Seminar One Analysis Paper

Breastfeeding Throughout History

Analysis Paper 1 – Seminar 3

January 21, 2013

By Heather McCardel

HIS 301 - Women’s Studies

Professor Elena Thompson

Winter 2013

Introduction

Breastfeeding is a controversial issue among women and continues to be the minority when it comes to feeding choices for infants in the United States. Before other alternatives to breast milk were introduced, many children died because of the inability to feed the child. Breast milk used to be the primary source of food for an infant; however that has drastically changed throughout history. Even though breast milk has proven to be healthier for mother and baby than the alternative of using formula; it is still highly scrutinized and only practiced, exclusively for the first six months, among 13.8% of the total US population based on the latest National Immunization Survey. (AAP, 2012) During the 17th and 18th centuries, women would hire a “wet nurse” to perform breastfeeding duties for them, instead of nursing the baby themselves. This ability to hire a nurse was usually associated with wealth and class and was performed by the poor and African American slaves in some cases. (Davis, 1999)

Breastfeeding practices have not only changed over time but the practice of nursing infants has significantly declined over the last fifty years. Breastfeeding is helpful to women as it provides many benefits such as better health for mother and baby, post partum weight loss after giving birth, bonding between mother and baby and it is also much less expensive then choosing to use formula. In this paper we will discuss the many benefits from choosing to breastfeed your children and also the changes and advancements in breastfeeding throughout history. Changes include practices and social acceptance of public feeding and the choice to breastfeed. Evidence will show the physical health benefits to women and children from breastfeeding and how the choice and outlook to/on breastfeeding has changed...