Government-funded report urges NHS to use terms 'chestfeeding' and 'frontal birth'

Maternity services should use 'inclusive' terms like 'chestfeeding' so "trans pregnant people" aren't offended, a Government-funded report says. 

The report said inclusive terms should be used across NHS services and people and national guidance should be introduced to ensure pregnant trans have the option of their preferred words.

The report claimed that another example of a gender-loaded term is 'vaginal birth', recommending 'frontal' or 'lower birth' be used instead.

'It is not possible to guess the language someone might use to describe themselves based on how they look or sound, or who they are in a relationship with,' the report reads. 

The charity also says some trans and non-binary people would benefit from having a private space in hospitals to give birth, so that they are not made uncomfortable by seeing women. 

The new report was commissioned by the Health & Wellbeing Alliance, a partnership between charities and the NHS, which is managed jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.