"The Inadequate Breast: Inventing Lactation Pathology in the US"

[Jadzia]

I just heard about a lecture that is happening at the University of Michigan.

It sounds like an interesting topic so I thought I would post it here.

The Inadequate Breast: Inventing Lactation Pathology in the United
States

Jacqueline H. Wolf
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
4:00-6:00 PM
2239 Lane Hall

Jacqueline H. Wolf discusses why many physicians and mothers view
breastfeeding and human milk with uneasiness and distrust; lactation
appears to be a tenuous body function and the quality and quantity of
human milk often seems questionable. Wolf will trace the origin,
development, and persistent legacy of these suspicions beginning in the
nineteenth century when the medical community theorized that lactation
was a disappearing function in human evolution.
This talk is part of IRWG's BIRCWH (Building Interdisciplinary Research
Careers in Women's Health) lecture series.

For more information, call [phone].

Institute for Research on Women and Gender
1136 Lane Hall
204 S. State Street
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1290
http://www.umich.edu/~irwg

[rozzie'sma]

Hmmmm sounds like a neat lecture

[Penelope]

I wonder if they'll have papers available before the talk - that's common. Anybody wanna email them and see? :

[Meiri]

Wish I was close enough to attend. Sounds fascinating.

I bet the docs hypothesizing that lactation was a disappearing function learned from the schmuck who thought that we women were perhaps like salmon and meant to die during birth. I think he was around in the same century.

[cjuniverse]

I would LOVE to hear or read this lecture. Probably incredibly enlightening.

[annettemarie]

Sounds fascinating!

[wryknowlicious]

oh how I wishI could sit in on that!!

[siobhang]

I just finished reading a book called "don't kill your baby!" which is a review of the move from breast to artificial feeding techniques in Chigaco from the mid 1800s to the 1930s.

A big cultural reason for the move was the increased suspicion by docs that "evolution" had made women (esp middle and upper class women) weakers and unable to breastfeed. Many women had supply issues, mainly due to the strict scheduling that was popular at the time, but few docs really understood the linkage between feeding spaces and supply.

One thing that was fascinating about the book was that, while docs were adamant that breast is best, increasingly they needed to find ways to improve artificial feeding, especially the quality of cow's milk, because babies were dying. Wet nurses were becoming fewer and fewer in number and the increased class difference between wet nurses and their employers was also problematic.

Fascinating book. The basic premise is that, at least in Chicago, the push for formula was a result of demand from mothers and docs, NOT the other way around.

[nyxx]

Originally Posted by siobhang

I just finished reading a book called "don't kill your baby!" which is a review of the move from breast to artificial feeding techniques in Chigaco from the mid 1800s to the 1930s.

Fascinating book. The basic premise is that, at least in Chicago, the push for formula was a result of demand from mothers and docs, NOT the other way around.

wow! interesting. but i wonder if this assumption can be generalized.

i see. lecture and book is by the same person:
http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/SOM/wolf/
her articles sound very promising, too.

[MamaChel]

Man, I have class that night or I would be there! Sounds like a great lecture.