The bottle, the breast, and the state : the politics of infant feeding in the United States / Maureen Rand Oakley.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This books explores the ways in which breastfeeding is both promoted and made difficult in the United States, while the use of formula is both shamed and promoted. It uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the politics, policies, and individual experiences surrounding infant feeding. The analysis shows that a failure to separate the issue of breastfeeding rights and support from breastfeeding promotion and advocacy in both academic scholarship and public discourse has led to a deadlock that prevents groups from working together in support of breastfeeding without shaming. A caring infant feeding advocacy is developed. This approach values the caring work done by parents and recognizes the benefits of this work to society. It promotes policies supportive of parenting in general, and breastfeeding in particular, to remove barriers that may present a challenge to some women who may wish to breastfeed, while supporting the development of better alternatives for those who don't.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

In this clear and compelling book, Oakley (political science, Mount Saint Mary's Univ.) examines the paradox of breastfeeding in America. In theory, breastfeeding is viewed as an important public health concern and recommended to most mothers; in practice, however, American culture, policy, and medical protocols make breastfeeding difficult for many women. Oakley weaves an important and captivating story by examining the history of infant feeding, employing interviews to understand breastfeeding "on the ground," and analyzing the relationship between breastfeeding rates and other reproductive policies and medical practices. A political scientist, Oakley has crafted a book that will easily benefit courses on public policy or health politics, and her approachable writing style makes this book interesting to historians and gender studies students. Though some may find her chapter on breastfeeding rates by state difficult to wade through (with its emphasis on statistical analysis), Oakley is still able to couch such technical work in a larger narrative of women's agency and state and medical control. Aimed at nonspecialists, general readers (including undergraduates) will find this book useful and interesting. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers through upper-division undergraduates. --Shannon Withycombe, University of New Mexico