Customer Reviews

Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased this book while researching the breastfeeding chapter in one of my forthcoming books. I immediately fell in love with this book -- specifically, with its innovative approach to the material (the seven natural laws) and its warm, supportive, and mother-friendly tone. The authors do a terrific job of explaining the root causes of many common breastfeeding problems in ways that make so much sense. Their section on how taking a "left-brained" approach to the very "right-brained" act of breastfeeding is totally brilliant. I can't praise this book highly enough.

I did not breastfeed my first child for more than a few weeks, but when #2 was in the NICU, I had a lot of time to read, and a lot of time to pump! This book suggests setting shorter term goals instead of the "Breastfeed for a year or else" message I seemed to hear with my first child. The book also talks about how the baby breastfeeds, not the mother, which took some of the pressure off. There was also mention of how in the U.S., Moms get a lot of support before the baby is born, but could use a little more help after the birth. A reverse Cinderella idea...very clever.
This book made breastfeeding more accessible, and I want to buy it for every new mom I meet. It was just what I needed to get over some of my nursing baggage.

I have done a lot of reading on the topic of breastfeeding, and this book tops my favorites list! The information and research provided in this book are far more up-to-date than what you'll find in most breastfeeding books. This book helps moms understand how breastfeeding works so that they can adapt their breastfeeding relationship to their specific needs and desires. It also does an amazing job helping moms understand the "bottle-feeding culture" and how that can impact breastfeeding. I didn't find the book to be pushy at all - in fact, I thought it was very releasing and gentle. I am going to give this book as a gift to all my pregnant friends!

I have a little stack of breastfeeding books that I started accumulating when I was pregnant with my now-4-month-old, and this book is by far the most helpful one among them. It has different information than a lot of the other books out there and is very encouraging and empowering.

I have read probably 90% of the breastfeeding books out there, and I still learned so much from this book! I wish it had been around when I had my first baby. I have already given two copies to friends who just had babies, and I plan to give it to other friends as well, preferably when they are still pregnant. The information is detailed and scientifically accurate; the tone is reassuring and supportive. I loved that when the authors described various choices or actions, they explained not only what would happen as a result, but also *why* that result would occur, in a logical, factual way. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

This book is a great resource for nursing mothers. I am still nursing my 18 month old daughter and I wish I had read this before I started nursing. It has information that I have not seen in Dr. Sears' books or in the book by the Pediatric Society. The tips for latch on are especially helpful. I think this is a very straightforward book that makes the reader feel comfortable about the breastfeeding relationship they have with their child. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to learn more about breastfeeding.

I thought I'd done everything I could to prepare for breastfeeding, but if a friend hadn't brought me this book at 3 weeks I really might have thrown in the towel. I was starting to think I'd never make it through the first month and wondering if I had milk supply problems. In five minutes of looking at this book I realized that:

1. it would get SO much easier in a few weeks (if only someone had told me!);

2. all my "worries" were actually normal behavior for a 3 week old baby. (If only someone had told me!)

3. I too could feed lying down at night and actually get some sleep. (If only someone had told me!)

If you're about to have a child - or if you're exhausted after only a few weeks and wondering if you can make breastfeeding work - then do yourself a favor and READ this book before you decide to quit, supplement, introduce a bottle, or switch to formula.

This is THE BEST breastfeeding book that I have read thus far. I initially purchased the American Academy of Pediatrics' "New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding", which was an adequate book for those women who may be exploring their options in terms of breast vs. bottle, but as an RN, I learned absolutely nothing. I kept feeling like there was something missing, but being pregnant with my first child and having never breastfed before, I couldn't say exactly what. Then I bought this book on a whim and WOW! I LOVE IT!!! This book not only addresses the "how's" of breastfeeding with pictures and numerous detailed explanations, but it also explains the "why". I have so much more insight into how breatfeeding works and have a new appreciation for the team that my baby and I will become.

I'm going through my books to give to a friend about to have a baby (mine is 14 months old). This is not one that I will want to get back if I get pregnant again. I read the book toward the end of my pregnancy and while my baby was a newborn, and the information was interesting and helpful at the time. However, it was not a book I could easily use for reference when I had questions or concerns about my breastfeeding experience. The main problem is that it does not have an index. I didn't have the time or patience to re-read entire chapters with the hope I would come across the information I was seeking, so I turned to other books instead (such as The Nursing Mother's Companion). That being said, this book did provide a worthwhile introduction to breastfeeding, and some of the "laws" concerning milk supply (more nursing = more milk) really stuck with me.

I highly recommend that new mothers read Breastfeeding Made Simple. It would also be helpful for breastfeeding educators, lactation consultants, childbirth educators, labor and delivery nurses, doctors, etc. because the authors explain how babies are "hardwired" in behavior and needs, as well as how to get breastfeeding off to a good start (or what to do when there are problems). Mothers with such knowledge will feel more confident and have less difficulties than if they ignore these behaviors. As an IBCLC who has observed thousands of babies, I learned alot from this book.