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14th out of 129 books
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142 voters
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The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
All parents want the best for their babies, and theres no doubt about the fact that human milk is the ideal food for human babies. Whats the secret of successful breastfeeding? For almost fifty years mothers who have been in touch with La Leche League have found the kind of information and support they needed to breastfeed their babies.
In this newly revised edition of
...morePaperback, Seventh Revised Edition, 480 pages
Published
May 25th 2004
by Plume
(first published 1958)
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The enthusiasm of the writers tend to portray breast feeding as an all encompassing parenting tool. Breast fed babies are smart, secure, happy so you don't even have to parent! Getting past that- the chapters are well organized starting from breast changes in pregnancy all the way toward weaning. Each topic is comprehensively covered. This is written for at home mothers as well as working mothers. It discusses premies, normal, and special cases so a new mother can recognize and address special ...more
I am a huge breast feeding advocate. It saves you a lot of money, it's super convenient, it's better for baby and the closeness you feel with your baby is just breath taking. I nursed my baby for 15 months and I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. Weaning her was hard for both of us!
That being said, breast feeding is a HUGE commitment. In the beginning it hurts and it is a lot of work. It is nothing to be taken lightly. You think it will be natural and instinctive, but...more
That being said, breast feeding is a HUGE commitment. In the beginning it hurts and it is a lot of work. It is nothing to be taken lightly. You think it will be natural and instinctive, but...more
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This book has a lot of valuable information in it if you are, or would like to, breastfeed. However, I must say that no one should ever sit down & read the whole thing cover to cover unless they want to know more than anyone ever wanted to about nursing! Use it to troubleshoot, or pick & choose the chapters that apply, but it was really rough to read the whole thing. I cheered when I got through the last page. Although, I have also successfully nursed 3 children already & knew quite a bit of...more
This book is great for helping new moms get the hang of latching and positioning. That's about it.
Most moms work and many of those moms work full-time, so having an entire chapter of a breastfeeding book devoted to advocating that women NOT work is unsupportive, misogynistic and completely out of sync with the reality of breastfeeding today. If the church ladies over at the La Leche League were really trying to support breastfeeding, they'd acknowledge that working moms are the majo...more
Most moms work and many of those moms work full-time, so having an entire chapter of a breastfeeding book devoted to advocating that women NOT work is unsupportive, misogynistic and completely out of sync with the reality of breastfeeding today. If the church ladies over at the La Leche League were really trying to support breastfeeding, they'd acknowledge that working moms are the majo...more
While this book contains some good information on breastfeeding, I found that, overall, it functioned more as an ideological manifesto than a how-to guide. The answers to most of my breastfeeding questions and problems had to be found elsewhere. (Primarily through friends and the excellent site, kellymom.com).
Worse, the book actually angered me at numerous points. It is judgmental and doesn't consider the realities of many women's lives. I know the La Leche League is beloved by bre...more
Worse, the book actually angered me at numerous points. It is judgmental and doesn't consider the realities of many women's lives. I know the La Leche League is beloved by bre...more
I wish I could have given this book a better review, but it has problems that many others have already pointed out, and one that nobody else has mentioned: Not everyone is able to breastfeed. Many women need to return to work immediately, particularly in our post-meltdown economy, and do not have supportive workplaces where pumping is possible. Some women have biological issues that prevent their children from breastfeeding, despite endless endless consultations with lactation experts, weeks on ...more
If I could give half stars, this one would get 2.5. It did have some very good information that I will be using. However, it was almost overwhelmed by the obnoxious attitude taken by LLL towards breastfeeding.
Yes, I know this is a book advocating breastfeeding, but LLL, despite what they weakly disclaim in the beginning of the book, takes a pretty hardline "my way or the highway" approach to breastfeeding that is a huge turn-off. If anything, I think this book would make wom...more
Yes, I know this is a book advocating breastfeeding, but LLL, despite what they weakly disclaim in the beginning of the book, takes a pretty hardline "my way or the highway" approach to breastfeeding that is a huge turn-off. If anything, I think this book would make wom...more
Courtney
rated it
Recommends it for:
Women who want to breastfeed (and maybe even those who think they don't!)
Recommended to Courtney by:
my doula
The notion that "breast is best" for the human child is rarely contested, and has even been promoted for decades now by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Therefore, most of the information in this book seems familiar or to some degree common sense, but reading it did give me a renewed commitment to make breastfeeding a priority with my own children. I also felt good enough about what I read to look up the local Le Leche League group meetings and plan to start attendin...more
It's hard to rate this book because my baby hasn't arrived yet, so I'm not totally sure that I have learned the necessary tools (yet).
But - I did find this book REALLY helpful. Other books have chapters that touched on breastfeeding and often left me with tons of questions - this book answered them. It also has great suggestions for trouble-shooting any problems that may come up, which I appreciate. I'm keeping this book very handy for the first few weeks postpartum.
My...more
But - I did find this book REALLY helpful. Other books have chapters that touched on breastfeeding and often left me with tons of questions - this book answered them. It also has great suggestions for trouble-shooting any problems that may come up, which I appreciate. I'm keeping this book very handy for the first few weeks postpartum.
My...more
I committed to exclusively breast feed by daughter long before she was born. However, this book did not help that decision. Instead it made me feel like a terrible mother when things did not work as the book predicted.
This book would lead you to believe that as long as you do not have medical interventions then your child will be *perfect*. Everything from milk supply to problems with latch are blamed on epidurals. I had a completely natural childbirth. No interventions. My daughter...more
This book would lead you to believe that as long as you do not have medical interventions then your child will be *perfect*. Everything from milk supply to problems with latch are blamed on epidurals. I had a completely natural childbirth. No interventions. My daughter...more
La Leche League started out as a group that sought to support women who wanted to breastfeed, a progressive organization that wanted to give women choices. With the publication of this 7th Revised Edition of their handbook, however, it's become clear that they've turned into an organization intent on shaming mothers who don't breastfeed instead.
It was difficult for me to read this book because it's written like a religious tract. Breastfeeding = good behavior, and should you transgre...more
It was difficult for me to read this book because it's written like a religious tract. Breastfeeding = good behavior, and should you transgre...more
This book advocates for FOD (Feeding on Demand) and talks a lot of shit about Kathleen Huggins' PDF (parent directed feeding) system. Hilariously, both methods actually are close to the same, once you get past the terminology. Too much of the book is spent attacking PDF (the breastfeeding philosophy, not the portable document format) and talking about how kick-ass FOD is.
I just noticed that I seem to be the only male who reviewed this book. Weird, huh?
I just noticed that I seem to be the only male who reviewed this book. Weird, huh?
This new edition is a big improvement over older ones I've seen, but I found some elements of it off-putting and suspected that they weren't well backed up by research. I can't be bothered to look up the exact sentence, but somewhere in the early chapters there was something to the effect of: "Any amount of formula is damaging." Really? How? Is one bottle of formula measurably detrimental? I find that hard to stomach. The emphasis on natural birth is ok, but the vast majority of women ...more
Ok, the name is admittedly terrible, but put it in perspective: the first edition of this book was published in 1958. I actually found the history of La Leche League and breastfeeding in this country to be one of the most fascinating things in this book. That the mechanization of the 50s booted out a tradition otherwise in place for millions of years (well, ok, there've been class issues, involving wet nurses, etc. for longer than that, but still a relatively short time in the history of the hum...more
I should come back and adapt my rating after I've actually tried breastfeeding, but based on my lack of experience but interest in preparing as much as possible, I thought this book was great. I know A LOT about breastfeeding now and feel ready to give it my best shot when the Little Bit makes an appearance. And if (when?) things don't go quite right, I know how to get help - starting with the seemingly exhaustive tips in this book. Only warning - when reading this book, be prepared to feel a...more
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is a combination of a how-to manual and a compilation of encouraging vignettes. It shows all the things that can prevent a woman from continuing to breastfeed and ways to work around such problems. It addresses the gamut of breastfeeding, touching on topics such as feeding twins, toddlers, and how to work and still breastfeed.
One of the most important aspects of the book is that it arms women with the information they need to stay confident about brea...more
One of the most important aspects of the book is that it arms women with the information they need to stay confident about brea...more
This is a book (with a hilarious title, by the way) about breastfeeding and nursing. And it provides a lot of good information about those two topics. Don’t read any of the sections about giving birth. But take this information with a hefty grain of salt. Who are the editors? There’s no information about their credentials. Are they nurses? Are they lactation consultants? All that I saw was that they’re moms. (blink) There’s also a heavy bias towards being a stay at home mom, because heaven forbi...more
This book was everything you ever want to know about breastfeeding and more. I would highly recommend it for anyone who has decided to breastfeed. However, if you are undecided I think that this is way to much information and there are better books out there to give a much simpler rationale for why you should choose to nurse your baby. I began reading this the week my first was born. I would sit down to feed him (about 20 times a day it seemed) and pick this up and read simultaneously. It was wo...more
I wish I had this book when my son was born two months ago. The title is somewhat cheesy, and while I don't subscribe to every tenet of LLL philosophy and recommendation, this is a great reference for the new breastfeeding mom. They do know their stuff, so it's nice to have a reliable book reference, instead of relying on Internet searches when you have burning questions. In reading this, I felt like some of my instincts have been validated, which also boosted my frage new mkm confidence. This ...more
Honestly, I would give this 2.5 stars if I could. I can't imagine anyone actually reads the whole book. I only read the parts I needed to. I had my mother to tell me what to do and breastfeeding came extremely easily to me and my kidlets. But I know I was one of the lucky ones, and I had friends and family who didn't have it so easy. I think that this book can come across as preachy and judgmental, which is the last thing a hormonal woman who is having trouble breastfeeding needs. Some wom...more
This is a good book in a lot of ways, but it also reminded me of being in the hospital after having my daughter with the boob nazis yelling at me for giving my screaming child formula because the colostrum wasn't satisfying her (and we were having latching problems, which they didn't help with until the day I was leaving). Formula supplementation by bottles & pacifiers are not as evil as this book makes them seem - they are sometimes necessary. Yes, breast may be best, but LLL doesn't have lac...more
I've had or had access to this book for years, but have never actually read straight through it. I don't really think I learned anything new (although after nursing two babies for 18 months each I didn't really expect to learn anything) but it was lovely encouragement and made me happy to be having another sweet baby. This was just the third edition (1983) so the pictures and some of the info was a little dated (for example, hospitals are much more likely nowdays to at least talk a pro-breastf...more
I did not love the last edition of this book, but I love all of the changes made for this new edition! It's incredibly helpful and easy to read. I didn't read it beginning to end ... although I did read the weaning chapter in depth! (Ha.)
The classic LLL manual has taken a turn for the hippy, with a much stronger pro-natural birth stance and a long chapter on how great cosleeping is. Obviously not everyone's cup of tea, but as far as I'm concerned, YAY! I love the emphasis on baby-led...more
The classic LLL manual has taken a turn for the hippy, with a much stronger pro-natural birth stance and a long chapter on how great cosleeping is. Obviously not everyone's cup of tea, but as far as I'm concerned, YAY! I love the emphasis on baby-led...more
Upheld as the holy grail of breastfeeding books, I found this to be a bit too much for me when I was in the first two months of motherhood. That may be because I was already committed to breastfeeding and had a good support network around me. For mothers who don't have that support internally and externally, this may be a better book. It's comprised of many stories from mothers with instructional and editorial information dispersed in between.
The main reason this book was too much...more
The main reason this book was too much...more
Instead of spending pages belittling working mothers and formula feeders, perhaps they could spend it helping mothers who work or mothers who have to supplement with formula. I'm not a mother yet and I already saw a huge negative stigma attached to the types of mothers already mentioned. I'm super hesitant to join an organizaion whose clearly judgmental in their manual. I'd hate to be a working or supplementing mother when I read this book for help. To be fair, I read an older edition--so I ...more
I love this completely revised edition of the classic guide to breastfeeding and mothering. The language is frank, warm, and relaxed, so it feels like you're getting information and advice from a friend. The information has been updated to reflect current trends in breastfeeding, and there is a nice "Tech Support" chapter that offers help for common and uncommon breastfeeding problems. I also like the quick-reference "tear-sheet toolkit" at the back of the book. These tear-ou...more
This book is not only the how-to guide that it purports to be. As previous reviewers have noted, it is a manifesto of sorts on BFing. I say that in a positive way. As a first time mom surrounded by BFing skeptics, I really needed encouragement for my BFing plans. This book not only gave me guidance and confidence that all first-time BFers need, it also helped me to feel less intimated by those around me who doubt the benefits and importance of BFing.
Now I'm hardly a hardcore BFer (I a...more
Now I'm hardly a hardcore BFer (I a...more
In short: 4 or 5 stars for the 2010 edition. (2 stars for 2007)
FULL REVIEW:
If you are already convinced that you want to breastfeed, and for as long as you can, then this might be the book for you and I give it 5 stars.
If, however, you aren't sold on breastfeeding, you feel pressured to breastfeed, or need to return to work very soon after birth (weeks rather than months), then you'll need additional materials to help you be the parent you want to be. In fact, an...more
FULL REVIEW:
If you are already convinced that you want to breastfeed, and for as long as you can, then this might be the book for you and I give it 5 stars.
If, however, you aren't sold on breastfeeding, you feel pressured to breastfeed, or need to return to work very soon after birth (weeks rather than months), then you'll need additional materials to help you be the parent you want to be. In fact, an...more
Bonnie (Hands and Home Blog)
rated it
·
review of another edition
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review of another edition
Shelves:
2011,
pregnancy-and-babies
I recently finished the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (the revised and updated 8th edition) by La Leche League International for the second time and enjoyed it as much as the first time I read it. The first time I picked up this book I was pregnant with my first child and reading it as an expectant mom who had no previous knowledge of, or experience with, breastfeeding - I found it immensely helpful. Not only for the 'technical' aspects of breastfeeding, but also for things like what I can expect...more
My mom offered to buy me this book when I was pregnant, and for some reason I turned her down. I wish I hadn't! I bought this book when my baby was having weight gain issues during her fifth month, and I was immediately impressed with the book's solid advice, vast scope, and conversational tone. I really like that there are several sections discussing nursing behavior for older babies and toddlers - most other books I've seen focus mostly on getting breastfeeding started and then trail off. ...more
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