Fluid Materiality in Health Communication

Area of Science:

• Sociology of Health and Illness
• Object-Oriented Ontology
• Maternal Health Studies

Background:

• Standard biomedical advice for infant sleep often overlooks the nuanced experiences of mothers.
• The concept of 'breastsleeping' challenges conventional safe sleep guidelines.
• The agency of non-human entities, like breastmilk, in health practices is under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential for objects to play an active role in shaping maternal health behaviors.
• To explore the concept of 'breastsleeping' through a maternal lived experience.
• To advocate for new research methodologies that incorporate the 'voice' of objects in understanding health.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative autoethnography utilizing personal breastfeeding experiences.
• Phenomenological exploration of the mother-infant dyad and the role of breastmilk.
• Theoretical integration of object-oriented ontology with health behavior studies.

Main Results:

• The mother's body and breastmilk were perceived as active agents influencing infant sleep and feeding behaviors.
• A shift from rigid adherence to biomedical advice towards an embodied, object-informed practice of 'breastsleeping' occurred.
• The study highlights the limitations of current health inquiry systems in capturing the agency of objects.

Conclusions:

• Objects, such as breastmilk, possess agency that can significantly shape health behaviors.
• Embracing an object-inclusive approach to inquiry can lead to a more holistic understanding of maternal and infant health.
• Further research is needed to develop methodologies that facilitate dialogue with objects in health studies.