In light of an Atlantic Monthly story questioning the advantages of breastmilk over formula, Salon Broadsheet ran a response by the editors of an upcoming anthology about breastfeeding titled Unbuttoned.

Here is was what they had to say:

We agree with (Hanna) Rosin that misconceptions surround breast-feeding. (That’s why we spent 18 months working on "Unbuttoned.") For too long, a lot of the attention has focused on the women who have successful breast-feeding experiences. Maybe it’s because some "winners" feel entitled to bragging rights. While "losers" (read: The ones who, thanks to societal pressures, have been made to feel as though they’ve failed) quietly recede, egos and breasts deflated, and (egads) go off to formula feed their children.

But where Rosin falls short is citing the "evidence" against breast milk’s role in preventing or reducing the risk of a host of illnesses in children, including ear infections, asthma, obesity and SIDS. She backs her claims up by a handful of medical studies from reputable journals, university researchers and other sources she refers to as highly regarded. She also tries to build a solid argument against the breast-feeding hype and hysteria that she believes has taken hold of U.S. women and breast-feeding advocates.

But the problem with the piece is that, on closer inspection, we have to conclude that her reporting is biased. She cherry-picked research that suited her agenda, the research suggesting that breast milk isn’t really all it’s been hyped to be. Yet between us we have interviewed dozens of highly regarded researchers and pediatricians who could offer a point-counterpoint to the research Rosin highlighted.

We also take issue with Rosin’s suggestion that the decision to breast-feed drives women out of the workforce. Our experience couldn’t be more different: We have friends and colleagues who hold positions of "serious power." They are doctors, lawyers, sales executives, television producers, writers and government lobbyists, and they all breast-fed for as little and as long as they wanted to -- with careers intact.

Rosin's damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t take on breast-feeding is a letdown. She, like so many other women, has every right to feel irritated, even pissed off, about the societal pressures to Do The Right Thing and breast-feed. But like it or not, there’s a lot of convincing evidence in support of breast-feeding. And like it or not, there are many really good reasons to breas-tfeed that have nothing at all to do with science. We’d argue that the same could be said of formula feeding.

I admit I only read half of Rosin's article because it was full of cherry-picking and unnecessary generalizations like that of the affluent, organic food moms at the Manhattan park. Please. My thought was, "Look who's talking."

In many Third World countries, for example, breastfeeding is literally a life saver. The water is too dirty to be safely mixed into formula. My mother-in-law, a native of El Salvador, actually breastfed both her boys for six months even as all the moms around her in the U.S. bottle fed their babies. It was actually an American pediatrician that encouraged her to wean her babies because she was making them "too fat" on her milk.

That said, I do understand where Rosin is coming from. There are advantages to formula-feeding, like, having a partner help you with the feedings.

Also, I do think in certain urban centers like San Francisco, Berkeley -- and perhaps New York -- where there are a lot of educated people and medical types there is a lot of pressure to breastfeed. Especially after I weaned Ari at 9 months, I felt everyone around me disapproved for not reaching that magical year. In this area, it is not unheard of for women to nurse their babies for two and even three years!

OTOH, traveling across the country this has not been my experience at all. My mom, who lives in New Hampshire, would ask me to cover up in public. My impression was that I was the exception and not the rule there. I would be curious to hear whether you moms who live in the midwest or the south felt this intense pressure to breastfeed. Or, I wonder if it's pressure we moms put on ourselves. What do you think?

I had my mammogram this afternoon. I was looking forward to it because I was finally going to get an answer. Did I or didn't I?

I had never undergone a mammogram, but I have heard stories. The stories do the experience NO justice. It was painful, uncomfortable and...does the room HAVE to be so cold?? I'm sure my nipples could have cut glass.

After the mammogram, I had the ultrasound...then, back to the mammogram machine for another view. Then, the doctor came in and spoke with me.

She said, "I didn't see anything in your tests."
I said, "That's good, right?"
She said, "Well, what you have is an overgrowth of tissue on your breast (where the lump is). And what we've found is that you have dense breast tissue. I want you and your doctor to keep an eye on it for changes, and if you notice a change in the size of the lump, then the next step would be a needle biopsy. If you notice no change, we'll see you when you're 40!"

Hmmm. That left me cold. I got no end to my worry; in fact, now I'm worrying even more. So, I got home and googled "Dense Breast Tissue" and the first item that popped up was entitled: BREAST CANCER RISK. Nice.

Please excuse me for the disproportionate number of birthing stories. Besides waiting for the birth of my baby, I have been fantasizing about what the delivery room will hold for me, what my baby will look like, and yes, what our nursing experience will be like.

I already have Colostrum and a case of the “tingles.” I can’t wait to hold that newborn in my arms.

And, of course, the mainstream media is never lacking for lactation stories because as we know breasts sell papers. Most recently, the Boston Globe ran a "trend" story about how more women are engaged in extended nursing of children up to five years of age. But these moms are not your stereotypical “earth-mother types in Birkenstocks who homeschool their children,” but college-educated professionals who find themselves nursing their toddlers and even their kindergarteners before and after work.

(Ruth) Tincoff, for instance, works full time as a visiting assistant professor at Wellesley College. She also had not expected to be nursing Gwen until she was nearly 5.

"Gwen wasn't a big fan of eating," she says. At first, she stayed with it to give Gwen the nutrition she needed. Then it became part of their relationship and a way to comfort her daughter. "It helped Gwen to manage her emotions. If she was cranky or had a tantrum, nursing helped restore her," Tincoff says.

The article pointed out that it was hard to determine how big a trend years-long nursing is. Even La Leche League doesn’t keep track beyond 18 months. But something I found heartening is that the number of breastfeeding mothers, in general, is increasing.

Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from Abbott Labs' Ross Mothers Survey show a steady increase in the number of women who initiate breast-feeding, from 57 percent in 1994 to 72 percent in 2005. Less well-known is the gradual increase in the age at which breast-feeding stops. In 1997, 26 percent of mothers were still nursing their babies at six months; in 2005, 39 percent were. In 1997, 14.5 percent of mothers were still breast-feeding at 12 months; by 2005, the number had climbed to 20 percent.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends nursing for at least a year to give an infant protection against infections and allergies. The World Health Organization recommends two years.