Merilee, I think you are probably on to something here.....

In about 1990 one of the milk companies did some research here in the UK, and
their findings included the interesting observation that women who were
comfortable with breastfeeding were more likely to use digital tampons (i.e.
without applicators) --the theory being that these women are more comfortable
coming into contact with their own bodily secretions.

This research had a number of interesting features, but what was published was
low -- practically content-free -- on methodology.  I read in Pat Hoddinott's
MPhil thesis (she of the Jan BMJ article on breastfeeding support for women in
the East End of London) that she approached the company's researchers asking for
detalis on their methods but they were reluctant to share anything.

However, I have long felt that this is a promising line of enquiry for
understanding the differences in why individual women are comfortable with
beginning and continuing breastfeeding.  It ties in with  whole body image and
with attitude to managing physical aspects of bodies and 'mess' -- or 'blood and
dirt' as Sylvia Hunt and Anthea Symonds called it in their book 'The Social
Meaning of Midwifery'.

I too have noticed women calling their mammary glands 'chests', 'busoms',
'boobs'.  I think there is a real 'respectability' thing here.  Think of
Victorian women who could not say 'legs' and covered their piano limbs.  Think
of how -- for most of us -- the name for male genitals still poses a problem
when we come to talk to our children.  (Many eyes were flung open with surprise
when my little three year old went to playschool talking matter-of-factly about
his penis -- he had never heard the word 'willy'.  And this was only after a
long discussion when his father reluctantly agreed that it would be no favour to
teach him the word *he* had used from very early childhood: 'cock'.  And
,actually, although I spent the first 20 years of my life in the USA, I don't
know what you all would call it.)

We have sanitised our picture of our world and our bodies.

Magda Sachs
BreastfeedingSupporter, BfN

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