I'm reluctant to give the book much publicity as it might improve sales, in
Australia, at least, but newly released here is "The Mask of Motherhood" by
Susan Maushart, and the chapter most relevant to Lactnetters is "Lactation
Intolerance: The worst of breast is best". The author is an academic, with
a PhD from New York University (in communications and sciences), mother of
three, has a newspaper column "Politically Incorrect Parenting" in the
major state newspaper in Western Australia, where she is employed in a
local University..

There are several alarming associated issues. The author acknowledges
Family and Children's Services (A govt body) for funding the study "Mother
Knows Best?.." and the Commonwealth Govt through the Australia Council, its
arts funding and advisory body.

Other chapters are: "Faking Motherhood: The Mask Examined"; "Falling: The
Experience of Pregnancy"; "Labouring under Delusions"; "Penelope Leach
meets Godzilla: A Chaos theory of new motherhood"; "the juggled life";
"Gender bender: Parenthood and Partnership", so no one escapes !

The chapter is fairly mind blowing, with all the most negative statements
about bf: to quote but a few:
I have included longish quotes as I know that many of you will not have
access to the book.

any ideas for responses to the funder, author, publisher ??? Kathy
Dettwyler, I hope you get to read this before you come 'down under'. Am
sure that NMAA can send you a copy.

-"in the Aust maternity hospitals.. notions about bf are no less rigid than
they were in the US in 1958 (when and where she was born) - and we endorse
bf with precisely the same vehemence, and precisely the same condescension,
with which my mother's generation championed the bottle.
-in today's maternity hospitals, the social outcasts are the
bottle-feeders.. it has become standard practice to require new mothers to
sign a permission form for each and every formula feed the baby takes"..

-"women.. have been brainwashed to believe that bf will come naturally,
even effortlessly, that as nursing mothers they will experience profound
physical and emotional satisfaction; that their 'perfect' milk will produce
'perfect' babies..

-"Now that the practice of 'rooming in' has become the norm in Aust
maternity hospitals, the problem of physical exhaustion for bf mothers can
become particularly acute....

-" Groups like the Nursing Mothers' Asscn and La Leche League.. run by bf
women, for bf women.. both groups are widely perceived as propaganda
machines, a confederation of "Big Sisters' intent on weeding out dissenting
voices and uncomfortable experiences.. a kind of milk police who separate
out the maternally pure from their fallen, formula-feeding sisters, and who
systematically withhold information that might prove damaging to the cause.

-.. such groups have done as much to alienate and divide women as they have
done to empower them..

- afterpains.... "In my own case, I managed to get through labour without
drugs, but not the afterpains. Women who bottlefeed experience only mild
afterpains, if any..

- "The mental vagueness of the lactating female is no myth perpetuated by
evil formula manufacturers.

Some new reasons why not to breastfeed.

Jan Cornfoot, CAPERS
Editor, Birth Issues








----------
> From: Automatic digest processor <[log in to unmask]>
> To: Recipients of LACTNET digests <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: LACTNET Digest - 16 Sep 1997 - Special issue
> Date: Tuesday, 16 September 1997 13:43
>