Amazon Description:
Mother's Milk examines why nursing a baby is an
ideologically charged experience in contemporary culture. Drawing
upon medical studies, feminist scholarship, anthropological
literature, and an intimate knowledge of breastfeeding itself,
Bernice Hausman demonstrates what is at stake in mothers' infant
feeding choices--economically, socially, and in terms of women's
rights. Breastfeeding controversies, she argues, reveal social
tensions around the meaning of women's bodies, the authority of
science, and the value of maternity in American culture. A
provocative and multi-faceted work, Mother's Milk will be of
interest to anyone concerned with the politics of women's
embodiment.
Amazon Review:
What's in a breast? That depends on who's asking, says
Marilyn Yalom, author of this scholarly, illustrated
treatise on the breast in Western society. "Babies see food.
Men see sex. Doctors see disease. Businesspeople see dollar
signs." Breasts have been denounced as wanton, or idealised
as givers of power or life in images of Egyptian goddess
Isis nursing pharoahs; sturdy, maternal Mother Russia; or
the more eroticised, bare-breasted symbol of republican
ideals in France. Psychologists, religious leaders,
advertisers, and pornographers have rhapsodised over,
vilified, and used breasts to sell everything from war to
Cadillacs. And, finally, women have seen in them pleasure,
power, sustenance, fear, or failure to measure up.
Editorial Review:
"The latest book by
pediatrics professor Baumslag and science writer Michels is
not intended as a "how-to" manual but rather as an analysis
of the medical, historical, social, economic, and political
issues surrounding breastfeeding. It includes a lengthy
discussion of aggressive marketing tactics by infant formula
manufacturers and the international efforts taken to
counteract these techniques. Strongly in favor of
breastfeeding under virtually any circumstances, the authors
convincingly illustrate its medical and economic benefits to
mothers, infants, and the general population."
--Tina Neville, Univ. of South
Florida at St. Petersburg Lib.
Amazon Review:
The health benefits of breast milk for infants are almost
universally acknowledged--but how realistic is it for all
working women to nurse? What about those mothers who have a
hard time making the transition between viewing their
breasts as erogenous zones and seeing them as baby's buffet?
There is even controversy about what exactly constitutes
breast-feeding: are sucklings weaned at six weeks or infants
fed breast-pumped milk through a bottle truly "breast"
babies? Blum's analysis of such issues is respectful of the
social and psychological imperatives that inform a woman's
decision on whether or not to breast-feed.
Amazon Description:
Fully explores the political, economic, and social
implications of bottle feeding versus breastfeeding.
One customer review stated "I didn't understand
breastfeeding advocacy until I read this book. Gabrielle
Palmer covers all the bases on why we need to protect future
generations from the mass marketing of infant formula, and
how those products have become so prevalent throughout our
society and the world."
Amazon Description:
Examines the intersection
of medical science, social theory, and cultural practices as they
shaped relations among wet nurses, physicians, and families from the
colonial period through the twentieth century. Janet Golden's study contributes to our understanding of
the cultural authority of medical science, the role of physicians in
shaping child rearing practices, the social construction of
motherhood, and the profound dilemmas of class and culture that
played out in the private space of the nursery.
Amazon Description:
On the whole, the debates surrounding the issues of
breast-feeding - often reflecting ethnographic and ill-informed
medical and demographic approaches - have failed to treat the deeper
issues. The significance of breast-feeding reaches far beyond its
biological function; in fact, the authors of this volume argue,
there is nothing `natural' about breast-feeding itself. On the
contrary, attitudes and practices are socially determined, and
breast-feeding has to be seen as an essential element in the
cultural construction of sexuality. The
highly original focus of this volume throws new light on gender and
on social relationships in general.
"I really enjoyed how in depth the training manuals are. I
feel that I learned so much more than I could have ever
absorbed in a weekend workshop. I often re-read sections to
refresh my memory. I had been told the training through CBI
was very detailed, but I was a little worried that it
wouldn't be enough. I have been very pleased with the
experience and recommend the program to others.
I also love that I could go at my own pace, which is
invaluable with having three little kiddos myself. This was
one of the biggest reasons why I chose CBI." -
Melissa, Ohio
