When I asked how breastfeeding affected nursing mothers’ sex lives, the results were quite mixed. The good news is that 34% of respondents said that breastfeeding enhanced their sex lives at some point, and an additional 18% said breastfeeding neither enhanced nor hampered their sex lives. The bad news is that 36% said that breastfeeding hampered their sex lives at some point. An additional 30% answered “What sex life?!” (I suspect that has more to do with new parenthood and sleep deprivation than breastfeeding alone.)
Here are my musings, for what they are worth (leave a comment if you agree …read more

The reaction to this “Bond with your baby. Bond with your man” poster was strong and the comments section developed an interesting discussion. I would like to open the question up to everyone — how has breastfeeding affected your sex life? Does your partner enjoy your new bustline, and/or has breastfeeding left you “touched out” at the end of the day? Do you feel the breastfeeding hormones have affected you in any way? Or are you simply too tired as a new parent to make this anything but a moot question?
{democracy:48}
Feel free to leave a comment to explain your answer.

When my channel editor asked everyone in the Health and Wellness channel to compile the five best posts from each blog, I had to stop and think for a while. What makes a “best” post? I don’t think it’s necessarily the most popular post or the most commented on post. I think it’s the post of which I am most proud, the post into which I put extra effort and care. So I offer for your consideration, in no particular order:
1. Everything You Wanted to Know about Breastfeeding, Sex and Breast Milk Fetishes but Were Afraid to Ask — talk …read more

In another segment of their free videos on breastfeeding in public, nurses and lactation consultants Corky Harvey and Wendy Haldeman address some fascinating questions:
~ Does seeing a woman breastfeed stimulate people sexually?
~ Is breastfeeding perceived as a sexual act?
~ Are breasts just good for sex?
~ Why do some people feel shame when they see a woman breastfeeding?
~ How can we change people’s minds about the sexualization of breastfeeding?
~ What should we think when we see a breastfeeding mother?
~ Should a mother use a blanket to cover up while breastfeeding?
~ Has shame driven more women to use formula when they’re in …read more

June 11th to the 17th is National Men’s Health Week, so men take center stage at this month’s b5media Science and Health Theme Day hosted by Gloria at Cancer Commentary. It’s a bit hard for a breastfeeding blog to participate in a theme day about Men’s Health (unless men want to hear about all the benefits they received as a breastfed baby) so I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk about men’s sexual health and answer some burning questions men may have about breastfeeding, sex and breast milk fetishes.
How does breastfeeding affect my wife’s sex drive?
Any new mother …read more

Yesterday I mentioned my list of Top Ten Things to Do while Breastfeeding. Just in case you need more ideas:
1. Do Kegel exercises. After childbirth (or at any time!) a mother can do Kegels to strengthen her pelvic floor muscles (the pubococcygeus muscles). These exercises, which can be done without anyone else even knowing, help enhance sexual pleasure (assuming the new mother is even interested in sex after her six-week postpartum checkup!) and prevent urinary incontinence.
2. Listen to music.
3. Smell that wonderful baby smell!
4. Practice deep breathing and relaxation exercises. Deep breathing, progressive muscular relaxation and eliciting the relaxation response …read more