Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Publication Title

Women's Reproductive Health

Keywords

exclusive pumping, motherhood, photo elicitation, emotionality, materiality

Abstract

Exclusive pumping (i.e., providing breast milk solely via pumping) is increasingly common in the United States, yet remains largely invisible in public discourse. This study uses photo-elicitation interviews to examine how exclusive pumping mothers narrate the emotional and material tensions of their feeding journeys. Participants’ photographs revealed profound pride in sustaining breast milk for their children, alongside frustration at not nursing “naturally.” Participants also documented the substantial responsibilities, financial costs, and emotional labor inherent in exclusive pumping. Despite these challenges, mothers framed their experiences through cultural narratives of intensive and total motherhood, positioning exclusive pumping as a morally and socially responsible choice that prioritized their child’s well-being above personal comfort or convenience. These findings highlight the intertwined emotional and material realities of exclusive pumping, emphasizing the need to broaden definitions of successful breastfeeding and recognize the embodied labor of feeding in contemporary motherhood.

Funding Source

This work was supported by the University of Southern Indiana under a College of Liberal Arts Faculty Development Award and the College of Arts & Sciences at Illinois State University under a New Faculty Initiative Grant. This article was published Open Access thanks to a transformative agreement between Milner Library and Taylor & Francis.

DOI

10.1080/23293691.2026.2634343

Comments

First published in Women's Reproductive Health (2026): https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2026.2634343

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