The boob diaries: Discourses of breastfeeding in 'exclusive pumping' blogs. (December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Coffey-Glover, Laura
• Is Part Of: Discourse, context & media. Volume 38(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Subjects: Exclusive pumping -- Infant feeding -- Mommy blogs -- Feminist discourse analysis; Discourse analysis -- Periodicals; Digital media -- Periodicals; Mass media and language -- Periodicals; Communication -- Periodicals; Communication; Digital media; Discourse analysis; Mass media and language; Periodicals; 401.4105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dcm.2020.100446
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2211-6958

Abstract

Abstract: This paper uses a feminist discourse analytical approach (Sunderland 2000, 2004; Lazar 2005, 2007 ) to analyse a set of online blogposts and personal webpages from 'exclusive pumpers' (EPers): women who express breastmilk as an alternative to breastfeeding and using infant formula. Using tools from evaluation and stance analysis (Hunston and Thompson, 2000; Bednarek 2006; Myers 2010 ), I examine how EPers construct opinions about exclusive pumping and breastfeeding. The analysis is centred around three interrelated discourses of exclusive pumping (that are both positively and negatively valued): (1) exclusive pumping as equivalent to breastfeeding; (2) exclusive pumping as a challenge; (3) exclusive pumping as mitigating a failure to breastfeed. This nexus of discourses can be viewed as being underpinned by an 'overarching' discourse (Sunderland 2000 ) of 'exclusive pumping as abnormal'. The implications of this hegemonic, overarching discourse are discussed in relation to a constructed dichotomy of 'breastfeeding' versus 'bottle feeding'. I show how this dichotomy, and the hegemonic discourse of 'EPing as abnormal'/'breast is best' serves to (re)produce discourses of normative motherhood.