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Milk on the Side

Extended Breastfeeding in the United States

Milk on the Side cover

Milk on the Side

Extended Breastfeeding in the United States

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Pre-order. Available Apr 02 2026
$31.50 RRP $35.00 Website price saving $3.50 (10%)

Payment for this pre-order will be taken when the item becomes available

Description

Chest/breastfeeding in general can be a fraught topic in the contemporary context in the U.S. and in many other countries, particularly when parents have minimal support either to be able to establish a nursing relationship in the first place or to continue nursing beyond a few weeks. Popular media representations and opinions of chests/breastfeeding in general are often polarizing. Parents and other caregivers who encounter obstacles to producing milk or feeding from their bodies are often made to feel inadequate by public health and media suggestions that “breast is best.” Those who practice extended nursing, on the other hand, are often made to feel that they are damaging their children in terms of physical and psychological/emotional development. Although this ethnography will be focused on extended nursing, it also touches on the challenges and stigmatizing ideas that are associated with chest/breastfeeding in general. In the diverse context of the United States, the experiences of people of different backgrounds are included in the text, as experiences with extended nursing vary by region, family background, gender identity, and different forms of capital to which families have access.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations

Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Cultural Imaginaries, Stigma, and Taboo
Chapter Three: “Nature” and Culture in Extended Nursing
Chapter Four: “This is not your fight!”: Input from Friends and Family
Chapter Five: Encounters with Biomedicine: Support, Shame, Stigma, and Iatrogenic Harm
Chapter Six: “Cease and Desist”: Legal Issues and EN
Chapter Seven: Lived Experiences of EN
Chapter Eight: Conclusions: “The Other Side of Milk”

Appendix A: In-depth Interview Questions
Appendix B: Brief Profiles of Interview Participants
Appendix C: Court Letter for Parents Practicing EN
Reference List
Index

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published Apr 02 2026
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 224
ISBN 9798216277217
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Dimensions 9 x 6 inches
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Cassandra White

Dr. Cassandra White is a cultural and medical anth…

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