In Malaysia, all government hospitals have a very strict policy about breastfeeding for newborns: absolutely no formula is allowed. While this is both positive (breastfeeding helps the bonding between mother and baby) and negative (the pressures of producing milk on the mother, especially in the first 24 hours after giving birth), it has become the norm for most if not all new mothers to breastfeed.
At the same time, discussions surrounding issues such as public health policies surrounding breastfeeding, lactose intolerance and the act of nurturing one’s child in public have not abated.
Enter Breastmilk: an intimate exploration of the breastfeeding phenomenon by first-time filmmaker Dana Ben-Ari and produced by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, who produced the critically-acclaimed The Business of Being Born. Dana follows a wide-ranging group of expectant parents in New York City from pregnancy through the first year of their child’s life, as well as capturing the scientific and philosophical insights of experts on issues of health and breastfeeding.
Breastmilk will be released in US theaters in early spring 2014. Hopefully it will be showing in Malaysia soon, but until then, enjoy the preview to Breastmilk: