Hi Everyone,
A pregnant woman I know was discussing breastfeeding with me yesterday and
was telling me about the National Childbirth Trust class she attended where a
bf counsellor was giving the new mums a rundown on breastfeeding. As she has
eczema, she is very keen on breastfeeding her baby but she is worried about
how she feels about it.

Unfortunately, the bf counsellor inadvertantly said something which has made
her feel even more uncomfortable about it - that breastfeeding is a psycho-
sexual activity and can give women a pleasurable sensation. A classmate also
told her how she had read of women having an orgasm while breastfeeding. This
is really bugging her and making her feel that breastfeeding is very
distasteful.

During our conversation, I breastfed Alice, my new baby and asked her if she had
a problem with that. No, definitely not, she said. We discussed how it might
seem different once she has her real, live baby in her arms (I shared with her
that the thought didn't appeal to me before I had my first). We also talked
about how you cannot tell how you feel about something before trying it, and
tossed around ideas about coping with feelings of modesty etc.

So concerned was she about this, that she was telling me she is considering
using a breastpump instead of nursing directly. I showed her some stuff off the
InterNet I have been collecting about "pumping" (questions and answers off the
newsgroups etc), plus LLL and NCT literature and I think she decided that it
would be easier to breastfeed directly most of the time, despite her feelings.

She is so motivated to ensure her baby gets only breastmilk, I am sure she will
succeed but I wondered what people's thoughts were on this. It has made me a
little concerned about how we are "selling" breastfeeding.
--
Anna (mummy to Emma, born 17th Jan 1995 and Alice, born 11th Sept 1996)
Web Page: http://www.ratbag.demon.co.uk/anna