The History or Breast Feeding in the Us

The History of Breastfeeding

Moms have been breastfeeding babies for...well, since the dawn of time. Yet there's still stigma around breastfeeding in public and moms still lack the support they need to pump at work. Why is a natural human function—that literally sustains life—so controversial? Why is breastfeeding support for working mothers so slow? The history of breastfeeding has been shaped by shifting cultural norms and it reflects the quest for substitutes—for breast milk and for breasts. Enjoy this condensed history of human infant feeding—breast, bottles, and formula—through the ages.

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6 million years ago

Homo sapiens evolve. Breastfeeding ensues. "

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1.5 million years ago

Humans discover fire. Mothers breastfeed babies.
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1300-1600

Aristocratic women hire wet nurses—often poor women—to nurse their babies for them. So some mothers breastfeed and some nurse other mothers' babies too.
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1770

A better bottle is invented. The "bubby-pot" is a pewter vessel with a spout for cow's milk."

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1845

The rubber nipple is created, making it easier for babies to drink alternatives to breast milk—mostly cow's milk.
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1854

Inventor Orwell H. Needham files the first patent for a manual breast pump, which relies on bellows and flexible tubing to collect expressed breast milk.
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1923

The Abt pump—the first electric pump, designed after a cow-milking machine—is introduced to feed premature infants breast milk in the hospital.
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1924

Similac—invented by Alfred W. Bosworth at Harvard Medical School, and Alfred Bosworth of Tufts University—is introduced as a formula with a composition closer to breast milk.
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1956

Breastfeeding is considered old-fashioned and formula is believed to be superior to breast milk. Many doctors encourage mothers to wean early or stop nursing altogether. Two women in Illinois start La Leche League as a grassroots group to help new moms breastfeed.
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1977

World leaders boycott Nestlé, the largest producer of formula, as a rise in global infant mortality rates is attributed, in part, to feeding babies formula made with contaminated water."

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2010

A new amendment to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act—requires employers to provide private (non-bathroom!) lactation spaces for non-exempt (hourly) breastfeeding employees."

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2013

Mamava places the first freestanding lactation pod in Burlington International Airport in Vermont.
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2030*

Federal and state laws protect every breastfeeding parent's right to workplace lactation accommodations, paid family leave, and universal childcare."

* Let's make it happen

References

A brief history of La Leche League International. La Leche League.

Aron, N. R. (2018).

Restraints, hallucinations, and forgotten pain were the norm on midcentury maternity wards. Timeline. Stone Tools: What does it mean to be human? Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Boycott of Nestle to Resume. (1988). New York Times.

Lawton, G. (2016).

Every human culture includes cooking—this is how it began. NewScientist.

Needham, O.H. (1854).

Breast-Pump Patent. Google Patents.

Lepore, J. (2009).

Baby Food. The New Yorker.

Martucci, J. (2013).

Breast Pumping. AMA: Journal of Ethics. Virtual Mentor. 2013;15(9):791-797. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2013.15.9.mhst1-1309.

Schuman, A. J. (2003).

A concise history of infant formula (twists and turns included). Contemporary Pediatrics.

Scott, A.C. (2018).

When Did Humans Discover Fire? The Answer Depends on What You Mean by 'Discover.' Time.inc.

Stevens, E. E., Patrick, T.E., Pickler, R. (2009).

A History of Infant Feeding. J Perinat Educ. Spring; 18(2): 32–39. doi: 10.1624/105812409X426314

More breastfeeding resources

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How to breastfeed with confidence, no matter what sticky situation you find yourself in.

The eight best breastfeeding positions (according to moms).

Rumor, fact, or folklore? Test your breastfeeding know-how with this quiz.

A brief history of human infant feeding—breast, bottles, and formula—through the ages.

Every breastfeeding mom on the go needs a breast pump. Here's how to get one.

Stop Googling! Here are three breastfeeding myths we can bust right now.

Five practices that help moms with preterm babies breastfeed.

A breastfeeding mom's guide to fasting for religious observance.

Four thousands moms weigh in on how they feed their baby.

Seventeen breastfeeding moms share their hard-earned wisdom and messages of support for new moms.

Five facts about breast milk to delight your inner nerd (and help you breastfeed).

Mamava's boob whisperer and certified lactation consultant can help when the flowing gets tough.

Breastfeeding and basketball have more in common than you think.

Every mama, and every baby, is different, so keep the breast and leave the rest.

Breastfeeding benefits babies and their mamas.

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Source: https://www.mamava.com/mamava-blog/history-of-breastfeeding

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