NEWS RELEASE
Spilt Milk, the book is being officially launched in Sydney today, August 26 2023!
Speakers at the launch will include the producers and contributors to the book, as well as our very special guests, including:
Dr Vijay Roach, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and Immediate Past President of RANZCOG, and Catherine Knox, inaugural CEO of Gidget Foundation Australia and Chair of the Hornsby Ku Ring Gai Women’s Shelter.
Representing the Birthing Kit Foundation, Australia, a humanitarian organisation that provides birthing kits and education in clean birthing practices to women birthing at home in remote regions of the developing world is Olivia Sarah-Lelacheur. Sarah has been a member of Zonta International for over 30 years. Zonta is a global service and advocacy organisation working to make the world a better place for women and girls. During this time Olivia has participated in the production of thousands of Birthing Kits. A portion from the sale of Spilt Milk, the book, will be proudly donated to the Birthing Kit Foundation.
About the Book
One of the most personal and intense aspects of mothering, breastfeeding is all too often assumed to be simple, the most natural thing in the world.
But as is evident in the new publication, Spilt Milk, while breastfeeding can be affirming and trouble-free, for many mothers it is difficult, confusing, painful, and can leave them wracked with guilt and susceptible to depression.
Spilt Milk features the recent and retrospective experiences of more than 80 mothers and includes reflections from fathers and partners.
The collection, gathered by nurse, midwife, and lactation expert Elizabeth Yip and edited by Dani Malone, is a deep dive into breastfeeding and includes a useful preface on how lactation works for mothers and babies.
Yip says the book celebrates and acknowledges mothers from all walks of life.
“In the not so distant past the image of a ‘good mother’ was one who breastfed,” Yip says.
“But we know while most women can produce some breastmilk, many, for a range of reasons, will have trouble in producing enough milk for babies to thrive. We also know that the western health care system has often touted restrictive rules around the process and practice of feeding, sometimes confounding mothers’ efforts to persist.
“What is clear from the book is that no two women or their experiences of breastfeeding are the same. Supporting their efforts in that context continues to be vital.”
And it is the stories in this book that are riveting.
From the blissfully easy serenity of feeding a new baby on demand, to traumatic struggles with an oversupply of milk, mastitis, blistered nipples, or low milk production, leading to fractious babies, sleep deprivation and an abiding sense of failure.
Malone, whose own experience of breastfeeding was difficult, says the book reflects truths and realities that are rarely discussed openly.
“There is a lot of public conversation about birth, delivering a healthy baby being the end game, but that is only half the journey,” she says.
“The critical weeks of bonding with a new baby and adjusting to breastfeeding are not well understood and the idea that feeding problems can continue into the first 12 months of a child’s life rarely makes the spotlight.
“In an age where we fully understand the vital benefits of breastfeeding for good health over a lifetime, the sense of failure when breastfeeding is not straightforward or becomes impossible, can’t be underestimated.
“Many of the stories shared in the book reflect a courageous journey to give newborns the best start possible and to breastfeed even if only for a limited time, and through every journey there shines the mothers’ love and commitment.”
Malone says the book provides a rare insight into the broad spectrum of experiences of breastfeeding and as such she hopes it will give new mothers and their partners a better understanding that there should be no judgement about the process.
“Being able to tap into other women’s experiences makes all the difference in understanding the huge range of what is normal in breastfeeding,” she says.
“All of these women have had a passion to nourish their children in the best way possible, but their stories really highlight how different each experience can be – for some women it’s a breeze and for others, a mission impossible.
“Importantly the stories help us to understand that we are not alone and that there are no score cards for breastfeeding, doing your best is enough.”
Published by Green Hill Publishers, Spilt Milk is available in paperback for $27.99 here.
Follow on Facebook or Instagram
Leave a Reply