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Milk, Money & Madness

Dr. Richard Jolly
Acting Executive Director, UNICEF: I recommend the authors of Milk, Money & Madness for the considerable contribution they have made by voicing their opinions, contributing their knowledge, stimulating debate and challenging conventional wisdom.
Rachel Pfab, RN, IBCLC
Midlothian, VA: just wanted to tell you that Milk, Money & Madness is my favorite out of all of the lactation books I have. I read it before taking the lactation consultant exam in 2001. I scored a perfect score on the history and sociology of breastfeeding. I attribute that to having read your book. I also really feel that it has helped me as an IBCLC when I educate Moms about breastfeeding.
Dana Jones
11/21/00: Milk, Money, and Madness by Naomi Baumslag and Dia Michels - I originally purchased this book because I heard Dia speak at a LLLI conference I attended in October 2000 and was attracted to her funny, witty manner. That manner is not reflected in this book - it is a serious look at breastfeeding, bottlefeeding, and marketing practices of formula companies throughout the ages. It is informative (the chapter on the history of bottlefeeding, including the evolution of "the bottle", is fascinating) and eye-opening. The last chapter gets a bit too socialist for my taste (calls for more legislation to support breastfeeding at work, including mandated paid time off from jobs) and fails to consider the trade-offs such changes would call for - namely, higher taxes and a serious burden on those who would never benefit -- i.e. those who choose never to have children. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see what other countries are doing to promote breastfeeding, and how far behind the US is on the subject.
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Matt Brignall
The Library Letter, Fall 1997: Milk, Money, and Madness is an in-depth examination of the history and current politics of breastfeeding, organized in three very different sections. The first section is about breastfeeding beliefs and practices. This part will be of particular interes t to students of midwifery, as it gives a history of the practices of infant care going back to ancient Rome and Greece, rather than simply tying the rise of formula feeding to the emergence of obstetrics as other histories have done. Although there is a European emphasis, there is some coverage of practices in Asia and Africa as well. The second section regards the nutritional and health aspects of breastfeeding. Although this may be a touch redundant for anyone in the nutrition or midwifery programs, this section is well-referenced and loaded with handy statistics that can be useful in patient education. For an expectant mother who is making the decision whether to breastfeed, this section is absolutely essential. The last section, regarding the more political and economic aspects of breastfeeding, will be infuriating to anyone who is interested in the exploitation of the poor, particularly in the Third World. This may be far less relevant for the student, but ag ain will prove very interesting reading. The perspective of this book is unapologetically pro-breast feeding. The central argument seems to be that corporations and governments, aided unwittingly by American tax revenues, have conspired to reduce the original biological feeding mechanism to ju st one of many feeding options. The goal of this book is to raise awareness of the subject, and perhaps raise our rates of nursing, which are currently the lowest in the industrialized world. The index is a good resource for books, the popular press, an d journal articles on the subject. The target audience is very broad, and could include any health practitioner, mother, political activist, or layperson. Get this one early; it is bound to be popular with our students.
Click here to see review.
Dr. Richard Jolly
Acting Executive Director, UNICEF: I recommend the authors of Milk, Money & Madness for the considerable contribution they have made by voicing their opinions, contributing their knowledge, stimulating debate and challenging conventional wisdom.
Rachel Pfab, RN, IBCLC
Midlothian, VA: just wanted to tell you that Milk, Money & Madness is my favorite out of all of the lactation books I have. I read it before taking the lactation consultant exam in 2001. I scored a perfect score on the history and sociology of breastfeeding. I attribute that to having read your book. I also really feel that it has helped me as an IBCLC when I educate Moms about breastfeeding.
Lee Ann Deal
Executive Director, La Leche League International: I see Milk, Money & Madness as the perfect guide to help young women understand, well before they become pregnant, the miracle substance they are capable of producing and learn to respect the magnificence of their bodies. I would like to see this book become required reading for every young adult, male and female, to enable them to better understand what the female body is capable of and has every reason to do -breastfeed.
Dr. Michael C. Latham
Professor of International Nutrition, Cornell University: Milk, Money & Madness is a very important book which should be mandatory reading for a whole array of people concerned with infant feeding and child heath -- for academics and activists, physicians and feminists, family planners and formula manufacturers. It is also a stimulating and exciting book which holds no punches in it advocacy of breastfeeding as a human right, and in its attack on the corporations who immorally promote breastmilk substitutes, and on those health professionals who ally themselves with those manufacturers. This book is informative and daring, articulate and courageous, highly interesting and hugely provocative.
Rene Smit, CNM
Private Practice: Midwifery and Well Women Health Care, Washington, DC: Never have the merits of breastfeeding been so misunderstood. Misinformation abounds. Finally, we have a breastfeeding book that is as interesting as it is comprehensive. Milk, Money & Madness is a "must" read, not only for parents but for anyone who bears responsibility for medical/nutritional advice and for policy formulation on maternal and child health throughout the world.
Penny Van Esterik
Associate Professor of Anthropology, York University, Toronto: The authors have provided an easy-to-ready, up-to-date source for understanding breastfeeding from a wide variety of perspectives -- historical, medical, economic, and political. More significantly, they make this information accessible by addressing commonly asked questions: Is the milk good enough? Isn't formula just a Third World issue? Is mother's milk always safe? How should formula be sold?
Leslie J. Fieldler
Journal of the American Medical Writers Association, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1997: An unusual analysis that is as interesting and informative as it is scholarly. A sound book, and a sensible one that is built on solid history, anthropology, sociology, and politics. Although I never expected to be so engaged, I found that I couldn't put Milk, Money & Madness down. It is truly a very readable informative, actually compelling book. It should be included in courses on popular culture, women's studies, feminist theory, sociology, and contemporary issues.
Dr. Myrna Goldenberg
Women's Studies, Montgomery College: The authors present clearly written, in-depth analyses to demonstrate how the medical and economic benefits of breastfeeding to mother, infant and society far outweigh the advantages purported for breast-milk substitutes. … Baumslag and Michels excel in revealing fascinating and little-known slings and arrows of outrageous fortunes (and misfortunes) that give even the well-informed reader food for thought. … it includes a rich assortment of facts relating to past and present pregnancy, birth, wet-nursing, and surrogate feeding customs. Unique photographs and artwork … punctuate the text and add to an already powerful message. Baumslag and Michels close by [discussing that] with universal support for breastfeeding, the dream of providing for all the world's children is one step closer to reality.
Amy Condra-Peters
The Mother Is Me: The latest book by pediatrics professor Baumslag and science writer Michels (A Woman's Guide to Yeast Infections, Pocket Books, 19992) is not intended as a "how to" manual but rather as an analysis of the medical, historical, social, economic, and political issues surrounding breastfeeding. It includes a lengthy discussion of aggressive marketing tactics by infant formula manufacturers and the international efforts taken to counteract these techniques. Strongly in favor of breastfeeding under virtually any circumstances, the authors convincingly illustrate its medical and economic benefits to mothers, infants, and the general population. Useful appendixes include, among other items, a brief directory of organizations involved in the promotion of breastfeeding a summary of recent legislation, and a recommended reading and resources list. With its in-depth analysis of the topic, this highly readable work is a worthwhile addition to public libraries and all large heath sciences collections.
Mary Carroll
Booklist: There's nothing wishy-washy about the authors' attitude about breastfeeding versus bottle-feeding: they marshal a range of medical, economic, cultural, and psychological arguments for the proposition that "all infants would be better off if they were to receive some breastmilk" and maintain that, while infant "formula" can save lives in a limited number of specific medical situations, its routine use has highly negative public-health consequences in both industrialized nations and less-developed countries… A thorough analysis, includes tables, charts, and appendixes.
J.A. Brickman
Choice: With well-founded indignation, Baumslag and Michels describe a medical, political, economic, and historical background that has deprived too many infants of their nutritional birthright. Breastfeeding should need no defense. … Yet a combination of forces, including sexism that distorts the breast's functional role and corporate greed that promotes artificial feeding in developing nations, has created a public health problem in which infants die unnecessarily for lack of breastmilk...
Darcy Pintado
Seattle, Washington: Your articles, as well as your books, are wonderful. I cheered, cried, and pounded my fist as I worked my way through Milk, Money & Madness. We are working toward passage of breastfeeding legislation in our state. We are giving them copies of your materials. Hopefully our legislators will "get it" and pass a good breastfeeding bill. Thank you so much for your great book!


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