We all know that breastfeeding is the natural, healthy way to feed a baby.
However, that doesn’t mean that breastfeeding is easy.
Due to a combination of cultural, social and economic factors, the percentage of women in Australia who breastfeed exclusively at 6 months is a low 14% according to recent research.
So, how can we start to turn things around? Education is a huge step in the right direction.
With so much misinformation, it’s easy to become confused and second guess yourself as a new mother. BellyBelly is here to help! Armed with one of the best breastfeeding books, you’ll be well on the way to a more informed breastfeeding journey.
Also, don’t forget to become a member of the Australian Breastfeeding Association (or the equivalent in your country).
7 Best Breastfeeding Books
If you want to give breastfeeding your best shot or if you are looking for a resource to help overcome common breastfeeding issues, make sure you have at least one of these best breastfeeding books in your library.
#1: Breastfeeding With Confidence
Sue Cox is an Australian IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and midwife. She is widely respected as one of Australia’s leading educators and practitioners in the field, having been a breastfeeding specialist and lactation consultant for over 25 years. Sue’s work was recognised in the 2004 Australia Day Honours list for service to community health.
Breastfeeding is a practical skill, which young women once learned by watching a mother breastfeed her baby. When many mothers-to-be are asked if they’ll breastfeed their baby, they often answer, I will if I can. Sue Cox counters that answer proactively and positively with information, advice, support, resources and encouragement for new mothers.
Breastfeeding with Confidence has been designed to take the mystery out of breastfeeding, providing new mothers with the practical skills and insights they need to be successful. Sue explains both the art and the method of breastfeeding, and addresses the fact that making milk comes naturally, but breastfeeding is a learned skill.
Breastfeeding With Confidence provides simple answers to the wide range of questions, including:
- What you need to know about your baby to make breastfeeding work
- Understanding breasts and breastmilk
- Patterns of feeding
- Changes in your relationship with your partner
- Difficulties with breastfeeding; and
- Weaning your child
Breastfeeding with Confidence is a revised and enlarged edition of Sue Cox’s earlier book, ‘Breastfeeding “ I Can Do That,’ which is a recognised, authoritative guide to breastfeeding.
#2: Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers
“The one book that saved my life was Breastfeeding Made Simple — the most phenomenal breastfeeding book ever.” — Jenna Elfman, Actress
Breastfeeding Made Simple teaches mothers and mothers-to-be seven natural laws for successful breastfeeding. This information is distilled from various fields and up-to-date research and is presented in a practical, straightforward way.
This new edition has been updated with the latest research on breastfeeding and includes advice for correcting common problems. Chapters offer guidance for maintaining proper attachment, reducing the pain of nursing, understanding normal breastfeeding patterns, maintaining adequate milk production, weaning, and more.
Special situations, such as mothers with breast reductions and infants with special needs, are also addressed by this comprehensive handbook. Also, the book now includes a useful index busy moms can use to find solutions quickly and easily.
#3: The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers: The Most Comprehensive Problem-Solving Guide to Breastfeeding
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
#4: The Womanly Art Of Breastfeeding
It’s no secret that breastfeeding is the normal, healthy way to nourish and nurture your baby. Dedicated to supporting nursing and expectant mothers, the internationally respected La Leche League has set the standard for educating and empowering mothers in this natural art for generations.
Now their classic bestselling guide has been retooled, refocused, and updated for today’s mothers and lifestyles. Working mothers, stay-at-home mothers, single mothers, and mothers of multiples will all benefit from the book’s range of nursing advice, stories, and information.
From preparing for breastfeeding during pregnancy to feeding cues, from nursing positions to expressing and storing breast milk, this book has it all.
#5: Bestfeeding: How To Breastfeed Your Baby
This book is the culmination of 40-plus years of hands-on experience from three dedicated and internationally respected authors. Newly updated, it blends academic knowledge, clinical expertise, and practical skills to educate first-time and experienced mothers alike.
Mothers will find precisely the information they need to help their babies grow and thrive physically and emotionally as a result of breastfeeding.
“Wonderful and user friendly. Bestfeeding is a virtual treasury of collective wisdom of three experts. It is now my first choice for parents.” — Marshall Klaus, MD, Neonatologist and author of The Amazing Newborn and Parent Infant Bonding
“For any woman who faces problems with breastfeeding — and anyone wanting to help her — this is the perfect book.” Sheila Kitzinger, author of Breastfeeding Your Baby and The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth.
#6: Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding
From leading midwife and the author of Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth comes this deeply compassionate and comprehensive guide to making breastfeeding a joyful experience for both mother and child.
Drawing on her decades of experience in caring for pregnant women, mothers and babies, Ina May Gaskin’s newest book explores the health and psychological benefits of breastfeeding. Inspiring as well as informative, Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding is a powerful and practical guide filled with helpful advice, medical facts and real-life stories.
It helps mothers understand how and why breastfeeding works and how they can use it to more deeply connect with their children and their own bodies, without fear, inhibition, or embarrassment.
#7: The Nursing Mother’s Companion
Breastfeeding may be natural, but it’s not always instinctive. The 20th Anniversary Edition of this classic guide to breastfeeding, beloved by a generation of women, has been completely revised and updated.
It provides even more practical, reassuring advice and support for today’s expectant and nursing mothers. Easy-reference survival guides help identify and resolve problems at each stage. An appendix on drug safety is a unique feature among breastfeeding books.
Special Mention To…
I want to add a special mention for ‘Breastfeeding, Naturally’ from the Australian Breastfeeding Association, which is free with an annual subscription. Yet another great reason to become a member of the ABA.
To find out more about breastfeeding, you can read BellyBelly’s article:
Breastfeed
