Experiencing sexual pleasure or getting excited sexually while breastfeeding: what should I do?

Background: breastfeeding and the experience of female sexuality may have different meanings for women, influenced by their social interactions. Experiencing sexual pleasure or sexual excitement will be hidden, by women and by... [ view full abstract ]

Background: breastfeeding and the experience of female sexuality may have different meanings for women, influenced by their social interactions. Experiencing sexual pleasure or sexual excitement will be hidden, by women and by society. Objective: to analyze the experience of sexual pleasure or getting excited sexually while breastfeeding from women’s perspective. Method: qualitative descriptive research whose data collection took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in open places where there are many different people. The variety of scenarios allowed us to find a diversity of participants and conceptions about the subject studied. We interviewed 17 women in two theoretical sample groups. Data collection and analysis took place from May to October 2014 and followed the Grounded Theory Methodology. Results: we identified the categories: Meaning breastfeeding as a sacred, innocent and asexual act; Experiencing sexual sensations in breastfeeding; and the core category Making a decision: "to block" or "to let it go". The content of these categories expresses the situation where some women have never experienced the sensations. They categorically reject this possibility for themselves, but admit this experience to other women. There are also women who experienced sensations of sexual pleasure or got excited sexually while breastfeeding and decided to go on without fear of judgment. Some of them have a conflict, so, decided to block any possibility of these sensations. The sacralization of breastfeeding, as well as the function of nurturing, was the symbolism that breastfeeding must be pure, free of eroticism, a demonstration of maternal pleasure and love. Thus, sexual excitement when breastfeeding is considered abnormal for many women. Women who experience it usually feel guilty about it. Conclusion: This study shows how women define and face the sensations of sexual pleasure or sexual excitement during breastfeeding. Experiencing sexual pleasure while breastfeeding is a real possibility and women do not have to feel guilty about it. Nurse midwives should support them to decide to block or let it go, according to their own understanding of the phenomenon, without fear of judgement from health care professionals or their social group.