When Froehlich had her first child in 1950, she was 35 — and was abruptly told by her doctor she was too old to breastfeed. She did so anyway, which at the time was a rarity for any woman: only about 20 percent of American women breastfed their children in the 1950s.
Froehlich and six other friends who were recent mothers decided to change that trend: in 1956 they founded the La Leche League to promote the practice, which meant countering the medical establishment. “We didn’t have any information,” said another of the founders. “There weren’t any books out there, and women just didn’t talk about these things.” So Froehlich helped write a book for the group: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding * helped women learn, and went on to sell more than 2 million copies.
Froehlich went on to serve as assistant executive director for LLL, and was on its board for many years. She died June 8 after a stroke. She was 93.