As soon as found out I was pregnant, I started researching the best tactics for parenting, including breastfeeding. I started attending La Leche League meetings before my bump was even visible. I learned about latching and holds.

I checked out books on breastfeeding from the library, and went to every community breastfeeding event I could find. I was convinced that with the right mindset and a ton of determination, it would all turn out fine.

If you intended to breastfeed your child, but end up wanting or needing to give formula, you may think you’ve switched teams: You’re now a formula feeder. But it isn’t an all-or-nothing choice, and part-time breastfeeding has important benefits.

Author Catherynne Valente discovered a passage in New Mother’s Guide to Breastfeeding — a book written in 2002, not 1952, mind you — that reads: “Fathers, if your wife is having trouble or pain, step in and adjust her technique, reminding her that successful breastfeeding is a priority for the development of the child and the formation of your new family!” Her reaction? No. 

In this episode, we're talking with Angela Garbes, the author of Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy.