“Too Old” and “Too Cold”: Discomfort Towards Photographs of Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy and Public Breastfeeding in Nova Scotia, Canada

Background: Social norms and public perception of breastfeeding are well-established predictors of breastfeeding outcomes; however, little is known about perceptions of breastfeeding beyond infancy or public breastfeeding among the public in Nova Scotia, Canada. Research Aim: To explore public opinion about breastfeeding beyond infancy and public breastfeeding. Methods: In this cross-sectional study participants were recruited from public spaces in Nova Scotia, Canada. Using photo elicitation methods, participants ( N = 229) viewed six photographs of breastfeeding children aged 2 weeks, 13 months, and 2.5 years, one photograph captured at home, and the other in a public space (a café, a store, or outdoors). Participants were asked to score their self-rated comfort with each photograph on a 10.0 cm visual analog scale and asked to share their feelings about each photograph (open-ended responses). Results: Mean ( SD) visual analog scale comfort scores for photographs differed by location (private, 7.9 [2.2]; public, 7.3 [2.6]; p < .05) and child age (2 weeks, 8.5 [2.0]; 13 months, 7.5 [2.6]; 2.5 years, 6.9 [3.0]; p < .05). Participants who identified as women and parents self-reported significantly higher comfort with all photographs, while younger participants and urban dwellers were generally less comfortable. Open-ended responses varied considerably, but a higher proportion of negative comments were reported for older children feeding in public spaces (e.g., 2.5-year-old in public: “Inappropriate. Indecent. Abnormal.”). Conclusion: Given the importance of social norms in supporting breastfeeding, future public health campaigns should strive to normalize breastfeeding beyond infancy, and in public spaces.

Beliefs about Men’s Sexual Self-Control Predict Attitudes toward Women’s Immodest Clothing and Public Breastfeeding

Why do some people have negative views toward mundane behaviors such as women breastfeeding in public or wearing revealing clothing? We suggest that moral opposition to these behaviors may partly stem from their perceived effects on men’s sexual responses. We hypothesized that (a) people would stereotype men as having relatively less control of their sexual urges (i.e., lower sexual self-control) compared to women and that (b) stereotypes about men’s sexual self-control would uniquely predict attitudes about women’s mundane (but potentially sexually arousing) behaviors. Five studies show that (a) people stereotyped men (vs. women) as lacking sexual self-control (Study 1) and (b) endorsement of this stereotype was associated with opposition to public breastfeeding and immodest clothing (Studies 2-5). The effects hold even after controlling for potential confounds and seem specific to relevant moral domains, although women (vs. men) tend not to view these behaviors as moral issues.

Att känna sig obekväm men amma ändå

To Feel Uncomfortable but Still Breastfeed Problematic feelings and bodies in narratives about public breastfeeding Lina Metsämäki This article focuses on problems and strategies that are activated when a breastfeeding individual is engaging in activities in public spaces. The aim was to examine through the engendered feelings of being uncomfortable which problems a person encounters and what these feelings do to their body. This was done through a close reading of five interviews about breastfeeding in public and comments on an article about public breastfeeding published on the webpages of Svenska Yle during the summer of 2017. Feelings of being uncomfortable did not stop the informants from breastfeeding in public, but the feelings made their bodies engage with the space in a different manner. The informants regulated their bodies through their feelings of being uncomfortable. They used strategies to make their breastfeeding as invisible as possible, such as turning away from public attention or using certain clothes or scarves to conceal they are nursing or going into another room to breastfeed. Feelings like fear, disgust, embarrassment, shame and pain are all connected to the feeling of being uncomfortable. The problems are also connected to the sexual connotations of the female breast and it was important for the informants not to come across as being sexual while breastfeeding. Since the breast is usually considered sexual and men are assumed to be sexually attracted to female breasts problems arise. Other problems concern the fact that other people may be made to feel uncomfortable or being pointed out and receiving negative comments while breastfeeding. Bodily functions can be problematic as well, especially leaking breastmilk that may leave stains on clothing. Another problem was breaking the norms surrounding breastfeeding, for instance by breastfeeding an older child.

Engaging African American Parents to Develop a Mobile Health Technology for Breastfeeding: KULEA-NET

Background African Americans breastfeed less than other groups, which has implications for health throughout the life course. Little is known about mobile health technologies to support breastfeeding. Research aims This study proceeded in two phases. The aim of Phase 1 was to identify ideal technological components and content of a mobile health intervention. The aim of Phase 2 was to determine the usability of a prototype, KULEA-NET, based on the Phase 1 findings. Methods For this mixed-methods study, we used community-based participatory research methods and user-centered technology design methods. We used open coding in NVivo 11 to organize data from focus groups and in-depth interviews, then we analyzed the data. We then developed a prototype and tested the prototype’s usability with the System Usability Scale. Fifty pregnant and postpartum African Americans from the District of Columbia participated. Results Participants preferred an app with text messaging technology and identified areas for intervention: self-efficacy, parent-child attachment beliefs, social support, public breastfeeding and social desirability, and returning to work. Desired features included local resources, support person access, baby care logs, identification of public breastfeeding venues, and peer discussions. The System Usability Scale score was 73.8, which indicates above average usability. Conclusions A mobile health technology like KULEA-NET can be used to meet the breastfeeding needs of African Americans, build social desirability, and complement traditional health care. The appeal of an African American-specific intervention is unclear. Responding to mixed feeding practices is challenging. KULEA-NET is a mobile breastfeeding intervention guided by the preferences of African American parents and offers promising usability metrics.

From “Nurturing” to “Indecent”: Discomfort Towards Photographs of Breastfeeding Among Adults in Nova Scotia, Canada

Objectives Although the World Health Organization recommends continued breastfeeding for 2 years and beyond, adherence rates are low in Canada and the United States. One major barrier to following this recommendation is an unsupportive culture and social stigma around breastfeeding. Our objective was to assess attitudes towards photographs of breastfeeding children of varying ages and locations among the general population in Nova Scotia, Canada. Methods In a self-administered questionnaire, participants recruited in public spaces were asked to react to six photographs depicting women breastfeeding children aged 2 weeks, 13 months and 30 months in both private (e.g., home) and public (e.g., store) locations. Participants self-rated their comfort levels using a visual analog scale (VAS; scale from 0 [not at all comfortable] to 10 [very comfortable]), and also provided open-ended qualitative reactions to the images. Sociodemographic information was also collected. Results We surveyed 229 participants (60% women, 40% men). Mean age was 44 years (range 19–95 years), 73% self-identified as white, and 77% were born in Canada. The majority of participants were parents (69%), and 69% of parents reported that their children were breastfed. Mean (95% CI) self-rated comfort differed significantly by location and child age. VAS scores indicated higher comfort for images in private locations (7.9, 7.7–8.1) compared to public locations (7.3, 7.0–7.5; P = 0.001), and for images of younger (8.5, 8.3–8.7) compared to older children (6.9, 6.6–7.2; P &lt; 0.001). Women and parents had higher comfort with all images compared to men and non-parents (P &lt; 0.05). Younger participants (19–29 years) were less comfortable with images of public breastfeeding compared to older participants (P &lt; 0.05). Text-based reactions suggest lower approval of images of public breastfeeding and increased child age, but varied highly, including comments from “nurturing” to “indecent”. Conclusions Comfort and acceptance of breastfeeding among adults in Nova Scotia is influenced by location and child age. Negative perceptions of public breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding into young childhood may affect adherence to global breastfeeding recommendations. Funding Sources Mount Saint Vincent University New Scholars Grant, CN Student Research Internship.

Bare Flesh and Sticky Milk: An Affective Conflict Over Public Breastfeeding

On New Year’s Day 2016, a photograph of a breastfeeding woman taken by a Finnish celebrity sparked a social media debate over mothers nursing in public. By analyzing Instagram posts and a discussion forum thread, this article explores the affective body politics involved in this short-lived yet intense social media debate. It examines the power of hashtags and images in mobilizing motherhood as a site of political agency. Concurrently, it investigates how social media users negotiated the appropriate public presentations of the female body and how the celebrity’s gayness became an object of negative affect. The analysis of the incident makes visible how social norms concerning motherhood and heteronormativity are articulated in social media. It also demonstrates how affect sticks to images, texts, and bodies and becomes a binding force in social media discussions concerning them. The article argues that Instagram’s hashtag practices facilitated affective engagement for those following #teriniitti. It further argues that the affective dynamics of the case demonstrate how affective intensities stick on gay bodies and lactating bodies as objects of disgust, fascination, and desire.