Unlatched - the evolution of breastfeeding and the making of a controversy

From an environmental journalist and mother of two young breast-fed children comes this searing, insightful look into the breastfeeding controversy and puts “common knowledge” about this most natural of processes to the test by breaking down the complex cultural, corporate, political, and technological factors that have transformed the way people think about breastfeeding and the human experience. Since the rise of infant formula in the early twentieth century, breastfeeding has gone from a basic biological function to a never-ending controversy and hot topic in the media: an Instagram photo of Blake Lively breastfeeding her daughter gained 367,000 likes and was posted across media sites from USA Today to Us Weekly. A photo of an Argentinian politician breastfeeding her 8-month-old during a session of Parliament quickly went viral, drawing a mix of support and criticism. Target’s breastfeeding policy, allowing women to nurse in any area of the store, was recently shared on Facebook to praise from mothers across America. Clearly, this is a topic that constantly makes headlines and sparks heated discussion throughout the world. Growing up, Jennifer Grayson thought nothing of the fact that her mother had not breastfed her. It wasn’t until she became a mother herself that she realized she had missed out on a natural, profound, and incredibly important experience, one that she became determined to give to her own children. Her curiosity about breastfeeding soon turned to passion, leading her to launch a worldwide search for knowledge and stories of breastfeeding. From biblical times to eighteenth century France, from modern-day Mongolia to inner-city Los Angeles, Grayson explores the personal stories of breastfeeding women throughout history around the world. Along the way, she takes readers behind the scenes at a lactation research laboratory, interviews controversial breastfeeding figures including Dr. William Sears, and shares her own personal experience of extended breastfeeding her preschool and toddler daughters. Unlatched is a thorough and fascinating study of one of the most contentious issues affecting society today. Everyone knows that breast is best, but there are many forces pulling women away from the most natural thing in the world. In Unlatched, Jennifer Grayson, an environmental journalist and mother of two young breast-fed children, puts common knowledge to the test by breaking down the complex social and political factors that have altered breastfeeding practices around the world for decades. Since the rise of baby formula in the early twentieth century, breastfeeding has gone from a basic biological function to a never-ending controversy and hot topic in the media: an Instagram photo of Blake Lively breastfeeding her daughter gained 367,000 likes was posted across media sites from USA Today to Us Weekly. Donald Trump started an uproar after calling a lawyer disgusting for requesting a breastfeeding break during a court case. A photo of an Argentinian politician breastfeeding her eight-month-old during a session of Parliament quickly went viral, drawing a mix of support and criticism. Targets breastfeeding policy, allowing women to nurse in any area of the store, was recently shared on Facebook to praise from mothers across America. Clearly, this is a topic that constantly makes headlines and sparks heated discussion throughout the world. Growing up, Jennifer Grayson thought nothing of the fact that her mother had not breastfed her. It wasnt until she became a mother herself that she realized she had missed out on a natural, profound, and incredibly important experience, one that she became determined to give to her own children. Her curiosity about breastfeeding soon turned to passion, leading her to launch a worldwide search for knowledge and stories of breastfeeding. From modern-day Burkina Faso to eighteenth-century France, from China to inner-city Baltimore, Grayson explores the personal stories of women around the world, and their relationship to breastfeeding. Along the way, she takes readers behind the scenes at a formula factory, interviews controversial breastfeeding figures including Michele Bachmann and Dr. William Sears, and shares her own personal experience of extended breastfeeding her now four-year-old daughter. A searing and insightful look into the state of breastfeeding, Unlatched digs deep to uncover the cultural, corporate, political, and technological factors that have transformed the way people think about breastfeeding, and provides a thorough and fascinating study of one of the most contentious issues affecting women today. Since the rise of artificial formula, we have turned a biological process into a never-ending controversy: A mother breastfeeding her three-year-old son on the cover of Time magazine sets off a firestorm. Facebook takes down photos of women nursing, citing the content as offensive. The pope weighs in, urging mothers to nurse their children in church or elsewhere without thinking twice. So how did we get here? What are the consequences of surrendering eons of human evolution for a mode of feeding so alien? Growing up, journalist Jennifer Grayson thought nothing of the fact that she was bottle-fed. But when she became a mother, Grayson considered the impact of missing out on this profound connection. Her book is a worldwide search for answers about the first, most fundamental experience of newborn life. From biblical times to eighteenth-century France, from modern-day Mongolia to inner-city Los Angeles--Unlatched uncovers astonishing cultural, corporate, political, and technological factors at the heart of our contemporary breastfeeding disconnection, --Amazon.com. Formula-fed me -- What would Baby Jesus drink? -- Milk mysteries and maternal duty -- Industrial age vs. the breast -- Doctor knows best -- Extraordinary attachment -- Latch off, latch on -- Breasts are for men -- Big Brother and the breast -- We complete, not compete -- The human experiment -- The weaning. Jennifer Grayson. Includes bibliographical references (pages 301-324). Since the rise of artificial formula, we have turned a biological process into a never-ending controversy: A mother breastfeeding her three-year-old son on the cover of Time magazine sets off a firestorm. Facebook takes down photos of women nursing, citing the content as "offensive." The Pope weighs in, urging mothers to nurse their children in church or elsewhere "without thinking twice." So how did we get here? What are the consequences of surrendering eons of human evolution for a mode of feeding so alien? Growing up, journalist Jennifer Grayson thought nothing of the fact that she was bottle-fed. But when she became a mother, Grayson considered the impact of missing out on this profound connection. Her book is a worldwide search for answers about the first, most fundamental experience of newborn life. From biblical times to eighteenth-century France, from modern-day Mongolia to inner-city Los Angeles -- Unlatched uncovers cultural, corporate, political, and technological factors at the heart of our contemporary breastfeeding disconnection aFrom an environmental journalist and mother of two young breast-fed children comes this searing, insightful look into the breastfeeding controversy and puts "common knowledge "about this most natural of processes to the test by breaking down the complex cultural, corporate, political, and technological factors that have transformed the way people think about breastfeeding and the human experience.Since the rise of infant formula in the early twentieth century, breastfeeding has gone from a basic biological function to a never-ending controversy and hot topic in the media: an Instagram photo of Blake Lively breastfeeding her daughter gained 367,000 likes and was posted across media sites from -- Unlatched is a thorough and fascinating study of one of the most contentious issues affecting society today