Dear Dr. Jack,

I'm glad you are doing this interview, better you than the pediatrician who
told me that women who nurse for more than a year do so for their own pleasure
and/or because they are too lazy to fix food for their children!  :-0

I think it is important to differentiate between *intimate* and *sexual* and
*sensual* - many women feel intense love for their baby as a feeding
progresses (as the prolactin peaks, I guess).  A friend of mine claims that is
the best reason to nurse when they are toddlers getting into mischief - you
can nurse and fall in love with them again.

I would also make room for the idea that a woman might relax enough while
nursing (drunk on prolactin/oxytocin?) that her thoughts do lead to sexual
arousal. - but perhaps it is the *brain* at work and the release from everyday
tensions and not so much the "mouth-breast" contact.  The satisfaction of
nursing a baby to sleep and knowing s/he is content helps a woman to relax and
then go and enjoy special time with her husband without fear of interruption
(well, sometimes ;-)).  Repeat that scenario a few times and a behavioralist
might say you are setting up a stimulus-response.

Remind the interviewer, too, that no one can make a baby nurse - they do it
when *they* want and need too - not at the demand of perverted parents.  And
speaking of *parents*  - is anyone asking whether it is erotic for men to see
their wives nursing?  I would sure hate to see wonderful supportive men
labeled as perverted just because they want the best for their children and
appreciate the incredible beauty of God's perfect design.

Certainly people can get confused about their feelings, and being able to
acknowledge and discuss them is probably very beneficial.  We should just
remember that there are many sensual pleasures in life.  Desserts are labeled
"better than sex" because our culture considers that the ultimate physical
experience (and because we don't have a broad vocabulary).  But what about
walking on the beach, climbing a mountain, or drinking cold beer while eating
hot spicy blue crab?  "...snow flakes that stay on my nose and eye lashes,
brown paper packages tied up with string, these are a few of my favorite
things.  When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when (she's) feeling sad -
we simply remember our favorite thing (nursing) and then we don't feel, so,
bad."

Elaine
very glad that we don't have voice email - just pretend I sound exactly like
Julie Andrews ;-)