This is an unusual post for baby gooroo. You won’t find another such article among the many parenting pieces on this site. But when we heard of the death of Edwina Froehlich, it seemed important to write this. So, here it is: a shout-out for Edwina.

Edwina Froehlich was born Edwina Hearn in 1915 in the Bronx. She worked for Young Christian Workers, a Roman Catholic lay organization, for several years before she met and married her husband, John, when she was in her early 30s.

At that time, it was unusual for a woman in her thirties to be having her first child, but Edwina did. And how. Perhaps in response to her older sister’s experience during childbirth, she eschewed a hospital birth in favor of a home delivery (with an obstetrician on hand).

Although she was told that her 35-year-old body was too old to make breastmilk, and in spite of widespread pediatric support for formula-feeding, Edwina chose to breastfeed her child. In fact, she breastfed all of her children, Paul, Peter and David.

Mary White, another La Leche League founder, observed “We used to tell mothers the three main obstacles to successful breastfeeding were doctors, hospitals and social pressure.” Edwina Froehlich overcame all three.

Which is why, in 1956, when Mary White and Marian Tompson decided to start a group to provide support and information for breastfeeding mothers in their area, they chose to involve Edwina Froehlich. She was the perfect person to recruit to this effort. Very quickly, she established monthly meetings in her home. She even had a second phone line installed specifically for questions from breastfeeding mothers. Calls came from across the U.S.

By 1964, “La Leche League of Franklin Park” (Illinois) became “La Leche League International.” Edwina served as assistant executive director for many years, and later as a board member and member of the Founder’s Advisory Council. She also helped to write La Leche’s seminal text, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. The book has been translated into eight languages and Braille.

La Leche League provides details about an upcoming memorial service (July 12 in Elk Grove Village IL) and highlights her important role in the group’s creation. The Chicago Tribune and New York Sun have both run death notices, while the Dallas Morning News made space on its editorial page for a tribute to the woman they dubbed a “pioneer feminist.” Cartoonist Heather Cushman-Dowdee (a.k.a Hathor the Cow Goddess) has illustrated her response to Edwina Froehlich’s passing.

Here’s to you, Edwina Froehlich. Not just for leading the way in breastfeeding, but for leading the way in mothering. Thank you.