> Just like our culture teaching us that breasts are sexy, so it teaches us
> that sex is something big and important and a prerequisite to a happy life.
> to the wall and "Think of the queen."  The cult of sex is relatively recent,
> and limited mostly to western cultures.

Thanks for the information Kathy, it's interesting.

We have a tv show here in Québec called "Sexe et confidances"--sex and
confidences (secrets).  They show stuff everywhere from homosexuals
(being interviewed), to dildos, to people who prefer whips and chains to
AIDS...and they did a segment on demystifying the sexuality of
breastfeeding in about october or november of 2000.  I watched it and I
thought it was fairly well done, given this is one of those political
shows where people call in, etc.  There were 2 women nursing on TV, one
nursing a boy of about 18 mos, the other nursing a young female
baby...maybe 4-7 mos old, I can't remember.  The one nursing the older
boy also made mention that she was "still" nursing his older sister, 3.5
yrs of age.  They are now 2.5 and 4.5 and "still nursing".  The sister
says, when her mom asks when she'll wean, "when I'm old like you mom". 
;-)

Anyhow...on Monday the 17th of december (day after tomorrow) at 1 pm
this TV show will be showing a special called something like "Papa
during holiday times".  For a small bit of background, the bf support
group I am part of (Allaitement Québec) has one male member.  Luc is the
father of 2 breastfed children, a boy (3.5) and a girl (about 9 mos),
both "still" nursing of course.  He had the same training I had (and the
other volunteers had) which is a 3 month course teaching (mainly) women
who have nursed a minimum of 9 months the ins and outs of various parts
of lactation that they may or may not have encountered (thrush, latch
problems, etc.), including diplomacy over the phone, etc.  We do
volunteer work in way of monthly meetings, and phone help, and can visit
the person at their house if both parties really feel it is necessary. 
If we can't find a solution to the problem (which most of the time is
moms calling to say they're "low on milk") then we call in one of our
IBCLC'S.  So, Luc had the same training as we did, though he never
nursed a child (well, he says when his wife is in the shower and the
baby, still a newborn, is frantic, he tries usually unsuccessfully to
console it at the breast...), but his goal is to set up meetings
(perhaps less often than on a montly basis) for fathers to come to,
since a lot of dads seem uncomfortable in a "women's meeting".  In the
meantime, he does go to the regular monthly meetings in his town, and
last month, as both other ressource persons were ill, he actually led
the meeting, to the astonishment of the ladies there.  I gather it went
over VERY well, once they realized they *were* in the right place with
the right person.

So...Luc knows a fair amount about bf from a father's point of view, and
has given talks in Québec city about it when we had a "breastfeeding
trade show" type thing last fall (2000).  He was contacted by the show
to talk about libido and breastfeeding from the man's point of view. 
I'm sure that as usual in these types of shows the host may try and get
him to say things he doesn't necessarily want to say...and there will be
callers calling in challenging things...but I am confident that he knows
as much as anyone in that situation could so I am eager to see what it
will be like.  I do not know if they will have someone "from the other
camp" (i.e. proclaiming that bf ruined their sex life or something like
that) or not, but I'm sure Luc, who is very calm cool and collected,
will do a very good job with whatever happens.

I made sure to tell him to remember there ARE women out there whose sex
drive does go up during nursing.  Sometimes not immediately following
the birth, but sometimes later on...

Fio.

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