Mother’s Milk: Breastfeeding Controversies in American Culture Book Review

Mother’s Milk: Breastfeeding Controversies in American Culture

Where to buy: www.amazon.com

Bernice Hausman, the author of the book “Mother’s Milk: Breastfeeding Controversies in American Culture” is a Professor of English at Virginia Tech. The book is a well written and excellently researched review of the breastfeeding culture and history in the US.

The author draws on her own personal experience as a mother who went to great lengths to breastfeed her children as well as on her vast knowledge of the breastfeeding research literature. She opens up a discussion of modern breastfeeding issues and controversies and explores why breastfeeding is not a cultural norm in the United States. She also discusses the values of the La Leche League, who promote breastfeeding and offer lactation support. In her book she also talks about well known breastfeeding advocates who are pushing for breastfeeding to be culturally accepted in the US.

The American Academy of Paediatrics’ recommendation suggests that infants should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months in their life. However, the reality in the US is that only about 14% are exclusively breastfed for the first six months. In her book, the author examines the conflict that exists between the recommendations by the AAP, the philosophy of the LLL and the issues associated with working mothers and the modern world.

The author also discusses the different views of feminists and breastfeeding mothers and tries to open a dialogue between the two sometimes conflicting parties to achieve a balance between the baby’s and mother’s needs in terms of breastfeeding and the constraints a working mother faces.

This book is a must-read for anybody who is interested in breastfeeding issues. It will give women the opportunity to make an informed choice about the health and cultural issues associated with nursing a baby. The author advocates that breastfeeding is a natural part of every mother’s being, but because of external conflicts women face nowadays, this natural part has to be relearned.

Tags: book reviews, breastfeeding books