Beyond the pleasure of breastfeeding: Delving into the sexuality of lactating women

Abstract

Background and purpose: Exploration of sexuality during breastfeeding is scarce and often a silent aspect, leading to a lack of understanding. Breastfeeding is understood as part of a woman’s sexual development, discovering and connecting with a new person through the breast on a physical, hormonal, and emotional level. Recent studies discuss the pleasure some mothers experience while breastfeeding. The aim of this study was to explore this dimension and investigate more specific aspects of women’s sexuality during breastfeeding. Methods: This was a qualitative study with a phenomenological approach. The sample was obtained from breast-feeding and parenting groups in different districts of Barcelona, Spain. A total of 32 women breastfeeding and meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria were contacted. Of them, a sample of 18 participants was recruited, and data collection was through private individual structured interviews, later analyzed using the Giorgi methodology. Results: Virtually all women found breastfeeding pleasurable, and about half of the participants had experienced exciting sensations while nursing their newborns. Few had shared this experience before participating in this study. Conclusions: Addressing sexuality during this stage is essential to comprehend women’s experiences and create knowledge in this area. Sharing and informing contribute to the normalization and healthy experience of physiologicalprocesses within this field, sexuality during breastfeeding.