List Price: $12.95
Publisher: iUniverse (www.iuniverse.com)
Rating:

The experience that women have in the hospital frequently sets the stage for breastfeeding success or failure. Unfortunately many hospitals still do not provide round-the-clock access to lactation consultants, and many nurses simply suggest that you use formula if they’re confronted with breastfeeding questions that they don’t know the answer to. My own hospital experience caused more tears and frustration than pretty much anything else I have ever gone through.

I was one of many unfortunate women that find themselves with their newborn, knowing only that they want to breastfeed… But not armed with the knowledge of HOW. This simple 95 page book would have been a lifesaver, and it has become part of my shower gift basket to every friend of mine that is planning on breastfeeding.

CONTENTS

Introduction, In the Beginning- Before Delivery, Labor & Delivery, Taking Care of Number One, Getting Started- Breastfeeding Basics (Positioning of Mom, Positioning of Baby, Attachment & Latch-On), Expectations vs. Reality- Common Feeding Patterns of Newborns (Sleepy Babies, Nighttime feedings, baby having trouble latching on, baby wants to nurse all the time), What Does the New Mother Need?, After Going Home From the Hospital, When Your Baby is Unable to Breastfeed, Appendix (Prenatal Information, Sample Feedings Records, Hospital Checklist, The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, Hospital Practices that Support Breastfeeding), Resources, About the Author

STYLE

Rose speaks candidly about her own experiences with her children, and of her experiences as a lactation consultant. Her tone is gentle but firm. Each chapter discusses the different topics and ends with a bullet-list of summarized points to remember. For example, the Labor & Delivery chapter summarizes as such:  Don’t forget to bring your breast-feeding plan (multiple copies). Breastfeed as soon as possible after delivery. Keep your baby with you during your recovery period. Begin to get to know your baby. VERY HELPFUL for moms that need to look back for quick reminders.

MESSAGE

Breastfeeding is natural, but not necessarily instinctual. Some babies will have problems latching on, some moms will have problems helping them do so. This is nothing to be worried about, and can be overcome with some help. Moms should not feel embarrassed or guilty about seeking out the help of a lactation consultant. Mom should prepare a breastfeeding plan just as she prepares a birth plan. She should become educated on breastfeeding by taking a breastfeeding class before baby gets here, and should make contact with a lactation consultant before going into labor.  Rose also reinforces that mom MUST rest and take care of herself to give herself time to recover from pregnancy and delivery.

ILLUSTRATIONS

One of my favorite things about this book is the large number of black and white photographs that clearly show what the author is talking about. From photographs of moms nursing their babies in different ‘holds’ and positions, to photographs of proper latch. The author uses multiple photographs when needed for clarity.

AUTHOR

Rose deVigne-Jackiewicz, RN has spent her nursing career working with new mothers and their newborns. She specializes in normal and high risk births. She herself battled breastfeeding problems with one of her children and has seen many breastfeeding issues as well as experiencing them first-hand.

NITPICKS

This book generally offers really good information, although it does resort a bit too much to “if you’re having trouble, aska lacation consultant”… Which is good sound advice as many problems do benefit from a professional seeing them in person. It would be nice if the solutions were a bit more in-depth and if the book operated on the presumption that there will not always be a lactation consultant available for help.

One point that I would have liked to see reinforced is that on day one baby should have one wet diaper, day two he should have two wet diapers, day three 3… and so on until mom’s milk comes in and then he should have 6-8 wet diapers, and that unless the wet counts are lower there is generally no need to supplement while waiting for mom’s milk to arrive.

Other than those two points, the only “problem” I noticed with this book is that it has a definite “self published” feeling. Its overall design and typography are slightly more rudimentary than you might be used to, and the book itself could have used a few more passes with a professional editor to correct for some repetition issues and to fix minor blips such as the fact that in the beginning the “in summary” sections use numbered lists, and toward the end this changes to bullet points for no apparent reason.

BOTTOM LINE

Despite a few nitpicks about this book, the information is sound and it provides a wide array of information I wish I had access to during my postpartum hospital stay. This book will be very useful to moms new to breastfeeding, and even many veteran breastfeeders will learn a lot of new tricks and techniques. The positive tone that Rose uses throughout the book will be especially helpful to moms feeling vulnurable and cut-off during their hospital stay. Best of all, unlike most books on breastfeeding this book both concise and small enough to toss into your hospital go-bag without a second thought.