lactophilia (n) sexual arousal caused by lactating breasts and/or breastfeeding

Anna was pumping lunch for her newborn, and the sight aroused her husband so much they ended up having vigorous sex while he sucked both of her breasts dry.

In celebration of Mother’s Day on Sunday, this week’s word is a nod to the tireless and often thankless work many mothers do in feeding their infants—and the community that’s unapologetically turned on by it.

Lactophilia, also known as milk fetishism and erotic lactation, is the basis of ANRs (adult nursing relationships), which consist of a lactating woman and an adult partner who is typically—but not always—male. ANRs by nature have to be consistent and long-term: An interruption in nursing could cause the woman to cease producing milk. Breastfeeding can be sexually gratifying for both partners as it’s not unheard of for a woman to climax while suckling. This fetish can sometimes accompany but should not be conflated with infantilism (sexual arousal from playing an adult baby) or maieusiophilia (a fetish for pregnant women).

According to a study from sexologist Justin Lehmiller that was previously published on Playboy, a third of 40,000 men surveyed had indulged in erotic fantasies about breast milk at least once. The terms lactation and milk squirt bring forth a bevy of results on PornHub; a wealth of fetish sites focus solely on the genre. And breast milk is a big seller in countries including Japan, where select bars sell the life-giving elixir—sometimes even “straight from the tap” for the right price.

Breasts and nipples are already highly eroticized. Lactation fetishists are simply taking an existing desire and milking it for all it’s worth.