The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Completely Revised and Updated 8th Edition

by La Liga de La Leche Internacional, La Leche League International, Teresa Pitman, et al.

Book Overview

The revised go-to resource on breastfeeding that mothers have relied on for generations La Leche League has for many years set the standard for supporting families in the art of breastfeeding. This... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345518446
• Release Date: July 2010
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 576 Pages
• Weight: 1.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 1.2" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Good to have as a reference

I bought this book while expecting my first child and started reading it like a normal book. You get to a point where there's only so much you can learn without having a baby right there with you. However, after having the baby, it was very easy to reference when I needed a tip or needed to learn something quickly without opinions on the internet. If you are a doula, midwife, or just a mama like me, this is worth keeping as a reference to help you succeed with breastfeeding.

LLL and this book made breastfeeding a GREAT experience!

I've read the reviews on this book and La Leche League stating that somehow, La Leche Leage (LLL)and this book can make one feel inadequate or less womanly if problems with breastfeeding lead to supplementing with formula. My experience has found this to be very untrue. I attended my first LLL meeting while I was pregnant with my first child. I found the people to be very friendly and they went out of their way to answer all of my questions about becoming a new mom and breastfeeding. I contuniued these meetings for the wonderful support and education throughout my pregnancy. I also hired a Lactation Consultant to help with breastfeeding once the baby was born. Unfortunatly,I ended up with a c-section. I was unable to see my daughter for almost 4 hours after the surgery. When I did finally meet her, she was very drowsy from the epidural and would not latch for over 24 hours. My daughter was born on a Friday night, and the hospital's Lactation Consultant was "off" for the weekend!!! It was the wonderful women I met at the LLL meetings that I called for help. They were so helpful and did not judge me for having difficulty. Also, the book was VERY helpful in answering all of the MANY questions that arose once my child was brought to me. I especially loved the chapter that addresses concerns about breastfeeding after a c-section. Many of the nurses and, suprisingly, the physicians, suggested over and over that I supplement with formula, when really all I needed was a breastpump!!! I had to request a breastpump 3 times before it was brought to me. Without the support of the LLL and the book, I would have gone along with the nurses and Doctors and my daughter & I would have missed out on all the benefits of breastfeeding. In short, I have not found this book or LLL to be judgmental of mothers who have difficulty with breastfeeding and end up supplementing with formula, rather, what I have found is just pure frustration that mothers are robbed of the opportunity to experience all the benefits of breastfeeding by being pushed into supplementing at the fist sign of any difficulty. My experience has taught me that breastfeeding is an art and it is not always easy to master it, especially when you are mentally and physically exhausted from having a baby. LLL was there to SUPPORT me and my family in that time by providing education and assistance. Thanks to them I knew how important it was to get my baby the colostrum I was producing the first few days after she was born and I knew not to panic when there was very little of it coming out. So many of the moms I know are convinced to supplement or give up breastfeeding altogether because they are told or mistakenly think the don't have "enough milk" during this stage!!! I was so relieved that I was wiser due to the information I received from LLL and the book. The first couple of weeks of breastfeeding were difficult, but with the help of my Lactation Consultant, LLL friends, and this

The Bible for Breastfeeding, No More Excuses!

The Womanly Art has been considered the ultimate guide for the breastfeeding mother since the 1950s. In those days there was little medical research, most data was anecdotal and only a few mothers were really the only ones who knew what breastfeeding was really like. The breastfeeding rates in the USA at that point were abysmal (As was infant health,) and LLL and this book changed all that. Breastfeeding rates rose and continue to rise in the USA and Europe, babies became healthier and breastfeeding became the norm, as it should be, this book and LLL are responsible. If the information in this book wasn't working, breastfeeding wouldn't be as workable as it is for so many women for more than a generation, and have the record numbers of women now doing what is BEST for themselves and their babies. This book WORKS! This book is comprehensive. It covers most aspects of breastfeeding, BUT it pulls NO punches. Having a baby is in no way a convenience, and caring for that baby properly is not convenient either. Breastfeeding is not always simple, but this book makes it direct, and gives you the power and knowlege on how to be successful. Some may be offended by this book's frankness, it's dedication to the fact that BABIES are what this is all about (not convenience) and some are threatened by the facts which prove the absoluteness that breastfeeding has no peer in infant feeding. But this book is honest, it gives the needed answers and it has thousands of women and babies to vouch for it.Parenting is not for the weak, the complaining, or the excuse makers. That goes double for breastfeeding parents. Breastfeeding CAN be done, and this book ELIMINATES the excuses and leaves the reader with ONE choice, that breastfeeding can be done and should be done. Through it's gentle manner, interesting case studies and medical fact, excuses why "I couldn't breastfeed...." are explained, dealt with and then eliminated by this book. That might makes it *difficult* for some to read. But that is the reason why it is the BEST book on the market for parents. You can do this, and the Womanly Art will give you the ability to do so, if you are willing. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." The same can be said for making one feel "Guilty." No one can make an other feel guilty, one can only tell the truth, which is what this book does. Read this book, and perhaps speak with a local La Leche League leader, and you WILL be able to breastfeed. It may take some courage, but that is what parenting is all about.

Breastfeeding and beyond. This book is just for you!

Is your baby due soon? This book is full of great information on breastfeeding and will help you make an informed decision about how to feed and care for your newborn baby. Or maybe your baby is already born and you are looking for a good book about breastfeeding. Either way, this book is a great resource!Many mothers come to realize, during the course of their pregnancy, that everyone she knows will offer her "advice" on how to feed and care for her newborn baby. That can be confusing to a new mother because so many women have different ideas about caring for the newborn. Helpful information is what you will find in this book."The Womanly Art of Breatfeeding" offers a wonderful opportunity to read from the experts on the health topic of breastfeeding. When reading this book, a woman is offered suggestions about breastfeeding that when followed can ensure success. This book also covers how the father can be fully involved in the care of the baby. Many fathers will find this reassuring that they will not be "left out" because they're not bottle feeding.I enjoyed reading this during my first pregnancy, and I feel sure you will, too! Actually, I read it more than once because I enjoyed reading it so much. The parenting suggestions included in this book are, in my opinion, meant to be a guide for you. You will know your baby best. After reading this book you can look forward to believing in yourself and your ability to mother your baby. A mother will gain confindence from the information in this book. The Womanly Art gives mothers solid information to start successfully nursing a newborn while touching on less common subjects such as health problems with the newborn or the mother, after the birth and beyond. This book is a great resource for expectant mothers. The "Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" is the best!

The Most Complete and Empowering Book on Breastfeeding

What an empowering book! There are a lot of books out there now that talk about breastfeeding, but this one is by far my favorite. Like all the others, it has technical information about the many benefits of breastfeeding, positioning your baby, going back to work, and how to get help if you need it, but it goes so far beyond that! This book shares the incredible joy and sense of physical connection that are unique to the breastfeeding relationship, and is one of the few books I've read that affirms the tremendous importance of mothers to their babies. If you're thinking about breastfeeding and want more information, if you know you want to breastfeed and need to learn more (and PLEASE educate yourself before your baby is born -- breastfeeding is something that both mothers and babies can only learn by doing, and information is your ally!) or whether you're a proud breastfeeding mom who wants to share the experience of others in your mothering community, this book has so much to offer you. Breastfeeding has been a transformative experience for me, despite (or perhaps because of) early breastfeeding difficulties I had to overcome with both of my children. It was because of the wealth of wisdom and information in this book, and because of other help I received from La Leche League, that I was able to breastfeed successfully. I am deeply grateful to this organization, and amazed by what they've accomplished, particularly since I found out they're staffed almost entirely by volunteers.

The definitive book on breastfeeding

This book covers just about every situation that could happen in the normal course of breastfeeding (as well as lots of special circumstances). From how to get breastfeeding off to a good start all the way through to starting solids and weaning, you can find just about any information on breastfeeding you need. Are you a working mom and need information on the mechanics of pumping and storing breastmilk? The answer is here. Are you an at-home mom and need suggestions on how to meet the needs of your baby while still taking care of the house, other children, your husband, and yourself? A myriad of suggestions are offered. Want to know how various choices in childbirth options can affect getting breastfeeding off to a good start? Look no further. If you're having a problem (thrush, mastitis, overactive letdown, etc.), this book is full of helpful tips and suggestions to help you overcome the problem. While this is a wonderful book for the breastfeeding mother to read, it's even better for the expectant mother to read---being prepared with knowledge and information ahead of time can help a mother avoid problems and have a wonderful breastfeeding relationship with her baby from the very beginning. This book should be on the bookshelf of every expectant or breastfeeding mother.