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Milk, Money, and Madness: The Culture and Politics of Breastfeeding
I commend the authors of Milk, Money, and Madness for the considerable contribution they have made by voicing their opinions, contributing their knowledge, stimulating debate and challenging conventional wisdom. Dr. Richard Jolly, Acting Executive Director UNICEF
Breastfeeding is a beautiful process. It involves the participation of both mother and child and cannot be duplicated by a glass bottle and rubber nipple. So why does the United States have the lowest breastfeeding rate in the industrialized world? In Milk, Money and Madness, Baumslag and Michels examine the issue of breastfeeding, clearly drawing a line between fact and fiction. Among the main points addressed are: o How U.S. taxpayers unwittingly support and encourage bottle-feeding by spending over $500 million each year to provide 37% of the infants in the U.S. with free formula. o How a product created to help sick children and foundlings was transformed into a powerful international industry with revenues of $22 million a day. o How an intimate and self-affirming life experience that is responsible for the survival of our species has been reduced to just one feeding option. Milk, Money, and Madness provides parents and health professionals with the information they need to fully appreciate and advise about this critical life choice. By reviewing the history, culture, biology, and politics of breastfeeding, Milk, Money, and Madness gives the reader a more complete understanding of the uniqueness of breastfeeding.
The crucial decision between breastfeeding and formula feeding is increasingly complicated by misinformation and unfounded theories which cloud the actual facts. By all accounts, breastmilk is the most amazing life-sustaining fluid known to humanity. Many women who breastfeed characterize it as perhaps the most fulfilling life experience they will ever know. Scientific research supports the fact that breastfed babies are healthier, have lower infant mortality rates and fewer chronic illnesses throughout their lives than formula-fed babies. Similarly, women who breastfeed are significantly less likely to contract serious illnesses such as breast cancer. Alarmingly few people are aware of the unique benefits of breastfeeding and do not understand the dangers and risks of feeding an infant formula. In fact, the United States has the lowest breastfeeding rate in the industrialized world. Why has our society defied common sense and scientific data when breastfeeding has so many biological, emotional, environmental, and even financial advantages over laboratory blends?
Milk, Money, and Madness is a thought-provoking book that offers honest answers and straight facts about breastfeeding. This book is designed to provide women, men, health workers, doctors, nurses, and midwives with the knowledge they need to advise or decide about the most suitable means of nourishment for infants. Baumslag and Michels consider the effects of 50 years of clever marketing and advertising which have transformed this society into one where bottle feeding is the norm and infant formula is considered to be essential to women's liberation and the forming of a paternal-infant bond. They also examine attitudes toward breastfeeding in cultures all around the world as compared to the antipathy toward breastfeeding that pervades the United States. Milk, Money, and Madness cuts through the myths and paranoia to offer an enlightening, culturally significant look at one of the most fundamentally beautiful functions of the human experience.
Breastfeeding is a beautiful process. It involves the participation of both mother and child and cannot be duplicated by a glass bottle and rubber nipple. So why does the United States have the lowest breastfeeding rate in the industrialized world? In Milk, Money and Madness, Baumslag and Michels examine the issue of breastfeeding, clearly drawing a line between fact and fiction. Among the main points addressed are: o How U.S. taxpayers unwittingly support and encourage bottle-feeding by spending over $500 million each year to provide 37% of the infants in the U.S. with free formula. o How a product created to help sick children and foundlings was transformed into a powerful international industry with revenues of $22 million a day. o How an intimate and self-affirming life experience that is responsible for the survival of our species has been reduced to just one feeding option. Milk, Money, and Madness provides parents and health professionals with the information they need to fully appreciate and advise about this critical life choice. By reviewing the history, culture, biology, and politics of breastfeeding, Milk, Money, and Madness gives the reader a more complete understanding of the uniqueness of breastfeeding.
The crucial decision between breastfeeding and formula feeding is increasingly complicated by misinformation and unfounded theories which cloud the actual facts. By all accounts, breastmilk is the most amazing life-sustaining fluid known to humanity. Many women who breastfeed characterize it as perhaps the most fulfilling life experience they will ever know. Scientific research supports the fact that breastfed babies are healthier, have lower infant mortality rates and fewer chronic illnesses throughout their lives than formula-fed babies. Similarly, women who breastfeed are significantly less likely to contract serious illnesses such as breast cancer. Alarmingly few people are aware of the unique benefits of breastfeeding and do not understand the dangers and risks of feeding an infant formula. In fact, the United States has the lowest breastfeeding rate in the industrialized world. Why has our society defied common sense and scientific data when breastfeeding has so many biological, emotional, environmental, and even financial advantages over laboratory blends?
Milk, Money, and Madness is a thought-provoking book that offers honest answers and straight facts about breastfeeding. This book is designed to provide women, men, health workers, doctors, nurses, and midwives with the knowledge they need to advise or decide about the most suitable means of nourishment for infants. Baumslag and Michels consider the effects of 50 years of clever marketing and advertising which have transformed this society into one where bottle feeding is the norm and infant formula is considered to be essential to women's liberation and the forming of a paternal-infant bond. They also examine attitudes toward breastfeeding in cultures all around the world as compared to the antipathy toward breastfeeding that pervades the United States. Milk, Money, and Madness cuts through the myths and paranoia to offer an enlightening, culturally significant look at one of the most fundamentally beautiful functions of the human experience.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 13, 2008
I expected to enjoy this book more than I did. I was hoping for more contemporary culture and politics, what I found was a lengthy discussion of breastfeeding throughout the ages and cross world cultures, and then another lenghty discussion of cow's milk vs. human milk. These are certainly compelling topics, and the chapter about the composition of cow's milk spells out once and for all why formula will never be able to duplicate human milk which will forever be the superior source of nutrition for human babies. However, these are topics that are covered elsewhere and the current culture and politics of breastfeeding aren't even discussed until the last third of the book. The writing style is also a bit dry and hysterical, so while I agree with all of the author's points, it's not necessarily the best book to give someone who isn't already convinced of the virtues of breastfeeding.
The section on politics covers the various WHO cods that the formula companies have chosen to ignore, and talks a lot about the Nestle boycott. There is also a brief discussion of the tricks and tactics the formula companies have used to undermine breastfeeding all over the world. Because this is what I was actually interested in, I was disappointed that so little space in the book was devoted to this topic.
There was also a short chapter on working mothers and breastfeeding. Again, a very important and interesting topic, but the chapter was too short to accomplish much, and it was sort of tacked on at the end in no coherent fashion.
Overall, not an unenjoyable read, just a bit of a disappointment. The appendix does contain a list of Nestle products for those wanting to participate in the ban. Many, many breastfeeding resources are listed as well.
The section on politics covers the various WHO cods that the formula companies have chosen to ignore, and talks a lot about the Nestle boycott. There is also a brief discussion of the tricks and tactics the formula companies have used to undermine breastfeeding all over the world. Because this is what I was actually interested in, I was disappointed that so little space in the book was devoted to this topic.
There was also a short chapter on working mothers and breastfeeding. Again, a very important and interesting topic, but the chapter was too short to accomplish much, and it was sort of tacked on at the end in no coherent fashion.
Overall, not an unenjoyable read, just a bit of a disappointment. The appendix does contain a list of Nestle products for those wanting to participate in the ban. Many, many breastfeeding resources are listed as well.
October 29, 2007
This book is such an eye opening history into the practice of breastfeeding. It includes history of not only western culture, but worldwide culture on breastfeeding. It also goes into detail about infant formula companies, specifically Nestle and their immoral, unethical practices of marketing artificial breast milk (formula) to not only western countries, but more shocking, to third world countries, contributing to the deaths of thousands of babies every year.
This book convinced me to never again give a dime of my money to the Nestle corporation, and to never again use infant formula. This is an excellent read as well as history lesson. The pictures included make it one of the most exceptional books I've ever read.
This book convinced me to never again give a dime of my money to the Nestle corporation, and to never again use infant formula. This is an excellent read as well as history lesson. The pictures included make it one of the most exceptional books I've ever read.
February 6, 2009
This was great! I learned a lot about the deceptive marketing practices of the baby formula companies, about the history of baby formula, and about the ways that the formula companies work so hard with the hospitals to undermine the breastfeeding relationship between moms and new babies. It was empowering. My cousin said it best--boobs are for feeding babies, not for selling beer. Amen and amen!
May 27, 2009
There is a lot of interesting information in this book, but it is like reading some ones dissertation...BORING!!! It did bring up a lot of questions for me about who's responsibility it is to make breastfeeding a priority and important in our culture. Americans are down right despicable when it comes to doing this one good thing for there children. It definitely took me from being pro-breastfeeding to a bit of a breastfeeding Nazi!
October 21, 2009
Excellent and shocking read. The history of wet nursing was pretty sad (women abandoning their own babies so they could be paid to nurse upper class babies) and formula companies are even more evil than I thought.
September 24, 2007
they need to update this shit regularly.
most recent research that is.
otherwise.
covers a broad variety of topics.
if with a somewhat fanatical tone.
but hey.
i get it.
most recent research that is.
otherwise.
covers a broad variety of topics.
if with a somewhat fanatical tone.
but hey.
i get it.
March 5, 2018
This 1995 book has been hanging about on my bookshelves a long time and was not newly published when it was passed on to me. I thought perhaps that Gabrielle Palmer had made all the points with her Politics of Breastfeeding in both editions, and of course the language around breastfeeding has now changed "physiologically normal" rather than "best" and with yet more evidence piled up in favour of the competence of nature in this... but I am glad I bothered to read Milk, Money and Madness too. I found the chapter on women and work and its US focus particularly interesting.
Clever use of a wide variety of illustrations kept the text from overwhelming (it is after all, inevitably relentless stuff if it is going to be accurate) It really beggars belief that in the 21st century any child other than those with very specific disorders (which mean normal formula is out too) should be denied human milk, maternal or where necessary from a milk bank. Even though Baumslag and Michels explain the interests at play, it is disturbing that we are taken in (other than subconsciously, the subconscious often knows full well) by their con trick.
Clever use of a wide variety of illustrations kept the text from overwhelming (it is after all, inevitably relentless stuff if it is going to be accurate) It really beggars belief that in the 21st century any child other than those with very specific disorders (which mean normal formula is out too) should be denied human milk, maternal or where necessary from a milk bank. Even though Baumslag and Michels explain the interests at play, it is disturbing that we are taken in (other than subconsciously, the subconscious often knows full well) by their con trick.
September 19, 2023
Excellent look at the money and politics behind formula. It's so messed up to learn so much of this history. While I knew a lot, and this book is dated, it is still so relevant. Having a society that is more supportive of women's breastfeeding, and of teaching mothers how, and not having money money money involved will create for a healthier society.
May 6, 2013
I really enjoyed this book, particularly the history of artificial feeding and wet nurses. It was very well researched, with a clear woven together narrative. For example, the analysis of the economic benefits of workplace policies that promote breastfeeding drew on a number of sources. I found myself feeling angry while reading the book, mostly in responses to various baby-unfriendly actions ranging from wet nurses abandoning their own babies, to formula company tactics, to stories of women experiencing discrimination for breastfeeding. While that's not the fault of the authors, who are conveying truth, it made the experience of reading the book uncomfortable.
I highly recommend this book for any woman to read, so they can really understand the historical roots of the "breast is best" campaign and debates on breastfeeding vs. formula. I particularly recommend this for women planning to breastfeed or currently breastfeeding.
I highly recommend this book for any woman to read, so they can really understand the historical roots of the "breast is best" campaign and debates on breastfeeding vs. formula. I particularly recommend this for women planning to breastfeed or currently breastfeeding.
Read
March 10, 2011I checked this out and started to read and skim it. This book intimidated me and looked boring. More like a textbook. I thought it would be something I could read while nursing me new son to learn more about the history of nursing and reaffirm that nursing was important (I assumed it would be pro-nursing, I honestly didn't read enough to find out if it is or not). Well, it turned out that my son can't nurse. Thousands of dollars, hours of doctors visits, and five months later I am still pumping and bottle feeding him. In the midst of all of that I just couldn't even stand the thought of picking up this book to read it. I probably never will, because my entire vision of nursing has changed through this experience.
July 6, 2008
Oh my. I'd like to see a follow-up to this book. Mostly to see the new progress to limit formula companies and what new breastfeeding laws have been passed. Plus all the new research findings about breastfeeding and breastmilk. Anyways, it's a great book with lots of history. Did you know Rockefeller drank breastmilk in his old age??
May 14, 2008
Loving it so far, I wish every person who was about to be a parent would read this, and maybe they could get this ridiculous notion that formula is just another, just as good option for feeding their baby.
Done, i enjoyed it.
Done, i enjoyed it.
June 15, 2009
Definitely cemented most of my opinions about breastfeeding and it's importance. I learned a great deal about how we choose to feed our infants in this society and others. Although the book was a little dry, if it is a subject that interests you, you are a mom or mom-to be, I would recommend it.
January 16, 2008
LOVE this book. Could be updated though.
February 19, 2008
This book is fascinating and very informative...everyone should read this!
March 30, 2008
A phenomenal book on the culture of breastfeeding and the capitalism and consumerism that leads to formula feeding. A great expose of formula-manufacturers advertising tactics.
February 12, 2009
A bit dated but still relevant. Good history.
Want to read
March 9, 2009I love any book that stirs things up.
September 12, 2013
This book has been on my to-read list for a while. Some really interesting info, background and statistics on Breastfeeding and the formula industry. However it's a bit dated at this point.
November 22, 2012
Best book we read during pregnancy. Makes you hate the free formula samples at doctors' offices even more.
May 21, 2015
Great history and info but "current" things are about 20 years outdated. I would love if the authors would update this book!
November 3, 2016
Insightful. I am a breastfeeding mother and a peer counsellor to other mums, and this is my bible. Never had a book opened my eyes more than MMM.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews