Nighttime Breastfeeding

An American Cultural Dilemma
Through a close ethnographic examination, this volume explores the impact of conflicting medical guidelines about breastfeeding and infant sleep, and uncovers cultural tensions about expectations for children, parents, and their relationship.

Nighttime for many new parents in the United States is fraught with the intense challenges of learning to breastfeed and helping their babies sleep so they can get rest themselves. Through careful ethnographic study of the dilemmas raised by nighttime breastfeeding, and their examination in the context of anthropological, historical, and feminist studies, this volume unravels the cultural tensions that underlie these difficulties. As parents negotiate these dilemmas, they not only confront conflicting medical guidelines about breastfeeding and solitary infant sleep, but also larger questions about cultural and moral expectations for children and parents, and their relationship with one another.