Elizabeth, not her real name, had her breasts removed at 20. Now a Detransitioner at 30 she has a baby boy.
‘It was really hard knowing that he wanted to breastfeed, and I couldn’t give him that. And when they put him on my stomach, he crawled up. He was looking for my breasts and he couldn’t find them,’ she said.
Elizabeth
Researcher Professor Karleen Gribble told Daily Mail Australia Elizabeth’s story ‘may be the tip of the iceberg’ and should serve as an early warning signal to others.
‘It is a very serious business to remove the breast of young females and the ramifications for them down the track might be significant and if they do have babies, they are going to need support around that,’ Professor Gribble said.
‘There needs to be greater respect for breastfeeding and its significance for women and children.
‘Once you have a mastectomy there is no such thing as a reversal. This is irreversible surgery it shouldn’t be undertaken lightly.’
Elizabeth claimed the surgeon never discussed breastfeeding with her before the surgery.
‘I don’t think I would have been receptive. I would have felt insulted, and I would have said it’s triggering my gender dysphoria,’ she said.
Elizabeth attributed her gender dysphoria to developing breasts at the age of 10, which led to her being sexually harassed by men.
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