Customer Reviews

Dr. Mom's Guide to Breastfeeding

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For me, this is undoubtedly the best of the breastfeeding guides. It not only provides gentle (not pushy, like some others) support for your decision to breastfeed, it is beautifully written and organized. I loved the stories of the author's own experiences and the clear, practical directions. Breastfeeding is a challenging but rewarding experience. She eloquently describes the rewards while providing practical advice for the difficulties rather than ignoring or down-playing them. Thank You for all your help Dr. Neifert. I wish you could be my Doula!

Covers the basics, but unlike many breastfeeding books, does not blithely assume all women are ideally equipped to breastfeed (given the proper training). This book explores areas such as insufficient supply, breast reduction and augmentation, malformed and/or lopsided breasts (hypoplastic), inverted nipples, extemely oversized or undersized breasts, and the lsit goes on.

The book also delves into methods for solving , or at least making the best of all sorts of problems or feeding situations. It provides a handy chart on what to expect in terms of new infant behaviour, and how to tell if baby is getting enough to eat.

Recommend for any woman who falls outside the "average" range of breast feeding problems, or for anyone who wants to understand the subject more deeply. Specific topics are scrupulously cross referenced. Skim the index when confronted with a particular concern. Illustrations are quite illumiunating if a bit gritty. Maybe more than you need to get started, but clearly written and very comprehensive.

Although this book was written primarily for mothers, it should be required reading for any pediatric health care provider. The author is a pediatrician and a mother of five who is an internationally known expert in the field of lactation management. She writes beautifully, making the book a pleasure to read. It's a very complete reference for new breastfeeding mothers, providing accurate information about nursing a baby, with the material presented in a sensitive and accepting manner. As a health professional with many years of experience working with breastfeeding mothers, I found it to be, by far, the best book on breastfeeding that I've ever read.

Unfortunately, I found this book too late. While breast feeding is "natural", it is a learned skill and there are many things that can go wrong. I read the "other" books on breast feeding and consulted with numerous lactation consultants. The books were useless and the lactation consultants were baffled. If I had had Dr. Mom's book, I would have been able to diagnose and fix breast feeding problems early on. Rather than have months of difficulty, and eventual failure, I would have had the wonderful, successful experience that I had dreamed of and worked for.

Obstetricians should give this book to all expecting moms! It is by far the most thorough book on breastfeeding that exists. Even if you're not planning on breastfeeding for long, this book gives absolutely crucial information on latching on, jaundice, weight gain, and other issues that are very important during the first few days of an infant's life. It does repeat some of the basic points in a few different sections, but I found that the repetition helped me remember the important information. The author's tone is also very warm, and I used this book as my moral support when confronted by others who didn't understand breastfeeding. She also assumes the reader is intelligent, and explains varying approaches to potential problems, with detailed scientific information. I strongly advise that you read this BEFORE your baby is born, because afterwards you won't have time, and this is a book that should be read rather than skimmed. I am proud to say that my baby is 7 months old and has never had a drop of formula. But I have had to overcome some challenges to keep breastfeeding this long, and I don't think I could have done it without the advice and support I found in this book. Thank you, Dr. Mom!

This is the most thorough, helpful, & realistic guide to breastfeeding I've seen. I suffered through over 3 months of desparate attempts to nurse my daughter 2 yrs. ago, pouring through other breastfeeding books & seeing lactation consultants for help. This book is complete in its recommendations for preparing for breastfeeding & for knowing when to seek help for problems within the first week. Unlike books I read 2 yrs. ago before this one was published, a realistic approach is taken for the severity of problems some women experience and the importance of putting the baby's weight gain & welfare over attempts to continue breastfeeding at all costs.

This book is great. When I was pregnant I received LLL's "Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" but found it to be fairly, well, preachy and unrealistic. There wasn't any practical advice on how to solve problems, or deal with issues of working moms, etc. This book gives you sound advice on issues such as common problems like plugged ducts, breastmilk storage, nursing past one year, how to deal with serious medical issues such as premature birth, etc. It's not meant to be read from start to finish, but the thorough index makes finding any specific information a breeze. Highly recommended for any would-be nurser.

I have read numerous books on nursing and this is the only one I found that gives the truth about breastfeeding. Like it isn't always free, be ready to lay down some cash for things that make nursing tons easier like nursing pillows, stools, pumps, bras, pads, lacation consultant, and easy to prepare foods for you.

I've read a few different books on breastfeeding, including the La Leche League's, but this is definitely the best. While I do agree with other reviewers that it can be repetitive, I actually read through almost the entire book in one sitting and remained interested, so I don't feel as if it reads like a textbook. It has very practical advice and instruction with good illustrations. I think it is important that it explains the biological process of milk formation and letdown so that women understand what is happening in their bodies. And it is very realistic--the author believes that almost everybody can breastfeed, but accepts that some may not be able to and some may not be able to exclusively breastfeed. She provides excellent recommendations for overcoming any challenges a woman may face in the process. I think I came away from this book very knowledgeable about many different aspects of breastfeeding, and it will certainly be helpful as I embark on the journey of nursing my own baby.

It is also good to note that the author is active in LLL and also helped write the 1998 American Academy of Pediatrics statement on breastfeeding. This is a very knowledgeable woman with experience from her own 5 children. Last, I appreciate that she respects the choice of a woman to work while breastfeeding and gives very practical tips on how to make that happen (something I feel is not the case for the LLL book).

My son was born 7 weeks early and this book was recommended to me by the lactationist and nurse that was in the NICU/ICN. This book covers everything. This was my first time to expereince breastfeeding and this book answered any question I had to, breastfeeding a preemie, to him being 8 months old and how to handle doing both breastfeeding and baby food. I even bought this for two friends of mine that were either thinking about breastfeeding or was going to and had a preemie. This book is an absolute must if you are gonna breastfeed.