Most people would probably agree that use of desexed terms (like “parents”) should be encouraged when the sex of a person or thing is not relevant. However, it is less obvious that using desexed terms when sex is relevant can sometimes be problematic. When discussing reproductive health, using desexed language can sometimes cause inaccurate information to be conveyed and can also cause confusion.
Aside from such technical problems, with confusion caused by inappropriate use of desexed language, we must consider whether there is a broader social cost to this shift in language. If we do not mention women, are we harming the way society values women? Could this language affect the way women view their pride in their identities as women and mothers? Is there harm to the advocacy of issues that are specific to women, like reproductive rights, paid maternity leave, equal pay, sex-based violence, and workplace discrimination? After all, when “women” are simply “people” like everyone else, discrimination against women becomes invisible.
“Lactation” and “human milk feeding” are only about milk and nutrition and have nothing to do with nurturing a child, bonding with a child, or the time spent in constant physical contact with a child. Neither “lactation” nor “human milk feeding” even require physical contact between a mother and her child, let alone an emotional connection, even when such connections exist. These terms are dehumanizing when used this way.
No word or words can substitute for breastfeeding as a social behavior. While some dyads cannot feed directly at the breast, exclusive pumping should not be embraced as a normal way to feed an infant. The lack of normal physiology is not only exhausting for mothers and infants,19 but bottle-feeding lacks the aspects of breastfeeding shown to increase maternal sensitivity and mother–child attachment.20 In addition, pumped milk has a different microbiota profile that offers less immune protection for the infant.14
We cannot allow ourselves to reach a place where “women,” “mothers,” and “breastfeeding” become obsolete words, particularly in academia and science.
Source: Losing Women, Losing Breastfeeding: A Crisis of Words | Breastfeeding Medicine