Breastfeeding Woman or Lactating Object? A Critical Philosophical Discussion on the Influence of Cartesian Dualism on Breastfeeding in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Aim This discursive paper aims to bring to the foreground the ongoing influence of Cartesian dualism and other important contextual complexities on breastfeeding in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Background Breastfeeding is widely supported as the optimal form of nutrition for the first 6 months of life and beyond. Amidst a myriad of contextual factors, current breastfeeding rates are below globally targeted goals. For premature and/or critically ill infants, the importance of receiving breast milk is often encouraged based on its immunological and nutritive benefits as opposed to the entirety of the breastfeeding interaction, underscoring the influence of dualism in the NICU. Design The impact of Cartesian dualism and other sociocultural underpinnings of breastfeeding focused within the NICU environment are illustrated through a critical, philosophical discussion. Methods Relevant historical context is provided followed by an overview of the realities of contemporary breastfeeding. These are presented as a frame of reference for the NICU breastfeeding experiences currently encountered by many mothers of preterm and critically ill neonates, further illustrated using a clinical exemplar as well as the author's own observations from neonatal nursing practice. Relevance to clinical practice Shifting away from a dualistic approach requires rethinking breastfeeding support interactions between NICU nurses and mothers. To address the disembodied and often mechanistic approach to care inherent in the dominant Western medical model, a relational approach to breastfeeding support in the NICU is suggested and discussed. Conclusion Future research from a more critical lens is needed to examine the complex dynamics involved when nurses and mothers are negotiating decisions and processes related to infant feeding. In focusing on the relational dimensions of the breastfeeding experience, nurses can resist the dualistic influence and dominant discourses impacting infant feeding and motherhood in the 21st century.