Monitoring mothers: a recent history of following the doctor's orders -- The science: does breastfeeding make smarter, happier, and healthier babies? -- Minding your own (risky) business: health and personal responsibility -- From the womb to the breast: total motherhood and risk-free children -- Scaring mothers: the government campaign for breastfeeding -- Conclusion: whither breastfeeding?

'Emily Oster is the non-judgemental girlfriend holding our hand and guiding us through pregnancy and motherhood. She has done the work to get us the hard facts in a soft, understandable way' Amy Schumer Parenting is full of decisions, nearly all of which can be agonized over. There is an abundance of often-conflicting advice hurled at you from doctors, family, friends, and strangers on the internet. But the benefits of these choices can be overstated, and the trade-offs can be profound. How do you make your own best decision? Armed with the data, Oster finds that the conventional wisdom doesn't always hold up. She debunks myths and offers non-judgemental ways to consider our options in light of the facts. Cribsheet is a thinking parent's guide that empowers us to make better, less fraught decisions - and stay sane in the years before preschool. *Now you can navigate the primary school years with Emily Oster too, in her new book The Family Firm, out now*

Does it really matter in the 21st century whether babies are breastfed? After all, millions of women feed their children cows' - milk formula and they seem to do perfectly well. The answer is that although babies can be adequately fed with the milk of another animal, breastfeeding is provably the best and safest way of nourishing your baby, wherever in the world you live. Experts agree that breastfeeding confers unique benefits on both mother and baby. Breast is Bestwas written 35 years ago and has been updated many times since. It is based on the collective wisdom of countless women's feedback; on the author's personal experience as a mother with many years of breastfeeding behind her; on the inputs over decades from those she has helped, worked with and taught; and on research reported in peer - reviewed medical journals.

Abstract: Common breastfeeding problems (swollen breasts, tender nipples, and blocked ducts) are discussed and practical solutions are offered. Mothers are assured that a baby's cry is usually a sign that it is hungry and nothing more unless it won't suckle. Topics discussed include: breastfeeding and sex, the father's role as a member of the nursing team, feeding the older baby, special medical problems (baby ill, jaundiced, clef lip/palate, handicapped, failure to thrive, ill mother), the working mother, feeding day-by-day, and taking care of yourself. Information is presented that supports the theory that breast milk is much more beneficial for baby. (kbc).

The Model Chapter on Infant and Young Child Feeding is intended for use in basic training of health professionals. It describes essential knowledge and basic skills that every health professional who works with mothers and young children should master. The Model Chapter can be used by teachers and students as a complement to textbooks or as a concise reference manual.

In our ironic, "postfeminist" age few experiences inspire the kind of passions that breastfeeding does. For advocates, breastfeeding is both the only way to supply babies with proper nutrition and the "bond" that cements the mother/child relationship. Mother's milk remains "natural" in a world of genetically modified produce and corporate health care. But is it a realistic option for all women? And can a well-intentioned insistence on the necessity of breastfeeding become just another way to cast some women as bad mothers? Linda M. Blum is author of Between Feminism and Labor: The Significance of the Comparable Worth Movement. She teaches sociology and women's studies at the University of New Hampshire, and wrote this book while a Bunting Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

The main aim of this practical Handbookis to strengthen counselling and communication skills of skilled attendants (SAs) and other health providers, helping them to effectively discuss with women, families and communities the key issues surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, postnatal and post-abortion care. Counselling for Maternal and Newborn Health Careis divided into three main sections. Part 1 is an introduction which describes the aims and objectives and the general layout of the Handbook. Part 2 describes the counselling process and outlines the six key steps to effective counselling. It explores the counselling context and factors that influence this context including the socio-economic, gender, and cultural environment. A series of guiding principles is introduced and specific counselling skills are outlined. Part 3 focuses on different maternal and newborn health topics, including general care in the home during pregnancy; birth and emergency planning; danger signs in pregnancy; post-abortion care; support during labor; postnatal care of the mother and newborn; family planning counselling; breastfeeding; women with HIV/AIDS; death and bereavement; women and violence; linking with the community. Each Session contains specific aims and objectives, clearly outlining the skills that will be developed and corresponding learning outcomes. Practical activities have been designed to encourage reflection, provoke discussions, build skills and ensure the local relevance of information. There is a review at the end of each session to ensure the SAs have understood the key points before they progress to subsequent sessions.