Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

Here's the deal with the book. If you are a new mother and are obviously having difficulting with breastfeeding for whatever reason, you can feel somewhat threatened by the book as it may be a fear of yours that your baby can't breastfeed, you won't get it, etc.. The doctor is PRO breastfeeding. That's what I was looking for as I am very well aware of where formula is located and how to use it. I needed support through my difficult issues. Get this book if you want to get it..if you don't want to give up, but just feel lost or need more information on breastfeeding. You don't need to read it cover to cover. Look for your issues and use this as a guide. I am thankful for this book as my daughter has been nursing for almost 4 months now and I am trying to build a strong immune system. We have also created a strong bond. LaLeche is the Peta of breastfeeding (in my mind anyway) however I have a lot of respect for the extreme viewpoint (bf until a child is quite old is a bit much for me) but find your middle ground or extreme viewpoint. Who cares? It's your baby. Do what you feel is in your heart.

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.

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.

My son is 5 months old and we didn't get the hang of nursing for at least 14 weeks. First we had poor latch and nipple confusion. Then we dealt with foremilk/hindmilk imbalance and three rounds of thrush. I went to LLL meetings and 3 lactation consultants, but this book was the ultimate resource guide for dealing with thrush and block feedings for the foremilk imbalance. I couldn't have done it without Dr. Newman, and now I give this book as a shower gift to every pregnant woman I know. Practical, straightforward and HELPFUL. The book to get when you feel like every book you read isn't helping your nursing problems.

One extremely positive thing I can say about this book is that if I had been on the fence about breastfeeding, I would not be after reading this. It is very empowering, giving numerous reasons why breastfeeding is not only important, but crucial for proper human development. Finally there is someone saying that NOT breastfeeding is detrimental to a child's health and we need to stop feeling like it's politically incorrect to say so. I have pulled it out many times just to remind my husband (and myself) why we chose breastfeeding for our babies.

Dr. Newman sites "Latch Problems" as the reason for nearly every breastfeeding problem. I agree with this, having nursed 2 babies - one with NO latch problems, where I never experienced a moment of pain or discomfort, and the other with moderate latch problems, who has been a struggle to nurse since day one. The only problem I have is that he devotes all of one paragraph to explaining what a "proper" latch is like and how to achieve it. I was really hoping for some in-depth discussion on how to correct a latch problem (specifically getting a baby to open nice and wide, which is the most crucial piece), and it just was not in this book.

Overall, a good, interesting, informative read - but NOT the place to go for in-depth, technical answers.

I loved the research and practical help and preferred it over LaLecheLeague books and other experts. Was recommended by my midwife and helped with nursing issues I had with second child. Great one stop shop, natural approach. Bought it for first time mom as shower gift. Highly recommend it.

On the birth of my tenth child ,someone gave me this book and the Latch-on advice was life changing. I also had problems with thrush with all of my babies and the recipe he gives here is the ONLY one that cured me. I had tried everything and usually had to stop nursing because of the pain. This book allowed me to nurse my last baby for three wonderful years! I only wish I had it sooner!