Human Milk Versus The Motherly Instinct And Traditional...

Scientific medicine blamed mothers for both infantile disease and mortality, yet also â€Å"devalued motherly instinct and traditional knowledge†(Apple 167) comparing motherhood to a profession, stating that they needed to learn how to raise their children through the advice of a physician. Consumerism, child-care journals and woman s magazine s were all leading proponents from the late 19th century onward convincing mothers to buy a product which was not only â€Å"good for their baby† but also â€Å"recommended† by a doctor, such as finding an alternative to human milk versus the motherly instinct of breastfeeding. Mother s were essentially guilted into scientific motherhood. Product ads had stressed â€Å"the importance of scientific advice† (Apple 171) and were compelled to change the ways in which they raised their children because of the â€Å"perfect mother† pitch that was widely used. Young girls also received instructions in practica l child-care in school curriculum, such as the Little Mother s Club or Homemaking Clubs and, in turn, these young girls would instruct their mother s about scientific motherhood. Through the age s women who did not have the ability to procreate were often looked down upon from society and would not be considered a medical condition until the 19th century. In medievel England, an infertile woman was considered a witch and therefore punished to death for it with similar viewpoints expressed in Colonial America. Colonial America â€Å"viewed