Tag Archives: Breastfeeding

The Business of Baby by Jennifer Margulis

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Synopsis:
Subtitled, “What Doctors Don’t Tell You, What Corporations Try to Sell You, and How to Put Your Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Before Their Bottom Line.”

Review:
I was basically nodding my head and saying yes yes yes while reading The Business of Baby, which covers pregnancy, birth, and the newborn period and lays out in damning detail how financial considerations are the reason why the US has such abysmal newborn and maternal mortality rates. Because of my work in lactation and had two home births, much of this information was familiar to me, but it was refreshing to see it laid out in such an accessible way. The way mothers and babies are treated in the US makes me so, so sad, and I’m hoping this book leads to some positive change.

Thea Gallas Always Gets Her Man by Kristen Panzer

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Synopsis:
Aspiring lactation consultant Thea just wants to help moms and babies breastfeed, but her knack for observation gets her in over her head when a neighbor goes missing.

Review:
As an international board-certified lactation consultant and La Leche League Leader myself, I instantly fell for Thea. At last, a protagonist after my own heart. I loved seeing my passion represented by such a feisty, smart woman as Thea and it was so fun to read actual facts about breastfeeding in a mystery novel. And the best part is that author Kristen Panzer has a knack for entertaining prose and gives Thea a great voice. Thea Gallas Always Gets Her Man is a real treat for lactivists and mystery lovers alike.

Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History by Florence Williams

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Synopsis:
A journalistic survey of the breast, covering evolutionary biology, immunology, culture, politics, and so much more.

Review:
I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and a La Leche League Leader, so I’m very interested in all things mammary. I loved Breasts as I’d hoped I would. A lot of material was familiar to me, but it was presented in such a way where I was able to make new connections and ponder more deeply on the things I already know. Great book, a must read for any woman, lactating or not!

The Politics of Breastfeeding by Gabrielle Palmer

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Synopsis:
Subtitled: When Breasts are Bad for Business.

Review:
The Politics of Breastfeeding is a history of the ways in which breastfeeding is challenged by societal constructs and business entities. For example, a large portion of the book outlines the ways in which formula manufacturers have spend (and continue to spend) billions of dollars to win customers. That’s not so different than any corporation–except these companies are coming up with ways to prevent mothers and babies from being able to breastfeed. In the case of Nestle, these practices have directly caused the deaths of babies in the developing world.

In Western cultures, breastfeeding is frequently framed as a choice made by the mother. But breastfeeding is chosen for mother and baby by biological hardwiring, and when breastfeeding doesn’t work something has gone wrong somewhere. Our cultural discourse points fingers at individual moms but this book rightly shows that we’re looking in the wrong place. Instead of blaming moms, we should continue to look closely at how to support mothers and babies in all facets–by helping them breastfeed with prenatal education, support during birth and in the immediate post partum period, and developing humane corporate and public practices to help moms continue to breastfeed after returning to work.