The Milky Way (2014)

The Milky Way is a documentary exposé about breastfeeding in the United States, where Americans have one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. The simple act of nursing a baby elicits a broad range of reactions, especially when done in public. We show how women can reclaim their birthright and return the nursing mother to her natural and crucial role in our society. This is a film by, for, and about women. Women’s stories, leading lactation professionals, archival footage, religious iconography, and formula advertisements show how mothers’ authority was co-opted by medical professionals. The film captures how mothers can access their inner knowledge, trust their babies and their own body’s wisdom, and why they should. The mission is to elevate the nursing mother to a place in society where she receives all the necessary support to nurse her child, where scientific evidence overrides marketing influences, and a woman does not fear nursing in public.