The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers: The Most Comprehensive Problem-Solving Guide to Breastfeeding from the Foremost Expert in North America, Revised & Updated Edition [Paperback]

Jack Newman M.D. (Author), Teresa Pitman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 28, 2006

An Amazing Resource for Nursing Moms

Although breastfeeding is the natural and healthy way to nourish your baby, it’s not always easy. Many new mothers are scared away from nursing because of difficulty getting started and lack of information about what to do when things don’t go as planned. In this fully revised and updated edition of The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers, two of today’s foremost lactation experts help new mothers overcome their fears, doubts, and practical concerns about one of the most special ways a mother can bond with her baby.

In this comprehensive guide, Dr. Jack Newman, a leading authority on infant care, and Teresa Pitman, a La Leche League leader for more than twenty years, give you the facts about breastfeeding and provide solutions for the common problems that arise. Filled with the same practical advice that made the first edition a must-have for nursing moms, the new edition features updates on:

• Achieving a good latch

• What to do if your baby refuses the breast

• Avoiding sore nipples

• Ensuring your baby gets enough milk

• Feeding a colicky baby

• Breastfeeding premature and special-needs babies

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; Rev. edition (November 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307345580
• ISBN-13: 978-0307345585
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #72 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Women's Health > General

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Everything you wanted to know about breastfeeding . . . Filled with current research, it’s still an easy, fun read that makes breastfeeding seem absolutely doable.” —Lamaze International

About the Author

Jack Newman, M.D., the leading researcher in the field of breastfeeding, is a popular speaker at breastfeeding conferences across North America. A father of three, he lives in Toronto.

Teresa Pitman is the author or coauthor of nine other books on parenting. She is a mother of four and lives in Ontario.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; Rev. edition (November 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307345580
• ISBN-13: 978-0307345585
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #72 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Women's Health > General

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Alleviated my fears about nursing on anti-depressants December 10, 2007

By J. Leaf

Format:Paperback

Yes, this book is strongly worded and can be viewed as being "judgmental", but it is FULL of information. Dr. Newman is just a VERY strong advocate of breastfeeding. All of the research is out there: formula just can't, and never will, come close to resembling breast milk or providing the benefits that breast milk does. He doesn't sugar coat things. If you want a book that makes breastfeeding sound like a choice, or will make you feel good about not trying to breastfeed or giving up easily, this book won't be it.

But, if you want a book that 100% supports your decision to breastfeed, and is reassuring that you can overcome the hurdles, this book is it. Despite most literature agreeing that breastfeeding is better than formula, there is still a lot of information that isn't presented about WHY - the real details. This book made it clear why formula isn't even close to being as good as breast milk, which I really didn't understand before, I just accepted it.

There are some women that breastfeeding doesn't work for. I am completely sympathetic and supportive. Some medical conditions and some mental conditions make it nearly impossible. To those moms, I support you 100%. You have had to make a difficult decision. Rest easy knowing you have done everything you can.

The big thing this book helped me with was the decision to breastfeed despite the fact that I am on antidepressants. I am bipolar, and I suffer predominantly from severe depression. I am at high risk of postpartum depression, so I was terrified to go off my meds, but I really wanted to breastfeed. This book was so reassuring that the amount of medication the baby gets is negligible.... Having a mentally stable mother and a breastfed baby is much better than a horribly depressed mother, or a baby on formula.

I read The Nursing Mother's Companion, but this book beats it hands down. I feel so much more confidant about my choices and abilities now.

Update 9/19/08:

My baby is now 8 months old and we are still breastfeeding. It was very difficult at first, and I wanted to give up. I cried in the hospital, and I had bloody nipples with chunks coming loose. But we stuck with it, and I am so glad we did. Nursing provides the most wonderful bond. It is my special time with her after working all day; she looks so happy and peaceful. She has been sick once.

One thing I do disagree with now, in hindsight. I used a bottle from the first day. My psychiatrist ordered me to get 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night to prevent depression and hypo-mania. My husband fed the baby formula from a bottle the first week, and after that I had pumped milk that he fed her. She never suffered from nipple confusion. We used NUK nipples, and she never had an issue. She nursed like a champ. And because I got enough sleep, I stayed mentally healthy.

When we had such a difficult time in the hospital, I did give her a little bit of formula. She was so hungry she was crying hysterically, making it impossible to latch on. A little formula helped calm her, and made it easier to learn latching on.

Take one new mom's experience for what it is worth. I still really recommend this book. It gave me the courage and the strength to hang in there when the going got really tough. Its the most rewarding thing I have ever done! Read more ›

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Guide to Breastfeeding March 2, 2007

By gwynthfair

Format:Paperback

This book is absolutely the best resource I have seen on the subject of breastfeeding. Dr. Newman offers a vast array of information from basic how-to and troubleshooting to social issues and lactivism. He even calls out big pharma on their UN-baby-friendly marketing techniques. All babies deserve to be breastfed and all women deserve to be supported in fulfilling that need. Newman provides enough info to make breastfeeding practical. This book gives woman a break (you don't have to be a virginal saint to breastfeed) and dispells hundreds of myths and misinformation that keep many woman from breastfeeding or continuing to breastfeed. Highly recommended.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars This book covered the basics but didn't address problems I had with my baby May 27, 2008

By C Marriott

Format:Paperback

I own the previous version of this book and I found that it covered the basics of breastfeeding pretty well. However, I took a 2-hour breastfeeding class at my hospital that covered most of the same information. I was well-educated on breastfeeding when my son was born and I knew what to do, but he didn't. At first I interpreted his crying and head wagging as him not wanting to eat but weeks later I figured out that he was just so excited about eating that he couldn't calm himself down enough to do it. Anyway, he did not breastfeed for the first 10 days (I pumped and we used bottles) and then I was finally able to get him to latch on with a nipple shield. When he was 2 1/2 months old he started nursing without the nipple shield. Getting him to breasfeed "normally" was a long and difficult process and not something that was addressed in this book. Nor was it addressed in a Jack Newman DVD that my doula loaned to me.

This book is probably a decent resource for moms who aren't quite sure what to do but who have babies that will latch on. However, for moms who know what to do but who have babies that won't latch on, this book won't help.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I recommend this book for mothers November 12, 2007

By Denise Punger MD IBCLC

Format:Paperback

This book will help you resolve breasfeeding problems. I find Dr. Newman's and Teresa Pitman's approach is very applicable to the clinical scenarios I encounter. I find myself referring new moms to this book many times in one day. The protocols are based on his 30 years of clinical experience. Often problems like colic, fussines, failure to thrive, jaundice, constipation are breastfeeding issues. NOT PEDIATRIC ISSUES. Learn how these common problems can be managed by observing the mother and baby with a breastfeeding approach rather than with pharmaceuticls masking the problem. The conversational style and sense of humor make easy reading. I highly recommend.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars No problem too big for this book July 28, 2008

By Christina Penn

Format:Paperback

I borrowed this from my local library a couple of weeks before my daughter was born. I chose it because of the plentiful illustrations that I thought would help me establish a good latch.

How wrong I was! Though there are lots of pictures and explainations on how to achieve a good latch, I found I needed the hands-on help of an LC to actually get it. Pictures just weren't enough.

However, the real value of this book was something I had not taken into account when choosing it. Dr. Newman is very pro-breastfeeding, to the point of militancy. Though his tone can be a bit alarming it is successful at hitting home a number of valuable points.

1) Nearly all babies can be breastfed. As long as the mother makes the commitment and reaches out for support, any problem can be solved. Babies learn to breastfeed by breastfeeding, so stick with it!

2) Formula makers have spent millions of dollars convincing mothers that formula is a good second-best alternative to breastfeeding. Dr. Newman says that it's at most a fourth-best alternative and should be treated as such.

3) Bottles are harmful to the establishment of breastfeeding and should be avoided completely until breastfeeding is firmly established, and better yet, avoided altogether.

4) Pediatricians and hospitals are just not well-trained when it comes to breastfeeding thanks to years of formula's dominance. If you are not getting the support you need, seek it out elsewhere. Don't reflexivly kow-tow to their authority if it means undermining your breastfeeding relationship with your little one.

Though I had plentiful supply, I had problems in the first weeks with the latch and might have broken down and used some of the free formula the hospital gave us (yes, Dr.... Newman rails against that common practice as well) if I had not read this book and known that I could overcome my problems with help and patience. I know too many women who gave up on breastfeeding because it was not as easy as they were led to believe. Dr. Newman's book helped me with my resolve and to a lesser extent with technique.

Though some women may recoil at his very anti-bottle and formula stance, that should not detract from the important message of the book. Breastfeeding may be natural, but it's still a skill that has to be learned and practiced to get right. Read more ›