great book for a breastfeeding mom. i also plan on referencing it throughout my breastfeeding experience ( )

Every pregnant woman has questions about how to care for her soon-to-arrive baby. I'm expecting a baby girl in about three months and my husband has been adamant that he wants me to breastfeed. I wasn't thrilled with the idea, but I had heard about the physical benefits for both me and the baby. After reading New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding, I am convinced that I do want to breastfeed and that the benefits far outweigh the hassles.

Far from being a book that glorified breastfeeding and made it sound like a walk in the park, New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding plainly explained the aspects of breastfeeding while emphasizing the benefits. The book's step-by-step approach was very informative and made me feel confident that I can breastfeed my child. It covered a variety of topics and many points that I never even thought to have questions about. I will definitely be keeping this book as a reference tool for when baby arrives. ( )

For a new mom or a soon-to-be mom faced with the challenge of forming, as the book calls it, a "strong breastfeeding relationship" with her new baby, this books proves a very informative resource. From the merits of breastfeeding to the challenges of weaning an older baby, the book covers many of the concerns and questions that new moms may have. Of course, if you've already chosen to breastfeed or have breastfed your children previously, the hard sell approach may be unnecessary and even a little off-putting, and the basic information covered in the various chapters may be insufficient. The book provides a great starting point for moms undecided about breastfeeding their new baby, but it doesn't provide as thorough a resource as necessary for more seasoned moms.

The tone of the book is a bit pedantic at times, as well. The redundancy is frustrating, though I can understand that the authors may have anticipated moms skipping from chapter to chapter without giving the book a thorough read-through; the redundancy then fills in gaps that moms might have missed as they jumped around. But some of the anecdotes offered as the frameworks of the various chapters are a bit too cheesy and happily-ever-after. Every problem that a mother might encounter seems to be miraculously solved by -- get this -- more breastfeeding.

But the list of resources, both local/regional and international, at the end of the book might make up for what this book lacks in helpful advice for struggling breastfeeding moms. Other highlights of the book include the chapter for dads/partners who want to be supportive, a list of books to read to siblings to help them better understand breastfeeding, and (my personal favorite) the simple acceptance that teen mothers are among the audience of this book and the response to some of their specific needs (like returning to school while nursing).

Overall, not a bad resource, and certainly worth having on the shelf as a handy reference... even if reading from cover to cover is a bit tedious.