How Over-Sexualizing Breasts Affects Breastfeeding, with Abby Theuring

If you breastfeed, you’ll find that your breasts undergo a radical identity shift from culturally sexual to biologically nurturing. So what does that have to do with how you feel while doing it, your ability to nurse in public, your decision on how long to breastfeed, having to deal with strangers opinions, and feeling many unwanted feelings like indignation and shame? Also, why do men have nipples? The Badass Breastfeeder Abby Theuring has answers. Check it out.

What we talked about:

• Dunking your breast in a cup of hot water
• The difference between sexualization and oversexualization of breasts
• Biologically normal vs culturally accepted
• What are your they really for?
• Male nipples as pacifiers
• Your breasts also suffer an identity crisis
• Impact of this sexualization on breastfeeding initiation
• How have breasts been represented during your life?
• Information is power: learn what your breast can do
• Feeling like a cow
• Can they be both nurturing and tantalizing?
• Why does nursing in public make people so uncomfortable?
• Shaming vs. supporting
• The pros and cons of lactation stations
• Who really needs the privacy?
• Implications of sexualization on extended breastfeeding
• Does extended breastfeeding cause psychological harm?
• Dealing with critics, getting comfortable
• The misinformation regarding kids seeing breastfeeding
• Social media as a tool for normalizing breastfeeding
• What about gender fluidity?
• Encouraging father-child intimacy

Helpful resources & links*:

• The Sexualisation Of Breasts – What Has Caused It?
• America’s sexualization of breasts is so pervasive even other women think public breastfeeding is gross
• The Sexualization of Breasts & the Taboo of Breast Feeding
• Are the men of the African Aka tribe the best fathers in the world?
• Men Can Also Offer Their Babies a Nipple
• The Badass Breastfeeding Podcast, and Facebook page
• Global Big Latch On

Related Birthful Episodes:

• Nursing in Public, with Michelle Hickman
• Your Baby, The Mammal, with Diane Wiessinger (Part 1)
• Tongue and Lip Ties, with Dianne Cassidy
• Epidurals & Breastfeeding, with Dianne Cassidy

About Abby Theuring

Abby Theuring is a blogger, podcaster, public speaker, activist, wife and mother of 2 who lives in Chicago, IL. She writes and speaks about everything breastfeeding. Abby has a master’s degree in Social Work and worked with abused and neglected teenagers for 14 years before her son, Jack, was born. Upon the birth of her son, she quit her job and refocused her passion for advocacy to breastfeeding. Abby struggled to get started with breastfeeding and now hopes to empower mothers through her blog, The Badass Breastfeeder, and her podcast, The Badass Breastfeeding Podcast.

Title music: “Vibe Ace” by Kevin MacLeod, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).

Sponsorship music: “Air Hockey Saloon” by Chris Zabriskie, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).