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16th out of 163 books
—
86 voters
The Nursing Mother's Companion
Breastfeeding is natural, but it is not entirely instinctive for either mothers or babies. The Nursing Mother’s Companion has been among the best-selling books on breastfeeding for 25 years, and is respected and recommended by professionals and well loved by new parents for its encouraging and accessible style. Kathleen Huggins equips breastfeeding mothers with all the inf...more
Paperback, 20th Anniversary Edition, 336 pages
Published
May 1st 2005
by Harvard Common Press
(first published October 3rd 1985)
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Sep 09, 2007
Amie Minken Merhege
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
birthbreastfeedingbabies
A very comprehensive guide that reads like a textbook. Definitely handy for having around to troubleshoot, but not one of the more "fun" books on breastfeeding. For lack of a better word, this book takes a very "medical" approach to breastfeeding, so there are lots of discussions about how many ounces and ml's a baby should be getting and how much weight they should be gaining. In particular, I think the discussions about milk supply and ways to gauge it are fairly overkill for most mothers. Ins...more
Jun 12, 2008
Lisa
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who are interested in breastfeeding
First you'll use this book when you're pregnant, to gain some breastfeeding confidence and reinforce the "basics".
Then hopefully you'll bring it with you to the hospital, where you and your partner will use it to try out different holds for the baby to get off to a good start with nursing, and to gain some reassurance that it won't always be so painful.
Then you'll take it home with your baby and consult it roughly 8,000 times a day for the first nerve-wracking, sleep-deprived couple of weeks - a...more
Then hopefully you'll bring it with you to the hospital, where you and your partner will use it to try out different holds for the baby to get off to a good start with nursing, and to gain some reassurance that it won't always be so painful.
Then you'll take it home with your baby and consult it roughly 8,000 times a day for the first nerve-wracking, sleep-deprived couple of weeks - a...more
Aug 16, 2007
Deborah
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
EVERY SINGLE PARENT!
Shelves:
parentingfamilybreastfeedingbooks
This is HANDS DOWN my FAVORITE and MOST RECOMMENDED Breastfeeding book!
It goes in with the tone that you WILL succeed and you will NOT give up, something that mother's need more of! Finally, there is a bit on what to do if you really, truly CANNOT breastfeed (which is extremely rare), so I'd consider it a very well rounded and just wonderful book!
Breastfeeding is HARD and this book answers ALL of your questions with REAL info you can use! It really does cover ALL aspects of breastfeeding, ALL th...more
It goes in with the tone that you WILL succeed and you will NOT give up, something that mother's need more of! Finally, there is a bit on what to do if you really, truly CANNOT breastfeed (which is extremely rare), so I'd consider it a very well rounded and just wonderful book!
Breastfeeding is HARD and this book answers ALL of your questions with REAL info you can use! It really does cover ALL aspects of breastfeeding, ALL th...more
This book advocates for PDF (parent directed feeding) and talks a lot of shit about La Leche's FOD (Feeding on Demand) system. Hilariously, both methods actually are close to the same, once you get past the terminology. Too much of the book is spent attacking La Leche (the milk) and talking about how kick-ass PDF 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 is the best book I have come across on nursing. Many other "what to expect" type pregnancy books touch on the subject of nursing, but Huggins devotes an entire book and immense research to it. Breastfeeding may be natural, but is not always instinctive. Huggins covers everything you can encounter while nursing your child, from the initial learning curve of mom & baby, to dealing with biting, pumping/ leaving the house / the working mom & breastfeeding, and weaning.
While Huggins may...more
While Huggins may...more
I absolutley loved this book. Out of all of the things that I read, this was the most helpful and encouraging on the topic of breastfeeding. I read it cover to cover, but plan to keep it handy as a reference for any questions or concerns I may have in the future. It has "survival guides" for each stage and very helpful descriptions and solutions for many common concerns. I found this book to be the most thorough and positive compared to other things that I read. Breastfeeding is a very challengi...more
I have struggled to breastfeed both my children. Most of the books that are supposed to help you succeed only succeed in making you feel like total crap if the process isn't picture perfect. This book, instead, has a real-life approach to trouble shooting. The author uses language that is encouraging and helpful. Plus, the suggestions she make really work. This is my go-to book for any breastfeeding problems. In addition to it providing much-needed guidance and advice, it also helps me know I'm...more
I was given this as a baby shower gift and it has been my reference after every baby and has kept me nursing well. Its very informative and its like having the best Leche nurse teaching you. I'd recommend this to every mom, new or experienced. With each newborn the first 20 days are crucial as you both are learning together and adjusting. There are some "nursing photos" its a nursing book, what would you expect. I put it on a top shelf where my little curious children cant flip through :) With o...more
I wish I had this book for my first child!
This book is important to read before beginning breastfeeding. Take it to the hospital so you can get the hold right! I found after having some traumatized boobs that my baby wasn't latching on too well--and after a few days of doing it right, the pain lessened.
The first two weeks of breastfeeding is rough, and this book truly makes it bearable. Then after that, it is the perfect book to continue to read and consult as you continue breastfeeding for mont...more
This book is important to read before beginning breastfeeding. Take it to the hospital so you can get the hold right! I found after having some traumatized boobs that my baby wasn't latching on too well--and after a few days of doing it right, the pain lessened.
The first two weeks of breastfeeding is rough, and this book truly makes it bearable. Then after that, it is the perfect book to continue to read and consult as you continue breastfeeding for mont...more
Of all the parenting/birthing books I've picked up during pregnancy, this one by far gets the most technical/clinical. And, all right, it's written by a nurse who's a MAJOR proponent for breastfeeding so, yeah, a bit judgmental for anyone who DOESN'T think breastfeeding is the greatest thing ever. (I'm trying to keep that fact in check because I know from hearing several new moms' stories that frustration over breastfeeding can be a slippery slope to postpartum depression if you're not careful)....more
A fine reference. We each have our own unique relationships with breastfeeding as we raise our babies, and I received a few good tips to work through my own small woes. I was surprised, however, at the emphasis the later chapters placed on how to troubleshoot through the disapproval some women receive when they breastfeed "too long" (my own daughter turns one month old tomorrow, and I cannot say when we will wean, but I do aim for the one-year mark at a minimum, if biology allows it)--suggestion...more
Some chapters in this book are fantastic and others are not, transitioning to food, eh, not so much. The author gets too "regimented" about certain things (milk intake and introduction to solid food) that I think are best handled "loosely" and by allowing your baby to have some say in the matter. As well, I think introducing cow's milk is bad advice in any circumstance. There are better ways to get calcium and vitamin D.
I gave it 3 1/2 stars but had to round up which is okay b/c the actual breas...more
I gave it 3 1/2 stars but had to round up which is okay b/c the actual breas...more
"The Nursing Mother's Companion" is great! Firstly, the author is an experienced nurse and certified lactation consultant. Secondly, it can be easily read from cover-to-cover or by skipping around. I read all of it, and found that lots of information is repeated. Although this can be irritating, it is helpful to the more flighty of readers (like me). I think having important information repeated is better than discussing it once in hopes that no mother ever skips that chapter. This book is also...more
I read about half of this book, up to the point where it starts to talk about months 2 -4. (The hospital gave me a short version that covers the first two months). I figured I'd pick it up again when I actually get there since the first week was covered in its own section, but I never got it again and I'm not at 8 months of breastfeeding. I was looking to get a copy of this book because it covered the concerns and problems that arise with breastfeeding and gave recommendations and information in...more
I highly recommend this book. It details the many benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby, addresses common concerns, obstacles, and developmental changes in your baby that affect the nursing relationship. Written by a nurse who runs a lactation clinic, it is a good blend of medical and motherly advice. It shares a good balance of facts, opinions, and suggestions, making it a well-rounded resource that enables you to make the right choice for you and your baby (instead of coloring "fa...more
I would probably have rated this book higher had I not purchased another nursing book as well and had I not also owned a baby book with a really good breastfeeding section. I bought this book because it was touted many places as "the" breastfeeding manual to have. Overall, it is adequate as a guide, although I do think that the author spends more time on some subjects that most mothers will never need and doesn't cover other subjects as well as she should. I started looking over the starting sol...more
Very helpful introductory book, with lots of "problem solving" advice. The section written for the first two months of nursing was especially helfpul to me during that time.
Huggin's drug interaction information was my first introduction to more detailed info on medical advice given to lactating women (pump and dump for 24-48 hours after a CAT scan, for example).
Thanks to this book, I learned to question more and dig deeper for information (and eventually found my way to Dr. Hale's book).
Huggin's drug interaction information was my first introduction to more detailed info on medical advice given to lactating women (pump and dump for 24-48 hours after a CAT scan, for example).
Thanks to this book, I learned to question more and dig deeper for information (and eventually found my way to Dr. Hale's book).
Jan 02, 2010
Barbara
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
parents
Recommended to Barbara by:
lactation specialist, doula, childbirth coach
Shelves:
parenting-family-advice
It's a reference book that I have returned to again and again in the 9 months that I have been nursing my baby. I read it and re-read it as I was trying to get through the first two months (when nursing was AGONY for me). I returned to it to see which over the counter medications were safe for me to take. I know I will need it again as my baby begins teething and when it is time to wean. It is excellent and I highly recommend it!
This book saved my nursing relationship with my daughter at a time when we were really struggling. My supply was dropping, she wasn't gaining weight. This helped me get my supply back up in a very step-by-step way which was exactly what I needed at the time. Perfect for the type-a personality to get away from a measured "How much is my baby eating" to a more relaxed "My baby is eating enough and I don't have to measure every ounce".
I kind of want to be a lactation consultant, so I sometimes read this book "for fun." It's also a very useful reference in terms of troubleshooting the breastfeeding relationship and looking to see if you can take various over the counter meds while nursing. I will probably buy this book for any mama who's planning to nurse. It's great and the index is good too, which is more than I can say for most books for new parents.
This book is a must-have for any current or soon-to-be mother who wants to know anything and everything about BFing. I found it answers almost all of my random questions or concerns, explains the biology and science of BFing, and respects the choices/experiences of the individual (i.e. it does not have a condescending tone, which I feel is the case too often in the Parenting section).
I think while breastfeeding, this book was a bit of a cheerleader, but besides keeping me going, some of the advice was a bit unrealistic. When I finished, I felt like I wasn't living up to the women that truely commit to breastfeeding and I breastfed my son until he was 10 months old! Good reference book for things that may come up, but you have to be in the right mind set to read it.
This has become my standard new-mommy gift of choice. It is absolutely the best resource for nursing mothers out there today. The author Kathleen Huggins gives good practical advice without being preachy, and offers tutorials and troubleshooting to help any new nursing mother along. I had just about every problem you can encounter nursing my first child, and this book never left the rocking chair I used to nurse him -- a day didn't go by for weeks that I wasn't using it to look something up. It'...more
Also just loaned this book to my pregnant neighbor. This is a good reference for breastfeeding mothers. Although I have to say if you've taken any sort of bfing class a lot of this will be a repeat. I also thought it needed more illustrations or photographs in the book to show what potential problems can look like (it does show nursing positions -- I'm talking about photos showing different cases of dermatitis, thrush, etc.). The reference and source list in the index of the book is helpful to s...more
Apr 26, 2009
Lisa
added it
Very helpful, although biased in favor of attachment parenting. My least favorite line can be paraphrased like this, "you can do any number of things to manipulate your child into sleeping through the night if you are willing to deprive them of their natural need for human contact." And who is accusing whom of being manipulative??
By far, the best nursing book I own. I found the topics relevant and easy to read, which is especially helpful during those sleep deprived months. I found it especially helpful to have the different stages broken down, and found then strangely accurate. A wonderful book, and an encouraging book, very handy for the new mom.
I read this book while I was expecting my daughter and continued after I had her. I found it very helpful with nursing. I have since let my sister-in-law, who is expecting her first child, borrow it. I did not agree with it completely but found it useful with different holds to use. I plan to read it again if I have more children.
A friend of mine gave me the 1994 edition of this classic breastfeeding book (the one I am now reviewing) for my LLL Library, and though there have been two more editions since, I decided to read it as the book is "out there" in circulation.
I must say, it's still a good book, especially for mothers who are "on the fence" about breastfeeding (or who are thinking they'll TRY but are worried it might not work). That said, the science of breastfeeding and the anatomy of the breast are way outdated (...more
I must say, it's still a good book, especially for mothers who are "on the fence" about breastfeeding (or who are thinking they'll TRY but are worried it might not work). That said, the science of breastfeeding and the anatomy of the breast are way outdated (...more
I read the first few chapters while I was pregnant and felt totally empowered, confident, and ready to take on breastfeeding. My experience has been flawless and I believe it has a lot to do with the preparation (physically and emotionally) this book provides. I STILL reference it months into the process.
There's a lot of good information in this book, and it is well organized and easy to find quickly, which is a great help when you're stressed and sleep-deprived. It also contains and appendix listing medications and their safety during breastfeeding, which is absolutely invaluable.
At the same time, the book's approach has a more conventionally medical tone than I prefer--for instance, she's pretty quick to suggest pumping and bottle-feeding for 24 hours as a means of measuring your milk supply,...more
At the same time, the book's approach has a more conventionally medical tone than I prefer--for instance, she's pretty quick to suggest pumping and bottle-feeding for 24 hours as a means of measuring your milk supply,...more
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For more than twenty-five years, Kathleen Huggins, R.N., M.S., I.B.C.L.C., has dedicated her medical career to helping mothers care more effectively for their newborn babies. A registered nurse with an M.A. in perinatal care from the University of California at San Francisco, Huggins has spent the past two decades as a perinatal clinical specialist and board-certified lactation consultant at San L...more
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Oct 15, 2012 03:27pm