Choosing A Breastfeeding Book
So, you’ve done the reading about labour but everyone keeps telling you how impossibly difficult and challenging breastfeeding is so you decide you’d like to read a book, and I’d say there are three major players out there right now for books.
The first one is Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding and if you’ve read her Guide to Childbirth then you probably have a good idea about what you’re in for when it comes to this book. Ina May is such a talented, special midwife and her voice is an important one in the landscape of protecting birther’s rights and the natural, physiological process of birth but it doesn’t mean she’s not out in left field or that her perspective isn’t jarring or extreme to some. If you haven’t read Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth then I’d *highly* suggest you pick that up before the breastfeeding book and I do have it on my recommended reading list, but if you have read the guide to childbirth and you liked it, then totally go for the Ina May book. Her suggestions are all incredible and sometimes aren’t offered by care providers, and her general insight to the entire breastfeeding relationship is invaluable. Like any breastfeeding resource, it’s not super helpful before baby arrives but it can be an incredible resource if you’ve marked pages that go over certain topics such as latching, positions, engorgement, mastitis, etc. so that it’s easy to refer back to when you’re in the thick of it. Overall, it’s hippie, holistic and FULL of stories which I personally think is the best way to learn.
The next book, I feel, sits on the opposite end of the spectrum. Dr. Jack Newman’s Guide to Breastfeeding is straightforward, to the point, rationally-minded and highly technical. It sometimes reads like an extremely repetitive manual on latch, latch, latch but when families reflect after having their baby on what they’ve learned, they do quickly see how latch can be king. Like most good breastfeeding books, it definitely has a very strong undertone that is in favour of breast so don’t think you’ll learn much about what to do if breastfeeding isn’t going well or about supplementing… it’s pro-boob and quite unashamedly so. However, care providers are often quick to suggest formula-feeding as a response to any difficulties that might arise so you can be rest assured you’ll get lots of support in the supplementation area so it is nice to have a book in the ring that is so pro-breastfeeding so you’ve got all perspectives in your circle. The other neat thing about Dr. Jack Newman’s book is that he is local to Toronto and has a really incredible breastfeeding clinic where you can take a class beforehand and/or get lactation support from post-baby’s arrival. Again, in my experience most of their classes and consultants are hyper in favour of breastfeeding but that’s not necessarily a bad thing when it’s also hyper important to you to make that nursing relationship work.
The last book is somewhere in the middle of the two. Slightly less hippie but much more holistic than Dr. Jack Newman’s book, yet not filled with many stories and quite repetitive compared to Ina May’s Guide, we have La Leche’s League ‘The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding’. The name in and of itself makes many people, include myself, gag but it is a great read. It is full of really great information about positioning, latch, supply, etc. However, there is a quite strong judgemental tone against anything that isn’t natural, starting from birth through to nursing. Out of the three books, this is probably the one I’d least recommend *but* I’m including it here because overall La Leche is an incredible resource. They’re active members of the community with lots of incredible support groups and they have undoubtedly helped many families develop or protect their feeding relationships. The book is also very pro-on-demand-and-co-everything (think feeding, sleeping, babywearing, etc.) so if you don’t think that’s the way you want to go then I’d consider the other two.
Oh, another bonus read is the chapter on breastfeeding in the Bringing Up Bebe book. I absolutely love it because it’s main message is do whatever the eff works. Whatever is going to ensure your health, safety, happiness, sanity -- whatever that thing is, formula, boob, half-formula, donor milk, whatever -- do that thing. And do it without shame, knowing that putting yourself first means baby is always getting the best care and is being put first too.
I’ve linked the three books below for you to check out, read the summaries, read the comments, and you can go ahead and purchase one *or* you can also ask me to bring them on one of my visits and you can skim through each one to decide which one looks best for you. I’m happy to lend you one, two, or all three of the books if you did want to read them so please take me up on the offer because no one ever does so they just sit on my bookshelf at home, waiting for you.
Shoot me a text after you’ve watched this video and let me know which one most interests you!
So, you’ve done the reading about labour but everyone keeps telling you how impossibly difficult and challenging breastfeeding is so you decide you’d like to read a book, and I’d say there are three major players out there right now for books.
The first one is Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding and if you’ve read her Guide to Childbirth then you probably have a good idea about what you’re in for when it comes to this book. Ina May is such a talented, special midwife and her voice is an important one in the landscape of protecting birther’s rights and the natural, physiological process of birth but it doesn’t mean she’s not out in left field or that her perspective isn’t jarring or extreme to some. If you haven’t read Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth then I’d *highly* suggest you pick that up before the breastfeeding book and I do have it on my recommended reading list, but if you have read the guide to childbirth and you liked it, then totally go for the Ina May book. Her suggestions are all incredible and sometimes aren’t offered by care providers, and her general insight to the entire breastfeeding relationship is invaluable. Like any breastfeeding resource, it’s not super helpful before baby arrives but it can be an incredible resource if you’ve marked pages that go over certain topics such as latching, positions, engorgement, mastitis, etc. so that it’s easy to refer back to when you’re in the thick of it. Overall, it’s hippie, holistic and FULL of stories which I personally think is the best way to learn.
The next book, I feel, sits on the opposite end of the spectrum. Dr. Jack Newman’s Guide to Breastfeeding is straightforward, to the point, rationally-minded and highly technical. It sometimes reads like an extremely repetitive manual on latch, latch, latch but when families reflect after having their baby on what they’ve learned, they do quickly see how latch can be king. Like most good breastfeeding books, it definitely has a very strong undertone that is in favour of breast so don’t think you’ll learn much about what to do if breastfeeding isn’t going well or about supplementing… it’s pro-boob and quite unashamedly so. However, care providers are often quick to suggest formula-feeding as a response to any difficulties that might arise so you can be rest assured you’ll get lots of support in the supplementation area so it is nice to have a book in the ring that is so pro-breastfeeding so you’ve got all perspectives in your circle. The other neat thing about Dr. Jack Newman’s book is that he is local to Toronto and has a really incredible breastfeeding clinic where you can take a class beforehand and/or get lactation support from post-baby’s arrival. Again, in my experience most of their classes and consultants are hyper in favour of breastfeeding but that’s not necessarily a bad thing when it’s also hyper important to you to make that nursing relationship work.
The last book is somewhere in the middle of the two. Slightly less hippie but much more holistic than Dr. Jack Newman’s book, yet not filled with many stories and quite repetitive compared to Ina May’s Guide, we have La Leche’s League ‘The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding’. The name in and of itself makes many people, include myself, gag but it is a great read. It is full of really great information about positioning, latch, supply, etc. However, there is a quite strong judgemental tone against anything that isn’t natural, starting from birth through to nursing. Out of the three books, this is probably the one I’d least recommend *but* I’m including it here because overall La Leche is an incredible resource. They’re active members of the community with lots of incredible support groups and they have undoubtedly helped many families develop or protect their feeding relationships. The book is also very pro-on-demand-and-co-everything (think feeding, sleeping, babywearing, etc.) so if you don’t think that’s the way you want to go then I’d consider the other two.
Oh, another bonus read is the chapter on breastfeeding in the Bringing Up Bebe book. I absolutely love it because it’s main message is do whatever the eff works. Whatever is going to ensure your health, safety, happiness, sanity -- whatever that thing is, formula, boob, half-formula, donor milk, whatever -- do that thing. And do it without shame, knowing that putting yourself first means baby is always getting the best care and is being put first too.
I’ve linked the three books below for you to check out, read the summaries, read the comments, and you can go ahead and purchase one *or* you can also ask me to bring them on one of my visits and you can skim through each one to decide which one looks best for you. I’m happy to lend you one, two, or all three of the books if you did want to read them so please take me up on the offer because no one ever does so they just sit on my bookshelf at home, waiting for you.
Shoot me a text after you’ve watched this video and let me know which one most interests you!