Midwives magazine: August/September 2008
Breastfeeding in hospital: mothers, midwives and the production line by Fiona Dykes
Routledge
ISBN: 0 415 39576 3
Reviewed by Janine Stockdale
If midwives are going to make a difference to women who are breastfeeding, we must start with understanding the experiences that form women’s reality. Exploring the concept of the ‘production line’, the author concentrates on key factors associated with this, namely: linear time, surveillance and supply and demand. The recurring themes described by women include an emphasis on associated health benefits and lack of trust in their ability to ‘supply’, all of which culminate in creating a sense of detachment from their breastfeeding experience.
In analysing the culture of postnatal care by midwives, the evidence contrasts the woman-centred approach with a failure to take time to communicate with mothers. The message of the book is a call to midwives to affect breastfeeding culture through adaptation of the postnatal environment. For readers unfamiliar with anthropological and sociological terminology, it will present a challenging read.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
