The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

Rating:
Summary: A LaLeche Book, NOT a Breastfeeding Book
Review: Twenty-five or so years ago, there were only a scant handful of breastfeeding books available, and even less support and practical advice from doctors. At that time, a book like "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" was a Godsend to mothers who wanted to breastfeed their babies. It not only offered them emotional support, and the knowlege that they were doing right by their babies, but it gave them some basic, practical advice on how to nurse. (And how to fight a medical and social establishment that would assume formula-feeding at every turn.)The advice wasn't extensive, but it was better than nothing. It let women know that it was ok (indeed, even desirable) to feed babies on demand, and that most babies would want to eat more than every 3-4 hours in the early weeks. It let women know that it was ok to nurse for more than a few weeks or months. It let women know that it was ok to delay solids past 6 weeks... or even 4 months. Oh yes, and the book also introduced readers to LaLeche League, a hands-on, personal, mother-to-mother support group where women could meet other women who were also nursing their babies.

Today, bookstore shelves are overflowing with breastfeeding books. Most general babycare books offer tolerably good breastfeeding advice. Most doctors and hospitals are reasonably supportive and knowlegable about breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for a minimum of one year.

And... unfortunately, as a general breastfeeding book, Womanly Art has outlived its usefulness. Its general breastfeeding advice remains minimal and, sometimes, dated. Its tone has become far too strident for many mothers.

If you are interested in a book about LaLeche League, and are already committed to, or at least very open to, its particular mothering philosophy, the book is worth a read. But it is very much a book about LLL's philosophy (which extends far beyond breastfeeding), NOT a book about how to breastfeed. For breastfeeding books there are many, many better choices available.

Women who just want breastfeeding advice/information are likely to be offended and turned off by the book's tone and, and minimum, will be frustrated at having to wade through the philosophy in order to find the practical advice.

Rating:
Summary: Too much persuasion, not enough information
Review: I would recommend this book to someone who was unsure about breastfeeding and needed some convincing.

I knew I wanted to breastfeed my child, but I didn't know anything about how to do it. I purchased this book hoping it would fill in the how, but it didn't. I rarely picked it up after the baby was born. I found other books much more informative and helpful.

I respect this book as the classic it is, and I appreciate the efforts to make breastfeeding more acceptable. For those reasons, it is valuable. For breastfeeding information and guidance, I would select another book.

Rating:
Summary: A bit militant in parts
Review: But an excellent resource on solving breastfeeding problems, breastfeeding in difficult situtions and everything you ever needed to know about breastfeeding but were afraid to ask!

Rating:
Summary: Very Helpful...A Great Buy
Review: This book helped me in so many ways...from encouraging me to continue BFing to helping to figure out what the heck was going on with me. I'm a mother of two expecting number three. With my first I had the worst BFing experience and I wish I had this book then. With my second I was ready to put up a fight I was going to BF this baby and I did until he was 11 months!! There were many subjects covered in this book such as conditions caused by BFing like engorgement, soreness, etc. as well as tips and other helpful advice. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who wants more info on BFing, expectant mothers etc.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Book on Breastfeeding Yet
Review: I was very pleased to find this book and am thrilled that there is such a wonderful group of women out there that have written it!

I would like to say that I was very fortunate and that my son took to nursing immediately after birth and I have had no problems whatsoever with it after 4 months. But for women who are still pregnant and thinking about nursing, or those that have new babies, I would recommend this book without any hestitation whatsoever. I was amazed after reading this book to find that I agreed with all of the values that La Leche League promotes. I am in no way a traditional person, yet I feel that the best any of us can do for society is to raise a happy baby who in turn will grow up to be a stable adult. In that regard I am a traditional mother who believes in putting her baby before herself.

One reviewer on here wrote that she was in tears after reading the book and that it made her feel bad about returning to work. Well, she SHOULD feel bad. Nature gave her tools to use which in part are her intuition, and she ignored them. She claims that her baby is fine, but methinks that's rationalizing the situation. Nobody HAS to have a child. You should only have one if you are willing to raise the child yourself, rather them foisting them off on somebody else. And if you are willing to give up frivolous items to save money and you still can't stay at home, guess what? DON'T HAVE A BABY. They don't ask to be born, and the least you can do is care for them like every other animal in the animal kingdom.

One other item is scheduled feedings. When I am hungry, I eat. When I am not, I don't. Sometimes I don't eat for several hours, and sometimes I eat half an hour after a meal. The point here is that you need to listen to your stomach. I am a thin person and the overweight people I know are the only people that actually "schedule" their meals. When your baby is hungry, they need to be fed. Scheduling them is beyond ludicrous and it makes me wonder where a mother's common sense is. Do they force themselves to only eat at certain times of the day too? One wonders.

In closing, this book should help mothers out who care for their children and want to do right by them and not make excuses for themselves. Anybody who complains about the values promoted in this book is kidding themselves. They need to look in the mirror and ask themselves how they want their children to turn out in 18 years.

Rating:
Summary: Avoid this book if you have breastfeeding difficulties
Review: This book is great if you want to hear about the benefits of breastfeeding, the La Leche League philosophy and if you have no problems breastfeeding. If you require substantive information, such as storage, pumping, lactation research info or more importantly, what to do in case of breastfeeding difficulties, this book has very little to offer. I have a serious low milk supply problem (my exclusively breastfed son ended up in the hospital due to dehydration...) and this book makes the condition of low milk supply sound like a problem within the head of a paranoid mother.
For mothers with low milk supply (either real or imagined...) or other problems you are better off searching the web for the work of Dr. Jack Newman. In addition, avoid La Leche League and join the virtual support group MOBI (Mothers Overcoming Breastfeeding Issues), a Yahoo! group. In my serious quest for guidance, I found these to be the best resources for actionable information to turn my Low Milk Supply situation around. In addition, these sources offered much more substantive information on how lactation works and how to have a breastfeeding relationship with your child that works for you.

Rating:
Summary: This is THE BOOK!
Review: Pushy-smushy. I don't know what's up with the last reviewer, but in my opion this is THE BOOK that every expecting mother should read. It not only addresses everything you'll need to know about breastfeeding, but also post-partum depression (which is very real) and helpful information for/about new fathers. Pumping, storing, allergies...you name it it's in there. This the bible of breastfeeding and much more. Easy to read and easy to reference - A great gift and a must have.

Rating:
Summary: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
Review: This book is an excellent tool in aiding, helping and researching breatfeeding. I read it for the first time when I was pregnant with my first child and I still read it from time to time breatfeeding now my second. It's a book that everyone women should have and always keep for reference. If a problem arises while breastfeeding this book can help you solve it. It explains that breastfeeding is so much more than food to a baby and there is nothing like breatfeeding a child!

Rating:
Summary: Written by the group of women who have been there
Review: I bought this book when I was pregnant with my first child (6 years ago) at the recommendation of my childbirth instructor. The book is so encouraging and has so much great information in it. I never needed another book. All three of my children were breastfeed for an average of 1 year and I used this book as reference through it all - the good, the bad, and the ugly! I am buying another one for my sister in law, who is going to try breastfeeding her new little one on the way!

Rating:
Summary: An excellent comprehensive guide and reference
Review: This book is loaded with useful information about breastfeeding for both first-time and repeat nursing mothers. I bought it prior to the birth of my second child, and even though I had just recently stopped nursing my older child, I still found lots of valuable information in the book. Obviously, it adheres pretty closely to La Leche League philosophies, but if you learn to heed their advice of taking what works for you and ignoring what doesn't, you will be pleased with this book.