Nursing mothers' social representations regarding sexualities in the breastfeeding context: a correspondence factor analysis.
Ana Beatriz Azevedo Queiroz, Edilene Macedo Cordeiro Figueiredo, Ana Luiza de Oliveira Carvalho and 5 others
PMID 39625238WHAT IT FOUND
Breastfeeding mothers aged 18 to 29 linked sexuality in breastfeeding to embarrassment and care measures; aged 30 to 40, tiredness and no libido; nursing more than 1 year, normal.
Ask about body image, desire, and support.
Key findings
01Among 110 nursing mothers, 78% had resumed sexual life, but 65% reported no desire or pleasure in sexual relations.
02For sexuality during breastfeeding, mothers aged 18 to 29 and those nursing 7 months to 1 year linked it to embarrassment and care measures.
03Mothers aged 30 to 40 linked it to tiredness, sexual intercourse, and no libido, while mothers nursing more than 1 year linked it to normal.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 110 nursing mothers from one Human Milk Bank in northern Brazil were studied, and all were living with partners and registered for breastfeeding support. The study used brief word associations to two prompts, not interviews about detailed sexual experiences or health outcomes. It did not test any nursing intervention, so it cannot show that asking about sexuality improves breastfeeding, sexual satisfaction, or reproductive health. Participants were asked from the 45th postpartum day onward, so very early postpartum experiences were not represented.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that nurses should change routine care to improve outcomes. It describes mothers' social representations and reported sexual activity; it did not test an intervention or measure clinical change.