Conservative MP accused of ‘spreading misinformation’ with NHS chest-feeding post

A Conservative MP has been accused of “spreading misinformation” after she made a social media post about the use of the term “chest-feeding” on the NHS website.

Shivani Raja, who overturned a Labour majority to win the Leicester East seat at last year’s general election, posted on X/Twitter on Monday (22 September), sharing a screenshot from a page entitled “Chest-feeding if you’re trans or non-binary“, found under the “having a baby if you’re LGBT” sub-section of the health service website.

“To all the women breast-feeding at 4am, with no sleep, no recognition and no consideration by the NHS. Cheers to being biologically correct and politically inconvenient,” the MP wrote.

Chest-feeding is a gender-neutral term which some trans men, non-binary and gender-non-conforming people use to refer to the act of feeding their children with their own milk. However, in recent years, the right-wing media has used it to drum up outrage against the queer – and, in particular, transgender – community by claiming it erases the experiences of women.

To all the women breastfeeding at 4am
With no sleep, no recognition and no consideration by the NHS.
Cheers to being biologically correct and politically inconvenient 🍼 pic.twitter.com/yub88ueXKL

— Shivani Raja MP (@ShivaniRaja_LE) September 22, 2025

However, the NHS website also has a section dedicated to the breast-feeding and experiences of pregnant cis women, including guides on how to overcome any difficulties, enjoying a healthy diet and the rights around breast-feeding in public.

Users on X were quick to point out that Raja was sharing the screenshot without mentioning that this information was readily available. “Why are you purposely spreading misinformation?” one person asked. “This is a specific section of the website for LGBT+ parents. Shameful.”

Another wondered: “Do we really need MPs who can’t navigate a website? The section for breast-feeding women is right there.”

Someone else pointed out: “That’s the ‘having a baby if you’re LGBT+’ section, silly. It’s crazy that you’re so concerned about person-centred care. It’s tailored to everyone. Luckily, you fill in a form with all your info at your first appointment and cis women get all the recognition, actually.”

Others in the same vein said: “You’re looking at the LGBT pages where the language has been adapted specifically. Took me seconds to find the page where ‘breast-feeding’ is used.”

In a statement provided to PinkNews, Raja rejected the notion she was spreading misinformation.

“As a new mum who is currently breastfeeding, I have stated my opinion: being that the term ‘chestfeeding’ does not make things more inclusive, but instead erases the language tied to the very real experience of breastfeeding mothers,” the MP said.

“The breast is not gender exclusive, and it is concerning that our National Health Service does not acknowledge this fact on this page, and instead caters to feelings over facts.

“At no point did I suggest that there wasn’t accessible guidance on breastfeeding.”

Back in 2022, The Times was forced to issue a correction to a story on inclusive language around birthing after publishing an article that claimed officials at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust was telling staff in perinatal services to “say ‘chest-feeding’ instead of ‘breast-feeding’.”

The guidance actually said the trust would be “taking a gender-additive approach” and be “using gender-neutral language alongside the language of motherhood”.

In the correction, The Times admitted: “Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust’s guidance did not advocate the universal substitution of the term ‘breast-feeding’ with ‘chest-feeding’, rather that the term ‘breast/chest-feeding’ should be used instead in the trust’s literature and communications.”

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