The history of feeding babies in America
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Breastfeeding was common in America, with over 90% of infants breastfed at the start of the century.
However, it began to be viewed negatively as uncultured and low-class, and the use of infant formula increased.
The first infant formula was developed in 1865, and the Abt pump, the first electric breast milk pump for premature infants, was introduced in 1923.
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By the 1950s and 1960s, breastfeeding was so uncommon that most mothers would not have seen another mother breastfeeding.
The medical establishment supported infant formula, and physicians believed it was safer and more effective than breast milk.
By 1970, breastfeeding rates had declined to about 25%, and the average duration of breastfeeding had dropped from 4.2 months in the 1930s to 2.2 months in the 1950s.
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Breastfeeding experienced a revival that continued into the 2000s, though negative attitudes persisted until the 1990s. In 2019, 83.2% of infants received some breast milk.
Despite these increases, racial disparities in breastfeeding rates in the United States are a major public health issue.
Black women are less likely to breastfeed than Asian, White, and Hispanic women, and the disparities are similar to those seen in other health areas, such as infant mortality.
For example, in 2017, 28.7% of white infants were exclusively breastfed for six months, compared to 21.2% of Black infants.
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How we feed children has long been a place where racism, classism, and capitalism intersect. As late as the 1920s, advertisements for wet nurses could be found in newspapers, and maternity wards often had many wet nurses on hand. These were usually impoverished women who had few other options.
Racially, the history of breastfeeding is deeply fraught. In early America, enslavers often forced enslaved women to abandon the care of their own children to serve as wet nurses for the enslaver's children, as breastfeeding was seen as “unfashionable and inconvenient.” This racism continued throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and its legacy is still seen today as Black birthing parents are still less likely to attempt breastfeeding than any other group.
These racial disparities continue today. You can learn more about that here.
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The way we think about the world comes from the things we see every day and the things we were raised to believe. Our loved ones, advertisements, news articles, and social media posts influence us. These ideas permeate our cultural consciousness. We need to understand this cultural consciousness, both historical and current, in order to make informed decisions about why we do the things we do.
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Once we understand why we feel the way we do about feeding our babies, then we can make better decisions about how we do it. At BNF, we want to ensure that all families have the tools they need to feed their babies in healthy, informed, and culturally appropriate ways. From lactation support to supplemental feeding to formula access we are here to help your families make the best decisions for you.