Lactivism: How Feminists and Fundamentalists, Hippies and Yuppies, and Physicians and Politicians Made Breastfeeding Big Business and Bad Policy

This harsh critique of breastfeeding advocacy in America may be hard to hear for people who subscribe to the now widespread notion that “breast is best,” but Jung makes some thoughtful points against seeing the practice as the most or only acceptable option for mothers. She worries that “lactivism” transforms parenting choices into competitive arenas or moral imperatives, makes it too easy for companies to present themselves as family-friendly simply on the basis of allowing employees to pump at work, and encourages peer judgement by defining formula feeding as a poor lifestyle choice. Jung also sees women’s control over their bodies as being at stake, noting that nonbreastfeeding women have seen their federal nutritional benefits reduced. Arguing that the evidence for breast milk’s nutritional benefits over formula is modest, she believes that the societal treatment of breastfeeding has gone way beyond acknowledging that it’s a good method to feed a baby, moving into self-congratulatory middle-class identity politics. Though Jung probably won’t convince anyone to change policy, her intersectional perspective, which looks at how feminist concerns mesh with those related to race and class, may encourage advocates to approach new moms with more sensitivity, and to view the ubiquity of breast pumps with a slightly more dubious eye. Agent: Sam Hiyate, Rights Factory. (Nov.)