Rating: 
Summary: I think this book was really misunderstood
Review: Afraid of working and breastfeeding? Don't worry your pretty little head about it. If you like that type of advice, then buy this book. Dr. Wilkoff's book promises "no guilt trips or political agendas." Instead, he offers patronization. The motto of this book: Since you might be afraid to try working and continuing to breastfeed, then why bother trying? Many times in life we are afraid of the unknown. Breastfeeding can fall into that category. As with many things, you don't know what you are capable of until you try or even allow yourself to dream. Dr. Wilkoff's book does not give you the tools or resources to even consider trying to go beyond time off from work and that is unfortunate. Thankfully there are other books and resources available. Have faith in yourself and you just might be ready, willing and able to continue the special relationship with your baby beyond your maternity leave. Take things one day at a time, know that there is a learning curve and that you, like millions of women before you, will get over any hurdles. Asses how you feel as your maternity leave is ending and make a decision that you feel comfortable with and that suits your needs. Working and breastfeeding can be combined. There are great, affordable pumps on the market (an Avent Isis for about $40 works wonderfully) that allow you to continue to exclusively feed your baby breastmilk. You can even combine the use of formula with breastfeeding if that is what works for you. Remember, breastfeeding does not have to be an all or nothing approach. If you plan to nurse, learn as much about it as you can and do not be afraid to turn to educated professionals for help (e.g. a certified nurse lactation consultant - be forewarned, there is no requirement to learn about breastfeeding in medical school and many doctors know less than they realize, others have taken it upon themselves (thankfully) to learn). Often your hospital has a breastfeeding support nursing staff including classes and will assist you during your stay. You can even call them for help after you go home when/if problems arise. Set small achievable goals and then as you accomplish them, move forward: maternity leave, 6 mos, 9 mos, etc. Forget about this book and go buy "So That's What They're There For." You'll have a laugh while getting tons of helpful advice about what to expect for ALL aspects of breastfeeding no matter how long you stick with it. Most of all, enjoy your baby and have faith in your abilities.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy this book if you want to be patronized.
Review: Afraid of working and breastfeeding? Don't worry your pretty little head about it. If you like that type of advice, then buy this book. Dr. Wilkoff's book promises "no guilt trips or political agendas." Instead, he offers patronization. The motto of this book: Since you might be afraid to try working and continuing to breastfeed, then why bother trying? Many times in life we are afraid of the unknown. Breastfeeding can fall into that category. As with many things, you don't know what you are capable of until you try or even allow yourself to dream. Dr. Wilkoff's book does not give you the tools or resources to even consider trying to go beyond time off from work and that is unfortunate. Thankfully there are other books and resources available. Have faith in yourself and you just might be ready, willing and able to continue the special relationship with your baby beyond your maternity leave. Take things one day at a time, know that there is a learning curve and that you, like millions of women before you, will get over any hurdles. Asses how you feel as your maternity leave is ending and make a decision that you feel comfortable with and that suits your needs. Working and breastfeeding can be combined. There are great, affordable pumps on the market (an Avent Isis for about $40 works wonderfully) that allow you to continue to exclusively feed your baby breastmilk. You can even combine the use of formula with breastfeeding if that is what works for you. Remember, breastfeeding does not have to be an all or nothing approach. If you plan to nurse, learn as much about it as you can and do not be afraid to turn to educated professionals for help (e.g. a certified nurse lactation consultant - be forewarned, there is no requirement to learn about breastfeeding in medical school and many doctors know less than they realize, others have taken it upon themselves (thankfully) to learn). Often your hospital has a breastfeeding support nursing staff including classes and will assist you during your stay. You can even call them for help after you go home when/if problems arise. Set small achievable goals and then as you accomplish them, move forward: maternity leave, 6 mos, 9 mos, etc. Forget about this book and go buy "So That's What They're There For." You'll have a laugh while getting tons of helpful advice about what to expect for ALL aspects of breastfeeding no matter how long you stick with it. Most of all, enjoy your baby and have faith in your abilities.
Rating:
Summary: There should be a SAFETY RECALL on this book!! Zero Stars!!
Review: As a first time mom, I was able to return to work after just 6 weeks and keep hapily and exclusively breastfeeding. On top of everything, my daughter was 6 weeks premature! It is a FEDERAL LAW that your employer has to give you unpaid time every 4 hours to express (pump) milk for your baby. To deny you is to discriminate against you and your baby's civil rights (lactation is covered under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act). I was an inexperienced new mom who knew nothing about breastfeeding and can gladly say that going back to work was much easier pumping than if I would have switched to formula. Weaning early can cause you to have SEVERE Post Pardum Depression, and won't it be fun going back to work depressed and overworked because you spend every morning and night washing and sterilizing bottles, boiling water and mixing formula? Oh by the way, it is an urban legend that husbands get up for midnight feedings, so add sleep deprivation on that list (I know, he says he will, but that may last a week, until he gets tired of it - then it's only you getting up at 2am to bottle feed the baby). I wore a nursing camisole under my business suit and nursed right before I left my daughter at the baby sitter and left extra milk in case I was late coming to get her. I would nurse again as soon as I got there to pick her up. We would go home and I would put my pumped milk in the freezer and we would nurse on demand all evening. I worked in a cubicle and before I went back, I told my employer that I was willing to take 2 - 15 minutes mini-lunch breaks instead of the 30 minutes I was entitled to, so I could pump. He had absolutely no problem with this arangement and told me if I neded extra time to take it (employers are surprisingly accomidating if they see you are willing to work with them). I pumped in the windowless meeting room (all you need is privacy and an electrical outlet - or a battery kit for your pump), or one of my coworker's private offices (other moms understand). At work, I would pump every 3 hours using the Medela Pump In Style Traveler (it has an optional hands free kit that attaches to your bra, so I could eat my mini lunch) and I was done in 15 minutes max! Those of you with 1 hour lunches should have no problem fitting the time to pump into your schedules (if fact I have a friend who cuts hair in 12 hour shifts and she was able to make pumping work). Be careful of the books you read, anyone with money can print a book that gives bad and harmful advice. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends ALL infants be breastfed exclusively for 6 months, at which time solids can be inroduced; after that, they recommend continuing breastfeeding for at least 1 year (or more if mutually desired). New studies show that the #1 way to reduce your chances of getting breast cancer (even if you have a family history) is to breastfeed your baby for 18 months. That's right, 300 years ago the only women who got breast cancer were nuns - becasue they didn't have babies to nurse. Overall this book has the worst advice I have ever heard about breastfeeding. The author wrote this book just to make money and does not consider the ramifications of the advice. There should be a safety recall on this book becasue of the harmfull advice it gives new moms about their baby's health. Read Dr. Sears The Breasfeeding Book instead.
Rating:
Summary: Dr. Wilkoff - An Advocate for New Moms
Review: Fortunately, I did not let some of the negative reviews discourage me from reading this book. I will be a new mom in the near future and I feel that Dr. Wilkoff's book offers lots of wonderful information on breastfeeding in today's fast-paced world. I like his honest commentary on what to expect from breastfeeding and encouragement to take one day at a time. Dr. Wilkoff does a good job of explaining how to create a nursing-friendly workplace and the tools that can help a mom continuing breastfeeding when she returns to work. What I really liked about this book, however, is that Dr. Wilkoff offers a plan for breastfeeding that is realistic in today's society. After reading this book, I have a better understanding of breastfeeding. I know that it will take some hard work but that it will have great rewards too. Dr. Wilkoff has encouraged me to start with a three-month plan with the hope that I can continue to breastfeed even after I return to work. Thank you!
Rating:
Summary: This book was not helpful to me
Review: I bought this book expecting it would give practical advice about transitioning from breastfeeding at home while on maternity leave, to going back to work and pumping. But that was not the message at all. It turned out to be 200+ pages of "do whatever works for you and don't let anyone else make you feel bad about it." Not the worst advice ever but who needs to buy and read a whole book about that? I also felt patronized by the message that pumping at work would be too hard and I shouldn't bother trying. Helpful advice would have been information about employment laws regarding a woman's right to take breaks to express milk, information about which states ban public breastfeeding, reviews of different models of pumps and their advantages/drawbacks, etc. This sort of information was not in the book.
Rating:
Summary: great strategy!
Review: I found this book to be very helpful during the first few months at home with my newborn. We had a difficult time breastfeeding, and Dr. Wilkoff's advice was invaluable - he covers everything from latching-on difficulties, flat/inverted nipples, sore and cracked nipples, to managing the incredible fatigue during those initial weeks. I am now back to work, and STILL breastfeeding! I liked the approach recommended by Dr. Wilkoff - take things a few months at a time and see how it goes. Thinking about nursing for the recommended 12 months when my baby was 2 weeks old and I was in tears each nursing session for various reasons was just too much. But even during those times I was able to stay motivated to make it at least through my maternity leave. Great advice for helping create a nursing friendly work place. I have been back to work for four months now - and haven't needed ANY supplements!
Thanks Dr. Wilkoff!
Rating:
Summary: I think this book was really misunderstood
Review: I read this book, and I didn't get from it the message that others did at all. I think that the book suggests that many women don't nurse at all because they know their employers will be unsupportive of pumping, and Dr. Wilkoff suggests that nursing for 3 months is better than none. I'm personally a round-the-clock sort of breastfeeding mom and nurse my children into toddlerhood, but I was not offended by this book. I think some of the reviewers of this book were choosing to focus only on the parts of it that they disagreed with. There's a lot of good in this book too: he condemns having formula samples in the house for new mothers as he rightly thinks it sabotages breastfeeding, he thinks nursing until babies start solids would be preferable, and he does indeed offer several suggestions for getting employers to be supportive of pumping. But he also acknowledges the sad reality that some employers will not make it feasible enough for women to nurse. There's a lot of good in this book for women who want to breastfeed but know from the start that they won't do it long-term. I love the Sears and LLL books personally, but I'm also so strongly a believer in breastfeeding that I think 3 months of breastfeeding is better than none. If Dr. Wilkoff's book encourages some women to nurse for 3 months who otherwise wouldn't have nursed their babies at all, then I think it serves a useful function. I rated it only 4 stars though because I think the book makes nursing sound exhausting and in my experience it isn't. New motherhood is inherently exhausting whether you breastfeed or not.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyed It
Review: I thought this book was very realistic. I don't feel as though it discouraged me from breastfeeding in the workplace but it did make me feel as though I would not be a failure if I decided not to. Yes, we all know breast is best, and it is best for the first year but it is also our CHOICE! And some breastmilk is better than no breastmilk. If you want to give breastfeeding your best possible shot and you are returning to work, I suggest this book. Don't be swayed by all of the negative reviews here, my guess is that they are mostly from women who feel as though formula is not an option.
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointed
Review: I was very disappointed by the tone of this book. It made it seem like very few women are capeable of continuing to breastfeed after returning to work, when in fact the opposite is true. It also discounted well known organizations (including the American Academy of Pediatrics) recommendations about the importance of breastfeeding exclusively for 6 months and continuing to breastfeed with complementary solids for at least a year. I am not a militant breastfeeding fanatic - just a mom, and I was able to continue breastfeeding with very few modifications. This book needs work....
Rating:
Summary: Honest and Realistic!!
Review: I wish I would have read this book during my first pregnancy. I listened to a lot of the die hard pro-breast Mom's and felt like a huge failure after breastfeeding did not work out for me the first go 'round. I appreciate that he talks A LOT about how tired you will be and how latching on is not a given for all babies. If I would have heard more of that the first time, I probably could have convinced myself that I was not a failure for not being able to work through the cracked, bloody nipples. As well as-the feedings that were non-stop.My daughter gained 1 pound and 2 ounces the first 3 days we were home from the hospital!! I was not prepared for the energy drain but I KNEW it was working, although mentally it was killing me.
As a second time Mom determined to give BF'ing another shot I consider myself lucky to have stumbled across this book. I appreciate the realistic opinions, instead of the "if you don't Breastfeed, you are a failure and a bad Mother" that I have read in other books.
Thanks Dr Wilkoff-even if you are a man...LMAO
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