Best book on breastfeeding

[ButteryJam]

Hi,

I'm quite nervous about breastfeeding, partly because I've had such an awful time with my breasts during pregnancy, and partly because I've always looked at them as sexual things. Anyhow, which book would you recommend I read on breastfeeding, something that has practical tips too on how to breastfeed (as I won't have family around to show me!).

Thanks! :)

Not sure about a practical perspective but a very down to earth one is 'Food of Love'

Worth getting to a bf group when pregnant too to get your head round practicalities

Food of love. Your guide to successful Breastfeeding.

So wish I'd read this book first time round as we failed to successfully breastfeed.

I know understand so much more about how Breastfeeding 'works' and what counts as 'normal' in breastfed babies.

Oops NOW understand not know. Sigh. Baby brain. Also meant to say that after reading this book I feel so much more informed for my next impending arrival

Have you discovered www.kellymom.com ? Not a book but I spent hours on there when DS was newborn.

I really don't think a book can prepare you. With bf I think it can be a bit luck of the draw. No book can explain a latch for example. It's a case of learning on the job and trying not to put too much pressure on yourself - just go with the flow and tackle problems as they happen via kellymom, nct, breast feeding drop ins and midwifes.

Ina May Gaskin "Guide to Breastfeeding"

I've breastfed DS for 16 months (and counting) but only read this recently and it's taught me a few things

I second kellymom as you learn on the job, plus the short videos on Dr. Newman's site, to identify how to identify good/poor latch and feeding.

Another good one is The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League.
Also worth a look is the Biological Nurturing website which talks about laid back breastfeeding.
It's good to know the basics beforehand but it's a different kettle of fish trying to get a squirming, wriggling baby latched on when you've just given birth.

Mumsnet and Kellymom. There is a leaflet from NCT called Story of a Breastfeed which shows how it should ideally look, also one from NHS they give you in hospital. Hard to learn without a real baby though so second the suggestion of getting hands on support.

I liked the NCT book - sorry can't renember the name but it was pretty comprehensive. Very helpful in cases if near mastitis I seem to remember...!

Also thought kellymom was v useful. If possible, watch a friend if she doesn't mind, & try a support cushion like the widgey before giving up!

Also find out about your local breastfeeding cafe... Great to get done habds on (!) help when you're struggling. There is a helpline that is great too...

What to expect if you are breastfeeding... And what if you can't by Clare byam-cook was my bible with DD. DS is two weeks and I'm still referring to it when I have a question x x

Second Nicky 1306's choice.

Get them from a library though. None of them are really books you'll want to read more than once...

I also think Kellymom is great, despite the rubbish name.

I'm not sure a book can teach you to breastfeed but so many times I read Kellymom when I was actually starting to breastfeed (and struggling) and found it practical and sensible. It was just something you read and went "oh right! That explains it..."

Another vote for the womanly art of breastfeeding. Excellent book. I still feed my 2.5yr old and still occasionally read it. It's focused more on the journey of breastfeeding and what to expect a newborn to feed like and troubleshooting.

Kellymom.com is great - helped me work through mastitis. I also liked the Ina May Gaskin 'Guide to Breastfeeding' book (I also had another of her - Natural Childbirth, or something, that was also very good).

Thank you ladies. I'll have to order the Book of Love as it is not in the library but will get the others from the library. Thanks! :)

I was just going to say 'Library' ours had none in, but it's linked around the area so can order in from another branch for 25p.

Kellymom was really helpful, also the BF threads on here, tiktok was really excellent. I also found the NCT BF advisor was really useful, but that wasn't until I'd almost got established.

Coming late to third The Food of Love - brilliant book, and well worth owning to refer back to. Ime, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is also a good one to have on your shelves to dip on and out of.

Research has shown that contact with breastfeeding women before birth can help you feeding, so I also agree with going to a support group when pregnant.

Bestfeeding is a great all rounder for the essentials and not too detailed for beginners.
Food of love is great, Womanly art of breastfeeding is great but very wordy and a bit hippyish in ways.

DO NOT recommend what to expect when you're breastfeeding, it is not written by a trained breastfeeding counsellor or IBCLC and is not evidence based at all, in fact is very undermining of breastfeeding.

OP something I found helped was watching videos of people bf-ing their newborns on YouTube. Google newborn latch or something. Quite a few people have made videos and it gives you an idea what a latch looks like - not as I expected!

Good luck.