Maternal or Material? Breast Pumps, Sexualization, and Technicways on YouTube

Breast pumps are designed to support infant feeding, yet YouTube videos demonstrating their use often blur the boundary between instruction and sexualized performance. This study examines instructional breast pump demonstration videos to understand how maternal technologies are represented in digital spaces. Using qualitative observational analysis, we identify recurring patterns of sexualized presentation, instructional disclaimers, embodied performance, and algorithmic clustering with adult content. Drawing on technicways theory, we show how a caregiving device becomes embedded in sexualized media practices while remaining policy compliant. Findings extend sociological understandings of deviance, gender, and digital platforms, highlighting implications for content moderation and caregiving information.