Breastfeeding and intimacy
Psychosexual functioning refers to the relationship between psychological factors and sexual functioning. Breastfeeding may influence psychosexual functioning at a variety of levels, from the individual to the relational. A number of physiological transitions take place after parturition and the initiation of breastfeeding that may affect sexual intimacy. Depressive symptoms may interfere with psychosexual functioning in both men and women. Breastfeeding and sexual intimacy are enacted within particular social and cultural contexts. Sexualization of the breast in Euro-American societies creates psychological dissonance in a woman's perception of her dual identity as a mother and as a sexual partner. Social stigma also influences men's responses to sexual intimacy with a breastfeeding partner. Both long-term and short-term breastfeeding have been shown to improve sexual and emotional intimacy between mothers and fathers. More research is required to understand non-heteronormative and adoptive breastfeeding in relation to psychosexual functioning.
