The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

Title: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, 7th ed.
Author: La Leche League, Intl.
Country: America
Year: 2004 (7th ed)
Rating: A-
Pages: 463 pgs

Short summary: A breastfeeding resource for mothers about the benefit of human milk for your baby, how to prepare for breastfeeding, tips on how to combine breastfeeding and working outside the house, finding time for yourself while meeting your baby's needs, and suggestions on overcoming some of the most common problems that may arise.

What I thought: This book would be a good starting point for someone just starting to learn more about breastfeeding. It is written by La Leche League, a breastfeeding activist group, and they do state that breast is best, a position I happen to support. But, so does the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, and countless health professionals and medical studies. I appreciated the fact that the book did not use any scare-mongering tactics that seem to crop up in this debate; they do acknowledge it is a decision each woman needs to make for herself. I actually found this book almost more helpful than the few LLL meetings I have attended, which have a very low attendance record where I live. I also really liked the chapter on Discipline as Loving Guidance. I was not expecting a chapter on discipline in a BF book, and they offered some very valuable and practical advice. There is a great list of further resources at the end of the book.

The major downside to the book is in the layout. I am looking for a resource that I can easily refer to if any problems arise with breastfeeding. This book has some of that information, but not in a format that would be easy to find at say...3am with a hungry baby and a very sleepy mum. For that, the resource that looks the best is Dr. Jack Newman's online breastfeeding resource, which was referred to me by my doula.

Overall, I would recommend this book to all pregnant mothers, and especially those who, like me, have already decided on breastfeeding for at least the first year of their little one's life.