Re: Breastfeeding -- Why the women ?
Maybe some information is necessary here! If anyone requires, I will give you references. By the way, I am a certified lactation consultant so I have some experience of these issues.
The production of milk in mammals is given a "kick-off" at birth. The levels of the hormone prolactin rise steadily during pregnannacy but cannot work to start milk production as they are held in check by another hormone, progesterone (which in teh meantime helps eth breast tissue to grow). At birth, the placenta which is responsible for the production of progesterone is delivered right after the baby and so the levels of that hormone drop abruptly allowing the prolactin to start its work. Within 48 hours the milk starts "coming in". But this is only one of the factors that determine and control milk production, and after a few days the importance of hormones for milk production is greatly reduced. What does determine milk production at this point is the removal of milk from the breast, thus the more milk a baby sucks, the more milk is produced. This explains how women can breastfeed twins, for example, or why stopping breastfeeding can stop milk production.
Women who have not given birth CAN breastfeed, as recent and ancient experience of induced lactation show. (Key in "adoptive breastfeeding" or "induced lactation" and you will find lots of info). In many cultures, including in Africa, grandmothers breastfeed their grandchildren, either to help their daughters or when the child's mother dies. In theory there is no reason why men cannot breastfeed and indeed I have heard (rarely) of men who have done it, but I have not seen any scientific proof of it. Personally I have a few doubts on this score. While it is true that men have mammary tissue, the breasts are not sufficiently well developed. Women and men have similar breasts until adolescence, but the female hormones that are released during this period contribute to developing the mammary tissue, especially at every menstrual cycle and during the pregnancy itself. Lacking the multiple hormonal stimulation of ovulation/menstruation and pregnanacy, a man's breasts do not grow, proliferate and differentiate sufficiently to be able to produce the milk that a baby needs. He would need a long and complex hormone treatment in order to imitate natural processes and achieve the condition of sufficient and properly differentiated tissue in order to breastfeed.
Last but not least I'm absolutely convinced that fathers are essential to the success of breastfeeding. But they don't need to try and do it - there is plenty else they can do and well, without wasting time trying to outsmart nature!