Does binding regularly impact breastfeeding later in life?

[DanaRSS]

I've been presenting as a male in public for the first time this year, including binding with a too-small sports bra (yuck), and would like to move up to a real binder.  I'm also interested in having children and would like to breastfeed them.  I've heard that regular binding results in tissue breakdown of some sort, but usually I only hear about how it affects the look of your chest.  Does anyone have personal stories or reliable medical sources related to breastfeeding after binding?

Some details: I'm an A cup (maybe a B now, haven't been sized lately), so I don't plan to get the most hardcore "extreme compression" binders.  I bind maybe three times a week at most, for about 4-6 hours at a time.  Sometimes I'd like to bind around the house, or for a whole day, but that's the sort of thing I can live without if it would impact breastfeeding.

[Joanna Dark]

Don't take my word for this as I don't know for sure but I don't think MTFs can breast feed. Women's breasts have little nodules, almost like mini-nipples, on their areola, and I'm not sure HRT develops them. I believe they are needed for breastfeeding along with the main nipple. Like periods and giving birth, this is something that is probably unachievable for us. There probably have been instances where this has happened. I think it also requires prolactin, which women produce in huge quantities at the end of pregnancy in order to breastfeed. I guess if you you received prolactin it would be possible. I'm no expert so consider the source. There is also the question of if even an MTF could breastfeed, would the milk produced be the same as a cis female. I simply don't know and I doubt there has been research into this.

[DanaRSS]

Thanks for the tips, but I'm actually on the FTM side of things.  : )  Looking for info on whether using a binder to flatten my chest will damage anything so that I can't breastfeed later in life.

[Joanna Dark]

Oh sorry  But I don't think it will effect breastfeeding later in life. Like you said, it may affect their appearance long term, but I doubt it will effect it at all. I think binding will only effect milk production ability short term. Like for a year. The human body is beyond resilient.

[spacial]

Dana

Women have been binding for centuries. I learnt this when I did the obstetrics component of my nursing course. The bra is a new fangled device intended to make women look suitably available.

Found this: http://www.breastfeeding.com/breastfeeding-questions/breast-milk-production/qa/will-binding-help-decrease-milk-supply.aspx Not quite what you need but it makes the point.

Provided it's comfortable, then there should be no problems as far as I know.

Needless to say, if you do ever become pregnant, then things will be rather different. But you know that.