Can anyone recommend a good book on BF?

[Elf]

Hi, I breastfed DD1 for ten months and baby number two is due in January. The thing is although I ended up feeling very good about the BF and it did all come together, the first few weeks/months I really did just bumble along not really knowing what I was doing and suffering terrible at some points, despite "help" from various breastfeeding counsellors, midwives etc.

So, I thought this time I would like to look at a book beforehand to add to my own information and as I´m sure there are loads of crap ones out there I thought I would ask if anyone knows of a good one. Thank you. BTW I may not be back to reply for a while as I´m at a cafe but I will do so asap. Thanks again.

I had "Best feeding" but cant say it made much diff with ds2 I bottled and am bf ds3.

You need Mears - what she doesnt know aint worth knowing. catch her on the "Dont let me post make me do my assignement" thread. she would welcome the distraction!

LOL

hereit is

My favourite book is 'Breast is Best' by Andrew and Penny Stanway. It seems to be out of production at the moment but you would be able to get it at the library I am sure. It is papreback size and you can find solutions to problems easily. I like coswallop's Bestfeeding as well but not just as much.
Right, I am off to do some more of this blasted assignment!

hmmm, I'm a fairly avid book reader but can't remember anything I read about bf that was especially useful. The best thing I did was go to a local (NHS) breastfeeding workshop which focussed almost entirely on the practical skill of getting the positioning right - it was incredibly helpful in the early days to have a technique ingrained in my mind. I was also given a little UNICEF booklet by my midwife that had simple guidance with good pictures and again was very helpful.

I like Clare Byam Cook's book called something like "What to expect when you are breastfeeding - and what happens if you can't?". Good, practical advice with the added twist that it does accept that some people just can't get on with it, and tells you not to beat yourself up over it mercilessly if it just doesn't work for you. Unlike some of them which are so evangelistic that they make you feel like a complete failure and bad mother if it doesn't work out. But very good descriptions of positioning etc - practical stuff. can get it on amazon (I did)

Sorry, PPH, that book is not actually very good on positioning and attachment....though happy to accept it helped you

Which books do you think make you feel a failure?

tiktok, is there anything you would recommend? I looked at the Renfrew book on Amazon and it seemed promising - lots of pictures etc.
Things that annoy me are lots of stuff about benefits of bf (I know I want to bf, just want practical advice thanks!) and also things like the NCT book that talks about 'learning to love' night feeds (I paraphrase, but only slightly - a bit of acknowledgement about how tough sleep deprivation is would have been more helpful!)
I did buy the Byam book but can't remember much about it now....didn't really like the negative slant though.
I found it very difficult to find advice about how to deal with breastfeeding and weaning - for me this is where it all became much more difficult to maintain my supply - all the books I read seemed to assume that if you get to three months you've got it sussed and can pretty much carry on as long as you want. Not my experience, I'm afraid.

Elliott: I have Bestfeeding and the way I remember, it was very much practical, problem-solving, not so philosophical. Seems like what you say you want? Lots of "This is right" "this is wrong" pictures, case studies of how problems were solved. There are several examples of women who combi-fed or were only partially successful at bf even after taking all the advice they could get, which I thought was kind of nice and "human" & practical.

agree with zebra re bestfeeding - it's a little hokey in a sort of hippy, joy of sex type way - but as z. says loads of pictures so you can check right v. wrong positioning etc...

And for during breastfeeding let me recommend a nice thriller to take your mind off it

I liked "So that's what they're for" by Janet Tamaro. It's a little American in places but a good read.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts, I think I'll have a look at Breast is Best and also Bestfeeding. I agree with you Elliott about all the puffy bits when you know some stuff but just WANT TO KNOW WHEN AND HOW and stuff like that! I find it hard to imagine breastfeeding again but hopefully I shall be more relaxed and know what I don`t know this time so I can prepare more. THANKS AGAIN everyone.

found the 'best feeding' book at a house I was babysitting at last night - it does look very helpful in terms of getting things started in the best way. But again there seemed virtually nothing on what to do to maintain your supply further down the line, and how to best combine solids and bf. Surely I can't be the only person who found this difficult, confusing and ultimately impossible?