Send your breastfeeding photos to me at info (at) mommytoo (dot) com.
Check out my blog on Mothering.com
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Well, my blog is finally up on Mothering.com. Check it out! I have a few new historic breastfeeding photos up, too!
Labels: news
posted by Jennifer James @ 6:36 AM,
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Where I've Been
Saturday, August 9, 2008
I have really, honestly, truly neglected this blog, haven't I? It's a shame, really, because I liked reading it myself. Just so much happened this year, including a job (albeit an at-home job), and one of my other Web sites took off all of a sudden, plus I homeschool, and try to sleep at night.
But, there is good news! I am always telling as many people as I can about these breastfeeding photos that I stumbled upon and so I asked Mothering if they would like an article about them. Not only did they want an article they also asked me to blog about historic breastfeeding for them! How crazy is that? So, while I will blog here every other day (fingers crossed) I will be blogging for Mothering every day.
I'm back from the dead. Yay!
I don't have a link to my Mothering blog just yet. Will post link as soon as it's up.
Labels: news
posted by Jennifer James @ 2:51 PM,
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Sitting for a Formal Photograph and Breastfeeding
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
In the Library of Congress archives, there are many photographs of Indian women with their babies in papooses. In all of the seated, formal pictures of women and their children I have seen, I have never seen a photo where the mother is freely breastfeeding her child. This photograph is quite interesting because although the woman was white, her husband was an Indian and she lived in an Indian village after being captured in her youth.Her name was Cynthia Ann Parker (ca. 1825-ca. 1871) and in this photo she was nursing her daughter, Prairie Flower (Toposannah). Parker was captured by Native American Comanches as a teenager, later married Chief Peta Nocona and bore children including Quanah Parker, the last Comanche Chief.1860-1870.
Parker's life is very interesting. If you'd like to learn more about her, click here.
Labels: breastfeeding history, breastfeeding in public
posted by Jennifer James @ 4:48 AM,
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Giving Milk Formula to Nurses
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Things rarely change in this world in which we live. Case in point: An interview with Miss Mattie Ingram, a county health nurse in Beaufort, S.C. on January 31, 1939. This was published in the South Carolina Writer's Project.
After Mattie Ingram gave milk to a poor woman to feed her ill husband she said to the writer from the Project:
"Oh, the milk--do I buy it to give away?" She smiled. "If I started that, I'd be spending every cent I make and it wouldn't be a drop in the bucket. No, several manufacturers of canned milk send us samples to advertise their milk formulas for babies. It comes in very handy, I can tell you."
Sound familiar?
Labels: breastfeeding history, formula
posted by Jennifer James @ 6:48 PM,
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Breastfeeding in Public During Social Hour
Although this photo isn't dated, I wager a bet it was taken during the mid to late 1930s. It may potentially be the early 1940s. What is particularly telling about this photograph are the notes on the back of the photo (below) and the fact that once again breastfeeding in public was no big deal before the formula industry changed the perception of infant feeding (almost irreparably) in this country. The men could care less that a woman's exposed breast is in full view of everyone, although the little boy on the right does seem a little enthralled by the baby breastfeeding.
Written Notes on Item
a) Part of Social Hour audience at Shafter Camp (handwritten on reverse); b) Todd's favorite picture of an "Okie Family" in Shafter F.S.A. Camp. Nursing babies was the usual thing at camp "Socials." (typed and attached to reverse)
Labels: breastfeeding history, breastfeeding in public
posted by Jennifer James @ 5:41 PM,
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Ancient Egyptians and Breasts
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Although this blog is about breastfeeding, there is no mistaking that the way in which the West views breasts has a lot to do with the perception of breastfeeding in this country.
Scholars have spent their lives and energies tracing the root of female discrimination around the world. I am no different, although I simply find pictures, post them here, and try to make some sense of this culture we live in that takes such great issue with breasts and breastfeeding.
Today while on the Metropolitan Museum of Art web site I noticed a picture of an ancient Egyptian woman on a coffin. Check it out: Her nipple is exposed! I don't know when people started getting so touchy about breasts. I've even fallen victim to this craziness. At least there is evidence that shows there was a time when breasts weren't so taboo.
Labels: breastfeeding in public
posted by Jennifer James @ 5:04 PM,
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