The Politics of Breastfeeding
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Product Description
As revealing as "Freakonomics", shocking as "Fast Food Nation" and thought provoking as "No Logo", "The Politics of Breastfeeding" exposes infant feeding as one of the most important public health issues of our time. Every thirty seconds a baby dies from infections due to a lack of breastfeeding and the use of bottles, artificial milks and other risky products. In her powerful book Gabrielle Palmer describes how big business uses subtle techniques to pressure parents to use alternatives to breastmilk. The infant feeding product companies' thirst for profit systematically undermines mothers' confidence in their ability to breastfeed their babies. An essential and inspirational eye-opener, "The Politics of Breastfeeding" challenges our complacency about how we feed our children and radically reappraises a subject which concerns not only mothers, but everyone: man or woman, parent or childless, old or young. It is the 3rd fully revised and updated edition.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
chapter 1: why breastfeeding is political (excerpt)
If a multinational company developed a product that was a nutritionally balanced and delicious food, a wonder drug that both prevented and treated disease, cost almost nothing to produce and could be delivered in quantities controlled by consumers' needs, the announcement of this find would send its shares rocketing to the top of the stock market. The scientists who developed the product would win prizes and the wealth and influence of everyone involved would increase dramatically. Women have been producing such a miraculous substance, breastmilk, since the beginning of human existence, yet they form the least wealthy and the least powerful half of humanity.
As subjects of research, breastfeeding and breastmilk have attracted much attention during recent decades, yet as academic careers thrive on discoveries of how breastfeeding works and what breastmilk contains, women and their babies are still prevented from fulfilling this unique relationship. As knowledge about breastfeeding increases, so do global sales of artificial milks and feeding bottles. This may surprise those who live where breastfeeding is still part of the culture or where well-educated women have access to support, information and their babies. There are policy documents, promotional initiatives and media attention in many countries. However, all over the world women are impeded from protecting their own and their babies' health, and often survival, because of factors beyond their control.
Why, after about a million years of survival, has one of the principal evolutionary characteristics by which we identify ourselves as mammals become so damaged? Have women been freed from a time-wasting biological tyranny to lead nobler, more fulfilling and more equal lives? In this book I examine the political reasons for a situation which has a profound effect on the whole world from the major economic effects of squandering a natural resource to the individual misery of a sick child or an unhappy woman.
Why is it that whether we were breastfed ourselves, or breastfeed our own children, depends on our social and economic position? How is it that in many societies, 100% of poor, undernourished women all breastfeed easily, while in others, groups of privileged, well-nourished women believe they cannot? Why is the right to breastfeed fought for so vehemently by some women and rejected so forcefully by others, often according to their class, education or society? And why, if women participate in the modern economic structures which are claimed to be for the benefit of us all, must the breastfeeding relationship be curtailed and restricted? For many women, what could be a simple compromise becomes an agonising decision. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As someone who had to defend breastfeeding my child, I already had strong views about how society looks at the practise. The first time I read this book (first edition)I found the history behind it fascinating. What really alarmed me, though, was the truth behind formulas and what used to pass as formula! After getting the second edition, I was dismayed to find that nothing had improved in 10 years. This book is well researched an passionate. Be warned! After reading this, you may just become an activist!
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was overwhelmed when I read this book. I think it should be required reading in schools. It's so much more than just about how you feed a baby. It shows how choices have been taken away from women - and men - and how corrupt the world is. It's profoundly powerful, and sad in places. Everyone should read this book. I wonder why Oprah hasn't got hold of it yet?
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It makes me sad that any promotion of breastfeeding is now seen as 'making those who can't feed feel guilty'. This book explores how we have come to this point in the industrialised world, and looks at the impact of unethical marketing practices on developing countries.
Palmer really knows her stuff, and the book is well laid out, though the topic means it's not light reading. The myths around women's lives in history are explored, and I particularly enjoyed the information about natural birth spacing through breastfeeding, knowledge that has been all but lost, leading to more maternal deaths and ill health.
There is some hope, for example from projects in Brazil, but noone makes money from breastfeeding, and sadly I can't see the situation changing anytime soon.
All in all, a powerful book, meticulously researched, and highly recommended. Misses out on 5 stars simply because it seemed to fade at the end, rather than finish with a summing up, which I would have appreciated.
Palmer really knows her stuff, and the book is well laid out, though the topic means it's not light reading. The myths around women's lives in history are explored, and I particularly enjoyed the information about natural birth spacing through breastfeeding, knowledge that has been all but lost, leading to more maternal deaths and ill health.
There is some hope, for example from projects in Brazil, but noone makes money from breastfeeding, and sadly I can't see the situation changing anytime soon.
All in all, a powerful book, meticulously researched, and highly recommended. Misses out on 5 stars simply because it seemed to fade at the end, rather than finish with a summing up, which I would have appreciated.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Essential reading for informed choice
This is essential reading for anyone pregnant or planning to be and also any health workers coming into contact with pregnant women/mothers. Read more
Published 3 months ago by CAN
Thought provoking
I thought this book was fascinating and made me look at breastfeeding and artificial feeding in a whole new context. It literally changed my perspective and opened my eyes. Read more
Published 3 months ago by sjroberts
best book ever
This book is so important. If you have anything to do with babys eating, crying or sleeping then you should read this.
Published 6 months ago by E. K. Devine
MUST READ!
This is a MUST READ for all women...and any man interested in the other parts of history always ignored and denied. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mary Florence
Brilliant
I haven't finished reading this yet, but what I have read of it so far has been really interesting and informative, and there's probably information in there that you wouldn't find... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Amy
All True
This book points out the utter idiocy of replacing natural and nutritious breast milk with fake milk that is constantly advertised as "now even more improved" - which means that... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Karizma Jill
author should have stuck to the topic
I heard good things about the book and being an active breastfeeding supporter myself, I was very curious to read in detail about marketing techniques and lobbying of formula... Read more
Published 13 months ago by nikita ghosh
Great book
A really interesting read, opens your eyes to a lot. would highly recommend to anyone especially those planning on having a baby
Published 15 months ago by loza84
Very interesting book
As some other reviewers say, this is a compelling and eye-opening book. The cynicism with which women in developing countries are persuaded to risk their babies' health by using... Read more
Published 20 months ago by colafrosties
A must read for any parent or non-parent
I was recommended this by another parent and boy was I ignorant. I read this very quickly and was absolutely horrified by some of the actions of formula companies. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Mrs. M. L. George
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