Alumni College Fellow

Emily Skidmore

Breast is Best: The Long Debate Over Infant Feeding, 1778-1978

This research project will explore the long history of debates around breastfeeding in the United States, focusing on the conflicting messages that mothers have received, and investigating this discourse as a means by which women's lives are regulated and controlled. This study will tackle a long time frame, tracking the ways in which conversations around breastfeeding have shifted from the era of the New Republic (late 18th and early 19th century) to the rise of Second Wave Feminism and the Women's Health Movement of the 1970s. This long time frame will allow me to track the ways in which debates have morphed over time, and reflect the various ways in which Americans view women, motherhood, and the future generation.

To learn more about Dr. Emily Skidmore, please visit: Emily Skidmore