The Nursing Mother's Problem Solver (Paperback)

~ (Author), Martha Sears (Author), William Sears (Foreword), Nancy Funnemark (Contributor) "Q: I was just diagnosed with a breast abscess, the result of a plugged duct on my right breast..." (more)
Key Phrases: overactive letdown, nursing holiday, milk blisters, American Academy of Pediatrics, United States, Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Martin, an award-winning journalist (and a mother), and Krebs, a pediatrician who specializes in nutrition (and a mother), have come together to create a pragmatic breastfeeding guide. Its format is question-and-answer, and its organization is alphabetic. Thus, if you wonder whether it is advisable to nurse when you have the flu, you!ll find the answer under Flu, Breastfeeding When You Have. Based on questions that were asked on the lactation consultant hotline at the Children!s Hospital of Denver, this book addresses common issues of new mothers (e.g., latching on, sore nipples, night feedings) as well as less common situations, such as breastfeeding babies with special needs. The scope of the Q&A is wide, providing a wealth of detailed information from a modern-day perspective (e.g., see the section on Pierced Nipple ). Highly recommended for consumer health collections and for nursing mothers as a ready-reference tool."Linda M.G. Katz, Florence A. Moore Lib. of Medicine, MCP Hahnemann Univ., Philadelphia
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Finally! Answers to your most urgent questions in an easy-to-use format!

Based on questions posed by thousands of real mothers, this A-to-Z guide has a practical, realistic view of how nursing fits into a modern woman's life.
First-time mothers and breastfeeding veterans will find answers to more than 300 questions -- from the most common to the most particular.

How to know the effect of what you eat and drink on your breastmilk -- from antihistamines and antidepressants to spicy food, wine, or caffeine

How to use natural remedies like fennel tea, cabbage leaves, and brewer's yeast to combat your own and your baby's discomforts

How to accommodate your child's particular nursing style, be she fussy, sleepy, overeager, or uninterested

How to breastfeed children with special needs -- like a cleft palate and Down's syndrome -- as well as adopted babies and twins

Cross-referenced for easy, immediate access to information, supplemented with listings of resources such as videos, Web sites, and support groups, this volume is the most comprehensive collection of nursing advice available.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; 1 edition (July 18, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684857847
• ISBN-13: 978-0684857848
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #529,625 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Myths, negativity, and made-up advice, September 16, 2002

By A Customer

While I liked some things, including nice information on breastfeeding in public, I found this book negative and full of assertions not supported by research. She is obsessed with food sensitivities, covering them in 14 sections and attributing every whimper to something mom ate. Research does not support her theories!

Other suggestions are not supported by research, including drinking more water to boost supply. (It can have the opposite effect if you drink too much -- such as Martin's crazy recommendations to drink 8 to 10 ounces per hour.) On p. 277 she lists among ways you can tell if baby is getting enough milk that stools have an odor more sweet than foul. Once baby is eating solids, they'll always be foul. Here she tells the mother to drink 8 ounces of water every two hours(inconsistent with previous recommendation) to increase supply. These are not the standard evidence-based suggestions for improving supply.

On page 96, she tells a mother with cracked, bleeding nipples to circle the six-week date (when she can stop breastfeeding, according to Martin) on her calendar. She describes the pain as normal; while some degree of discomfort may be (research is not conclusive on this), cracked and bleeding nipples are not. In fact, on page 186, she herself says that pain during breastfeeding is not normal. Why all the inconsistencies?

Under "Milk: Low Supply," you're making enough milk if baby producing 8 to 12 wet and poopy diapers in 24 hours. She later says that baby must poop at least four times a day. Evidence-based guidelines are two to five poopy diapers per day in the first six weeks (after which some babies poop less frequently), and 6-8 wet cloth diapers or 5-6 wet disposables.

The section on traveling by air, p. 292-293, is bizarre. If baby won't nurse, it recommends a lollipop. You want me to use a choking hazard and cavity-causer for a baby? Also says to bring bottles for water and expressed milk. "If he absolutely refuses a bottle, you'll need to nurse him on takeoff and landing." She also advises bringing a manual pump to express between flights. This is confusing given the book's upbeat advice on nursing in public. Why make work when breastfeeding makes it so easy? With my formula-fed child, I had a screaming baby, mad fellow passengers, and too many things to juggle. With my breastfeeding children, no one knew I had a baby on the plane (so many people said, "Where was she?" when we deplaned)and I was so relaxed -- no supplies to juggle.

I was shocked by the advice to see (i.e., PAY) a lactation consultant for swaddling advice!

These are just a few of the many, many oddities. I wish the author had done her homework before writing the book, as it is organized nicely and could have been a valuable resource.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wealth of sources, March 3, 2001

By	Theresa Smith (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

As the mother of a 35-month-old boy who still enjoys nursing, I've read several books and chapters of books devoted to nursing. I've also benefitted from the advice of well-informed La Leche League leaders. I wish, however, that Claire Martin's book, The Nursing Mother's Problem Solver, was available before I gave birth. Martin covers a large array of situations, drawing from a wide variety of excellent sources. The easy-to-use format is a blessing for weary parents of newborns and I was pleased to read so many common-sense (and fact-based) answers to questions that arise at various stages of a nursing child's life.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic even for a 3rd-time nurser ..., August 16, 2000

By	Jean Kirshner (Parker, CO) - See all my reviews

As a third-time nursing mom I found this book to be invaluable. Its format was logical and easy to use. The research was more extensive than any other book I have read on nursing. It answered pressing questions immediately and fully. Finally I enjoyed its humor and the light approach to common challenges! Jean Kirshner