Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood: God's Plan for You and Your Baby [Paperback]

Sheila Kippley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2005

God has a plan for you and your baby, and it starts with breastfeeding. He wants you to use the gifts He gave you -- physical and spiritual -- to help your baby thrive and mold you into a loving Catholic mother. That s why the Church has long promoted breastfeeding. Today, many mothers know that the medical evidence in favor of breastfeeding is overwhelming: your milk nourishes your baby and boosts his immunity; your warm, reassuring maternal embrace fosters his early mental and emotional development. But the spiritual reasons for breastfeeding are just as strong. Citing priests and popes, author Sheila Kippley here shows that nursing is not only the best way to ensure your baby s health and proper psychological development; it s an integral part of your vocation as a Catholic mother.

Product Details

• Paperback: 107 pages
• Publisher: Sophia Institute Press (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933184043
• ISBN-13: 978-1933184043
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #692,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For All Loving Mothers-- Not Just Catholic Mothers!, October 1, 2005

By 

Marilyn M. Shannon - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood: God's Plan for You and Your Baby (Paperback)


If you are one of the many parents whose heart aches when you see child rearing books such as To Train Up a Child (see many negative reviews at Amazon), Sheila Kippley's
Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood is just what you need, even if you are not Catholic! It is the perfect antidote for books that advocate strict schedules and discipline for even tiny babies. If you have been troubled and confused by child rearing books that advocate, unbelievably,striking small babies, this book will be like a breath of fresh air. It is full of up-to-date,referenced scientific evidence for what you already know in your heart: gentle, responsive care of your baby through breastfeeding is good for your baby's physical as well as emotional health. Gentle, responsive care of babies is natural, good, and right.

If you are Catholic, the book integrates the health and emotional benefits of breastfeeding with a third dimension- the writings of leaders of the Catholic Church. It quotes popes, cardinals, bishops, and priests. For example, I was surprised to learn that the late John Paul II wrote repeatedly about breastfeeding, advocating it for its benefit to babies, mothers,
and society as a whole. Alphonse Cardinal Lopez Trujillo wrote the Foreword of the book. Mary Montessori,the famous childhood educator (and a Catholic), is quoted extensively in support of breastfeeding. Sheila Kippley herself, though very modest in her writing style, is a great Catholic laywoman in her own right. Along with her husband John Kippley, she is the
co-founder of the Couple to Couple League for Natural Family Planning. The mother of five grown children and several grandchildren, she combines her considerable research skills with her own experience as a gentle and loving mother in this, her latest book.

What if you have not breastfed in the past or are not breastfeeding your new baby right now? As an adoptive mother whose child (adopted as an infant and now age 7) was not breastfed at all, I think I can say that you will still appreciate the child-centered philosophy expressed in
this book, and you can apply the overall principles of being there for your child, holding your child, and meeting your child's need for YOU! And I think it is good to know that there may be some health issues to deal with that might not occur in a child who was breastfed, but knowledge is power (and good nutrition at every age is the answer to the health issues). In short, to quote one of the subtitles in the book: "Available, responsive, and sensitive." That's the kind of mother I want to
be, and reading this book is encouraging to me, even though my children are well past the breastfeeding stage!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great affirmation for the breastfeeding mother, April 4, 2007

By 

C. Johnson (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood: God's Plan for You and Your Baby (Paperback)

This is such a clear, thoughtful, and well-written book. I would recommend this book to any Catholic mother who wants to breastfeed or reaffirm her position that breastfeeding is best for her and her children. She really makes a great argument for nursing your baby longer than a year, an idea I never would have considered before reading this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for all mothers, April 10, 2007

By 

J. wilborn (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood: God's Plan for You and Your Baby (Paperback)

This book is an incredible reminder of all the truths of the gift of the vocation to motherhood that our culture has forgotten. Uplifting to any mother, it outlines the tremendous impact that the maternal-infant bond has on children, and how profound those commonly overlooked sacrifices of the mother really are in the lives of tomorrow's future leaders-- today's children. As mother of six, I have enjoyed reading it over and over again, especially during those times when my daily life seems tiring and monotonous.