2010 10:27:50:
Sure, let men breastfeed. Theyre approaching redundancy anyways.
We’ve got enough sperm to repopulate the earth 100s of times over.
Oh, and GOD has nothing to do with this.
Comment by Jo on Dec 25 2010 08:17:33:
Right on Dora!
Comment by Janelle on Dec 27 2010 02:06:04:
From a scientific point of view–I am curious. If they can breastfeed, I want to know. His research could provide some useful information for adoptive parents who want to induce lactation, or for even re-lactating mothers.