Breastfeeding and the Pursuit of Happiness : McGill-Queen's University Press : 9780228008859 : 0228008859 : 15 Oct 2021 : Breastfeeding is a human bodily function that differs in practice across cultural and historical boundaries, yet is framed as ?natural? and morally virtuous. Breastfeeding and the Pursuit of Happiness rejects the dichotomy of right versus wrong, exploring the historical, political, and symbolic roots of this sacrosanct belief in ?breast is best? ? from allusions to biblical milk and honey to contemporary claims of parenting and wellness experts. Within disparate contexts such as medieval Europe, eighteenth-century France, contemporary Indonesia, and the mommy blogosphere, Phyllis Rippey finds that infant feeding prescriptions often serve the interests of the powerful rather than meeting the needs of women, infants, and families. Upending some of our most cherished beliefs about the maternal breast, Rippey reveals the ways historical and contemporary debates over br