Better Breastfeeding: A Doctor's Guide to Nursing Without Pain and Frustration

by Linda D. Dahl

The ultimate modern-day breastfeeding guide, with empowering, medically sound advice and solutions for the trickiest issues--from a pioneering ENT doctor and breastfeeding expert.

In today's breastfeeding-friendly environment, the pressure to nurse is intense. We hear over and over that breastfeeding is natural, and every woman can do it. The truth is, the majority of moms need help breastfeeding, but they're forced to sift through varying viewpoints from a dizzying host of sources instead of being able to turn to a doctor for advice. And when breastfeeding doesn't work, they're the ones getting blamed for failure.

In Better Breastfeeding, you will find information, not opinions: science-backed facts to help you make informed decisions, without feeling ashamed or bullied. Dr. Linda Dahl presents a new paradigm for breastfeeding based on diagnosing and treating mothers and babies using anatomy and physiology, offering a comprehensive overview of how breastfeeding works, why it fails, and what to do about it. Dr. Dahl takes you through the basics of breastfeeding in a week-by-week guide and explores solutions for little-understood difficulties like gape restriction and tongue tie, nipple and breast pain, issues with milk supply, or abnormal nursing behaviors.

Better Breastfeeding is the no-holds-barred primer that every mom needs before and during her breastfeeding journey so she can advocate for herself and her baby.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

Published February 15, 2022

About the author

Linda D. Dahl, MD is a pioneering Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor in private practice in Manhattan. She started her own breastfeeding practice and developed a methodology to bring mothers together without pain, frustration, or multiple visits, treating more than 23,000 baby/mom pairs over nearly 2 decades. Congruently, she has become one of the top doctors for the professional voice, treating patients from the Broadway community, opera singers, screen actors, and major recording artists. Early in her career, she was one of only a few women to ever serve as a ringside doctor for the New York Athletic Commission. A native Midwesterner, Dahl received her M.D. from the University of Minnesota Medical School and did her residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx.

Reviews

[sand shurt]

A fairly quick read, which I appreciate!

I liked Dr. Dahl’s “no BS” approach, and appreciated that she wasn’t too redundant. She expressed that we as mothers shouldn’t break ourselves in suffering trying to force breastfeeding to happen, and I could t agree more. Having a very emotional and disappointing breastfeeding experience with my first daughter, I realize how detrimental it can be and how hard it is when you feel like you should just “get it.”

I do find credibility in the author’s words and would recommend this read to anyone expecting and planning to breastfeed. However, not everything felt relative, and that’s okay. Overall I’m glad to have read it.

[Hannah Bruxvoort · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful for someone who knew nothing about breastfeeding prior to reading.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my full review here: https://www.between-bookends.com/2021...

As a new mom, when I saw this book I had to consider it. My baby is four months old and I’m still breastfeeding, so while I’m not new to it I hoped there would still be more I could learn.

Dr. Linda Dahl is an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor that started specializing in helping breastfeeding moms by performing procedures on their babies to fix their gape. I thought her approach was one of the most reasonable ones I’ve ever read. She encourages breastfeeding yet also remains realistic about all of the challenges that one can encounter while breastfeeding. I thought she was very thorough in explaining what may be going wrong based on what you are experiencing.

And she acknowledges how confusing all of the different advice can be, which I personally found to be true. It was very frustrating to receive conflicting advice from the pediatrician, midwife, nurse, and lactation consultant after I gave birth. It left me feeling so confused and unsure what to do in those first days of my baby’s life. Had I read this before, it might have given me more confidence in the route I wanted to take and what advice I should follow the most.

What before was a magical mystery to me is now a beautiful process I can recognize and feel knowledgeable about. There was not too much I didn’t already know from all of the research I’ve done since embarking on my breastfeeding journey, but I really enjoyed the history section which shed some light on why there is a lot of conflicting information on the subject. Were I to start breastfeeding now, I may have been able to identify my issues with oversupply and prevent mastitis (which I unfortunately ended up with, twice).

The only part of the book that did not appeal to me was when she preached about frenulectomies. I think it is great that she has been so successful with this procedure, but she basically said that not many people know how to diagnose the root cause requiring one, nor knows how to perform one effectively. It seemed like unless you are able to have Dr. Dahl do it, you are out of luck. It seemed like this would be better presented to the medical community so that they can catch up with what she has established. But I guess if I felt my baby had this issue I could cite her to my own doctor.

Overall, I felt the book was very interesting, easy to read, informative, and encouraging. I liked her repeated message that breastfeeding should be your reward after going through pregnancy and giving birth, and it gave me a fresh perspective on breastfeeding with my baby today. I often read this book while breastfeeding and it was a great reminder to enjoy this bonding time with my baby.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rodale Books for an ARC of this book.

[Lola Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far the most realistic and informative breastfeeding book I read. IMO even better than the hospital-led breastfeeding class. Dr. Linda Dahl is truly an expert in gape restriction, nipple aversion, and frenulectomies.

I really like how no-nonsense her medical advice is. This is the first thorough breastfeeding overview I’ve seen that doesn’t focus solely on the incredible benefits of breastfeeding, but goes in depth into the myriad of potential challenges and best practices to address them.

[Jason Frasca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this is well done, an all encompassing review of breastfeeding, its potential complications, and ways ahead from a female, maternal perspective. From this viewpoint, this truly has the potential to be motivational and inspirational for mothers, physicians and others alike.

The author is a mother and an ear, nose and throat physician. Quite a relevant blend of talent and trainings!

As a male physician, hoping to learn more about breastfeeding, my key takeaways are:
-approximately 25% of woman/newborns dyads can't make breastfeeding successful
-even though the milk the body can make is free, the process itself is not
-most healthcare providers (including physicians) have limited-to-no training in breastfeeding
-mothers need to make sure they are taking care of themselves to be successful with breastfeeding
-the author goes into great detail with ways to face breastfeeding and its challenges

I received a free copy of this book compliments of NetGalley and Rodale books. I am a male Family Medicine physician who cares for newborns and breastfeeding mothers hoping to learn more. My key criticisms are:
-there seems to be quite a negative undertone for Family Medicine physicians at times. Though I am reading this to learn more, I question the level of negative undertone for Family Physicians - not all of us are made or trained the same. Honestly I was a bit offended with some of the implications towards Family Medicine at times.
-though us males probably deserve some of the negative contemplation that is throughout, I question if the level of talking down is needed.

Overall I think this is a productive read. Given my criticisms, I have decided to downgrade to 3 stars.

[Kelly Smouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know who this book was written for. I read it while pregnant and learned about normal breastfeeding and things that can go wrong, but there is hardly any information on what to actually DO when things aren't going well. I wouldn't have found this useful while actively trying to solve problems while breastfeeding. It's too much generic information, with almost no practical tips on what to do when struggling.

[Ashley Van Vonderen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most helpful, realistic, and delightfully neutral breastfeeding information out there! I wish someone had told me to read this while I was pregnant. As it is, I read it when my little one was 5 weeks old. My breastfeeding and pumping journey would have been a million times easier if I knew all the info in this book!

I most appreciate the author giving perspective on lactation consultants and their conflicting advice.

At one point, freshly postpartum, I broke down crying in a consultants office- because I’d been told conflicting advice by four different professionals in the hospital- and here was a new person, shaming me and saying I was doing everything wrong. I was only following what I’d been told to do! If it wasn’t for my husband there to back me up. and ground me- and the validation of this book- I might truly have believed I was either crazy or failing.

Huge thanks to the author.
Other mamas: read this in the third trimester. Not after birth. It’ll save you in the critical first four weeks of establishing supply and a feeding relationship.

[Karla Vann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel much more confident about breastfeeding after reading this! It seems that so many resources don’t go into the details of the mechanics and anatomy behind breastfeeding, but this one does without being too dry. With that background established, the variety of problems that many moms run into make sense, and the potential solutions make sense too. I feel like I have a good troubleshooting guide as well as more realistic expectations surrounding breastfeeding when the time comes. Some big takeaways include the importance of not ignoring pain when feeding, the gape reflex, and establishing a supply early on; common misconceptions about bottle feeding and pacifier use; and the reminder that even though breastfeeding is natural, it is not automatic! Just overall a positive and helpful read that I’ll put to the test in January 😉

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent reference guide with a neutral perspective. Most of it was pretty common knowledge for moms who have breastfed and some of it is outdated, despite it recently coming out. For instance, in the US, most insurance companies cover a free electric pump, whereas the author states it needs to be purchased as it is not covered. Not a huge deal, but it would be helpful for first time moms to know it is an option.

[Katherine Grau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read numerous books on breastfeeding. This was the only one that has been helpful. Would recommend to anyone considering breastfeeding. Really appreciate that the author does not try to preemptively shame you for supplementing with formula or not succeeding at breastfeeding. Full of evidenced based advice, information on how breastfeeding works, and how to trouble shoot potential difficulties.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been really helpful to get me prepared for breastfeeding before my baby comes. I rented this from the library but will definitely buy it so I can have it on hand for troubleshooting tips! It has a lot of good information without being too overwhelming, and takes you through every aspect of breastfeeding. I appreciate that this is written by an MD, and not a self proclaimed lactation “consultant”. Every new mom should read this book!

[Michaela Huizar · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a first time mom you are bombarded with information. Everyone has an opinion and it can get overwhelming quickly. I heard about this book from tik tok — so glad I decided to read it. It was very straightforward, & educational. I feel more prepared for my upcoming breastfeeding journey, & appreciated that this was written by a ENT. I learned so much & found myself taking notes along the way. I definitely recommend to any other moms out there who want to learn about breastfeeding.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was informative and intelligently written. I suppose it did it's job in telling me about some of the science or behaviors behind breastfeeding, although a fair amount of it was focused on saying how little research has been done and how no one has any set answers. Ultimately this book did not help me the way I thought it would.

[Tarin Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Author bemoans conflicting advice about breastfeeding. Interesting because several items she declares as facts I had different advice and experience. Maybe its ok that breastfeeding is a semi mystical process that cannot fully be understood by medicine.

[Haley Lott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good info. More science-y (?) than most breastfeeding books I think because she is a doctor. Some info I didn’t agree with or felt it conflicted with other info out there. But I did like how open she is to non-breastfeeding options.

[Ashley Jarmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful and interesting info overall, but had to navigate through a lot of the authors intense opinions and personal feelings which felt very negative when I was looking for positivity and optimism, or at least just the plain facts

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

My baby is still cooking so I can’t say how this book impacted my actual journey, but it was incredibly informative, evidence based, non judgmental, and seemed a lot less one-size-fits-all compared to a lot of the stuff you see online.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful! I knew very little about breastfeeding except that moms be blaming themselves for whatever goes wrong. I learned that a lot of issues are caused by the baby’s anatomy- like head shape, gape restriction, or tongue tie.

[BB May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Kickstart with so much useful tips for new or experienced moms

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has lots of good information. The author comes across as a bit pretentious with some negative generalizations of other lactation professionals, but over all she had solid content.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tout simplement génial et indispensable. Simple, clair, complet, plein de bienveillance et de bon sens.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting and informative.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been 1/4 the length, I found it insightful but very repetitive.

[Jenny M · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book, but was immediately disappointed. The author starts with bashing every other person who offers lactation support, specifically stating that “lactation consultants often have little to no medical background” which couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I do feel bad for the author who still seems to have a lot of hurt and bitterness towards her own experience. However, she could not make it work for herself yet says she’s “solved an age-old problem” for everyone else! She also says people are trying to profit off of your problems, as she is also profiting off your problems with the book in your hand and her own practice.

After many years of professional and personal breastfeeding experience, I found page after page of incorrect or just plain bad advice. One of many examples of this is telling moms to pump after nursing to test if their baby transferred milk. Or to offer a bottle after nursing and if a baby “gobbles it up” then you either aren’t producing enough or baby isn’t transferring milk out of you.

She might be great in her practice, but the way she speaks about people (and also highlights points such as “breastfeeding is beautiful, but no one wants to see you do it in public or for too long”) is a huge turn off. I would not recommend this book to anyone, patients or professionals.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author writes about tongue tie and gape restriction as one of the most reliable sources in the medical field right now (which hint - your dentist is probably not qualified and your lactation consultant may not be either). I really appreciated her take on the history of both complications as well as her no pressure way of treatment. She wonderfully explained the difference between choosing a laser or scissors. She also went over common medications and natural supplement options for breastfeeding moms facing different challenges. Just about everything you want or need to know is covered information wise, in an easily digestible and practical way.

While I don’t agree entirely with her about how any pain in breastfeeding ultimately ruins the breastfeeding biofeedback process and experience. Personally, I experienced some pain for some time, but my baby and I were able to work through it. I appreciated her rationales behind the why of the pain and different ways to go about fixing it.

[Shanaya Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this during pregnancy, so it wasn’t so much of a guide for me, but more of an introduction to all the breastfeeding terms and definitions. I felt as though it was well done and the sections were easy to understand.