Book Reviews Archives

Breastfeeding News Updates

February 08, 2010

Here's a quick round-up of some breastfeeding stories that have popped up lately...

First off... congratulations to Tanya at the Motherwear Breastfeeding blog... she's having a baby in June!

In the celebrity breastfeeding space... we've got Modern Family star Julie Bowen who is nursing twins; and Jennifer Garner talks about breastfeeding.

In more serious news... a recent study found that using antidepressants can delay breast milk coming in just after birth.

And finally, on Hobo Mama, there's a review Mama Knows Breast and a giveaway contest.

Some Reviews of Mama Knows Breast

January 30, 2010

Here are links to some reviews of my book, Mama Knows Breast. These all date back a few months. It just took me a while to remember to post them here.

Here's an audio interview with David Wilk on Writers Cast. Writers Cast features podcast interviews with authors; its sister company is LiveWriters, which has author videos and book trailers.

Here's a bunch of video reviews by moms on the site Expo TV. If you don't know Expo TV, its a really cool site where people post video reviews of consumer products.

And here's a video interview with me by Lysette at Chicmommyusa.com She also did a review you can watch on YouTube. Chichmommyusa focuses on holistic living.

Go See This Show If You're in New York

October 13, 2009

When was the last time you laughed so hard your stomach hurt? Can't remember? If that's the case, I have a strong recommendation for you. Go get this book: "Afterbith: Stories You Won't Read in a Parenting Magazine." Better yet, if you live in the New York area, go see the author, Dani Klein Modisett, in action. She'll be bringing her show to the New York Comedy Festival on Saturday, November 7th.

Modisett emcee's her show... which includes well known writers and actors reading essays they wrote about becoming a parent. The show runs mainly in LA, but travels around the country as well. For this stint, she'll be joined on stage by Dana Gould ("The Simpsons"), Andrew McCarthy (actor/director, "Lipstick Jungle"), Caroline Rhea (mom on "Phineas and Ferb," real mother of Ava Rhea), Dan Bucatinsky ("Web Therapy," "The Comeback"), Lew Schneider ( "Everybody Loves Raymond," writer, "Men of a Certain Age"), Caroline Bicks ("Midwiving Subjects in Shakespeare's England," Professor Boston College), and Andrea Martin (actress, "Wag The Dog," "Nurse Jackie."

Now watch this video:

The Most Important Book You Could Read This Year (If You Have Kids)

July 13, 2009

How's this for a big statement...this book should be required reading for all new parents. In fact, you should get it right after your first OB appointment. The "Wall Street Journal's Financial Guidebook for New Parents," covers virtually every financial planning issue you need to think about when you have kids.

It's so easy to get caught up in the frenzy of feeding, sleeping, bonding and educating. It can be truly overwhelming at times. Especially when you're sleep deprived. And of course, the most important thing is to love your kids with all your heart and soul. But at the end of the day, you can't avoid confronting how you're going to pay for everything... daily needs, housing, college tuitions and even your own retirement.

I know I faced a very steep learning curve with all of this when our kids were born. And it's always a work in progress. So it's nice to see everything you need to consider, organized in an easy to read book that is fine for those of us who freeze every time we have to calculate the tip in a restaurant.

Here's what the publisher has to say about the WSJ book on Amazon:

"The average family will spend between $11,000 and $16,000 during a new baby’s first year, and more than $200,000 before a kid’s eighteenth birthday. Unfortunately, a second child only doubles your costs, with little economy of scale for each additional baby...

The Wall Street Journal Financial Guidebook for New Parents shows you the way, with information on how to:

• Safeguard your child’s well-being with wills, trusts, and life insurance
• Best weigh your child-care options and decide whether to go back to work
• Save on taxes with child-friendly tax credits and deductions plus tax-advantaged benefits at work
• Manage your family’s health-care costs
• Save for long-term costs by setting up a college fund
• Spend smart and save money at every stage of your child’s development
• Continue to contribute to your own retirement savings

There is certainly no shortage of financial advice books out there. I've recently read Rich Dad, Poor Dad and The Wealthy Barber. Both are excellent for learning how to think about assets versus liabilities, the beauty of compound interest and saving for retirement. But this WSJ book is by far the best thing I've come across. I've been dog-earring my own copy. You may want to too.

If you have other financial planning books or websites that you like, share them here.

Two New Breastfeeding Books

July 10, 2009

Two of my blogging friends have written new books for you to check out. It's really exciting. I've known these women for the past few years, and it's great to see their work come to fruition. One book is a memoir, and the other is a guide for breastfeeding educators who need to learn Spanish in order to help their clients.

First off, we have Sinead of Breastfeedingmums who has written a memoir about her breastfeeding experiences. It's called "Mama Milk: A Breastfeeding Mum's Story." Here's her blog, and here's a link to where you can buy the book on Lulu. It's an e-book and costs only $5.27.

What I love about Sinead's book is her realistic descriptions of the ups and downs of breastfeeding. She breastfeed three kids and she doesn't sugar coat anything. She covers everything from buying a bra to weaning, mixing her personal experiences with practical tips. Sinead is from Ireland so at times her turns of phrase are truly charming. For example, she writes:

The very first night I spent with my new daughter was probably the first and only time she slept through for the next five years! I, on the other hand, missed out on that precious opportunity as I was simply too excited to sleep. I had waited for what seemed like forever to be her mummy and now that she was with me I quite literally couldn't take my eyes off her. Even when I went to the bathroom I happily wheeled her along with me! The rooming-in policy adopted by our hospital suited me down to the ground. There was no way anyone was taking my baby to the nursery. I was her mummy and any mummy stuff would be carried out by me! Me and my baby together at last…

Now for the second book. Tanya of the Motherwear Blog has written a book called "Spanish For Breastfeeding Support" (Hale Publishing 2009). Tanya's co-author is a former Medical Spanish instructor and translator. The book is intended for anyone who works in breastfeeding support: nurses, lactation consultants and counselors, La Leche League leaders, doulas, physicians, midwives, WIC nutritionists and peer counselors, and others. Lactation consultants can earn over 12 CERPs for completing the exercises in the book.

The book teaches you how to support nursing moms in Spanish using dialogues, vocabulary, listening comprehension exercises, grammar lessons, quick reference sheets, and great lists of Spanish breastfeeding resources. The book also comes with two CDs.

Tanya is doing a give-away of the book on her site right now. Click here to learn about the contest. The deadline is July 17th. And finally, there's a website for the book, SpanishForBreastfeedingSupport.com. (Here's the link for buying the book from Amazon or the publisher).

Attention Bloggers... If You Want a Copy of My Book for World Breastfeeding Week

June 09, 2009

The first week of August is World Breastfeeding Week. So in advance of this, I'm giving away review copies of my book, "Mama Knows Breast." If you're a blogger or journalist and would like a copy, send me an email. mamaknowsbreast@yahoo.com.

Events for World Breastfeeding Week actually go on all of August... so it's sometimes called Breastfeeding Awareness Month. Click here to see what's going on in your area.

A Toilet Training Book That Is Working For Us

May 29, 2009

At long last, I think we are making some progress on the toilet training front. And I do have to credit "The Potty Train" by David Hochman and Ruth Kennison. Seriously, what child doesn't want to shout, as loud as possible, "chugg a chugg a, pooooo pooooo!"

And More Parenting Books

May 19, 2009

Seems like a lot of parenting books have come across my desk lately. Maybe it's my imagination. Maybe it's because of Mother's Day and Father's Day. Any one in the industry care to comment?

Anyway, here are four more titles I've got on my desk to read:

Better Birth: The Ultimate Guide to Childbirth from Home Births to Hospitals is by Denise Spatafora. Denise is the creator of the Born Clear Method, a childbirth prep course that focuses on the mind-body connection. (A disclosure: Mama Knows Breast is cited in this book).

The Essential Breastfeeding Log allows you track your baby’s eating and sleeping habits. It evolves over time, with four different formats depending on the baby's age.

The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk is focused on remedying low milk supply. It's recommended by La Leche League. The Motherwear Blog had a good review of this book.

The Ultimate Mom: Uplifting Stories, Endearing Photos, and the Best Experts' Tips on the Toughest Job You'll Ever Love is edited by Maria Bailey, the host of Mom Talk Radio and the co-founder of NewBaby.com.

"Afterbirth"

May 18, 2009

Four years ago, before our first son was born, I had no idea what I was in for. I had no idea that some day, I'd watch in horror as one of the kids deliberately stepped in dog poop. I had no idea that I'd say things like, "Stop licking the pole on the bus." And I definitely couldn't have imagined that extreme frustration could co-exist with extreme happiness. Often in the same day.

It's this very sense of shock and awe that's at the core of the new book "afterbith: Stories You Won't Read in a Parenting Magazine". Without a doubt, this is the most hilarious thing I've read in a long time. If you, like me, thought it was virtually impossible to find a unique parenting book, think again. And then go buy Afterbirth.

Comedian Dani Klein Modisett edited the book, which is a collection of essays about how parenting changes you in ways you'd never imagine. All of the pieces are written by top writers and performers... a virtual who's who in Hollywood.

The book itself sprang from Modisett's long-running show that features these writers reading their essays. It started in LA, but she now takes it on the road. And if it's near you, go see it.

I was lucky enough to catch the show in NY recently, after meeting Modisett in a dance class. She was wearing a t-shirt of the cover of her book, so I practically pounced on her to see what it was all about. We were quickly reprimanded by the teacher to stop talking. Thanks to email, we continued the conversation later.

Yes, little did I know, four years ago, that I would come to worship our babysitters so that I could go out to an event like Modisett's show. Then again... I don't think I ever envisioned saying, "Get off of your brother RIGHT NOW or someone is going to get hurt!"

Too bad I didn't have "Afterbirth" BEFORE I gave birth.

"If You Give a Mom a Martini"

April 26, 2009

Here's my assessment of Mother's Day when you have small kids. In my case, boys. Two of them. 18 months apart. Under the age of 5. Mother's Day is the place where aspiration meets reality.

My husband aspired to give me a break yesterday. I aspired to relax. But in reality, it didn't quite happen.

Sure, they let me sleep in. (Thank you! Thank you!) And yes, they made an awesome pancake breakfast. (Loved the flowers.) But one parent is not enough to handle these two steamrollers, so I decided to tag along on their trip to Central Park. One massive toddler meltdown and a near collision with a golf cart collecting trash later, we retreated home. I never made it to the yoga studio.

Over the past few years, I've slowly come to terms with the fact that "down time" is something to catch as catch can. If you've got a half an hour to yourself... take advantage of it. Don't wait for that free afternoon. It's hard to find, and even when you do, it might be fleeting.

A new book embraces this very notion. "If You Give a Mom a Martini" has tips for making the most of your free time. The subtitle..."100 Ways to Find 10 Blissful Minutes For Yourself"... says it all.

The book is co-authored by Julie Klappas and Lyss Stern (with a foreword by Christie Brinkley). Full disclosure... Lyss organized my first speaking engagement when my book came out.

Give a Mom a Martini is a quick read and has the usual suggestions of taking a nap and getting a manicure. But it goes further, and may even leave you chuckling at some of the pointers... I liked the idea of using a baby mop. Unfortunately my kids are too old. I think buying a lottery ticket is a good way to day dream... so I've done that. And I'm planning on decluttering our mailbox by trying out catalogchoice.org.

All in all, even if you only have ten minutes of peace and quiet, this book is all you really need. Just lock the bathroom door and tell the kids you'll be right out. Soon. When you're ready. After all, shouldn't every day be Mother's Day.

Book Review of "If These Boobs Could Talk"

April 17, 2008

This is one cute book. Authors Shannon Payette Seip and Adrienne Hedger have hit the proverbial nail on the head with "If These Boobs Could Talk: A Little Humor to Pump Up The Breastfeeding Mom." With games, trivia questions, top ten lists and mock advice, they prove that breastfeeding has its light side.

My favorite part of the book is illustrations of slightly unconventional breastfeeding holds. You've got "The Yogi"-- a mom setting the microwave with one hand, writing a note with the other, doing "tree pose" while her baby hangs off her boob. Another good one is "The Wiper"-- a mom wiping the tush of one child on the toilet while her baby has a little snack. You get the idea.

To learn more, visit their website If Boobs Could Talk.

Lamaze International and Mama Knows Breast

February 28, 2008

Here's a cool one... a fellow blogger recently brought this to my attention.

Lamaze International has put "Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding" on its 2008 list of Recommended Resources for Pregnant Women and Their Families.

To see the full list, click on Lamaze.org. Look for the center left column (For Expectant Parents) and the flashing "NEW" icon.

Book Review-- "The Sky Isn't Visible From Here"

February 10, 2008

When my book "Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding" came out last fall, I did a "virtual book tour" on the site Mother-Talk. Now, I'm on the other end of a book tour. I'm reviewing "The Sky Isn't Visible From Here," by Felicia Sullivan.

Typically, I write about parenting matters, and more specifically breastfeeding. So this is a major diversion for me. "Sky" is not about babies or kids. Not even close. But it is, in excruciating detail, an example of how parenting styles indelibly mark, and in the worst cases, deeply scar, children. It's a memoir, and Felicia Sullivan describes growing up in Brooklyn and eventually succeeding on her own in Manhattan.

Here's the book's description from Felicia's website:

Felicia Sullivan’s volatile, beautiful, deceitful, drug-addicted mother disappeared on the night Sullivan graduated from college, and has not been seen or heard from in the ten years since. Sullivan, who grew up on the tough streets of Brooklyn in the 1980s, now looks back on her childhood—lived among drug dealers, users, and substitute fathers. Sullivan became her mother’s keeper, taking her to the hospital when she overdosed, withstanding her narcissistic rages, succumbing to the abuse or indifference of so-called stepfathers, and always wondering why her mother would never reveal the truth about the father she’d never met.

Ashamed of her past, Sullivan invented a persona to show the world. Yet despite her Ivy League education and numerous accomplishments, she, like her mother, eventually succumbed to alcohol and drug abuse. She wrote The Sky Isn’t Visible from Here, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, when she realized it was time to kill her own creation.

While that description just about says it all, it doesn't convey the emotion within the pages. I first picked up the book as I was supposed to be getting ready to take my son to school. I stood in the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, toothbrush sticking out of my mouth, transfixed. I had intended to read just one page of the prologue, but I couldn't stop. We just barely made it to school on time that day.

Sullivan has the ability to make the reader both see, and feel, her world. There are paragraphs like this:

A week before my twelfth birthday, I woke to the smell of buttermilk pancakes and brown butter. I could hear skillets crackling and hissing. I tiptoed into the kitchen to find my mother cooking me an elaborate breakfast. Sugared blueberries, raspberries, and diced bananas spilled out of small glass bowls. Fried sausage links and hotcakes topped with rich maple syrup covered my plate. The abundance of food irked me. We'd been living on thirty-nine-cent packets of Oodles of Noodles for two weeks...In my room, double knotting my shoelaces, I wondered what my mother wanted from me. (page 147).

And there are the heartbreaking passages:

Sometimes people ask, Would I find her if I could, don't I want to find her, doesn't she want to be found and forgiven? As if it's up to me alone to find her. To make mother and daughter whole. People take comfort in these reconciliation stories; they can't manage the black and white of it, the possibility that love can be extinguished, that, when continuously tested, love can dissolve. Love is conditional...With her, love and fear were one and the same, with every kiss came a pinprick, with every hug came a lashing out. My mother was my first hurt. (p. 24-25)

At the end of the book, Sullivan describes spending time with her mother when things seemed less chaotic, and even fun. It would have been interesting to read more about this period Sullivan labels "before cocaine." Additional descriptions of the days before her mother's drug addiction took over might have added yet another layer of complexity to the book. Even so, the struggle to reconcile good and bad memories of the same person is clear.

We all have our hurts and secret agonies. We all have frustrations. Especially when it comes to our parents. Sometimes we share these thoughts with other people. Sometimes we don't. It takes a lot of energy to analyze yourself, and even more, to put these thoughts into words. Not to mention words that other people might want to read. Quite honestly, I don't know how writers like Sullivan do it.

For more information, you can visit Sullivan's blog here.
And to read the other blogger reviews, go to Mother-Talk.

A Video Interview With Me

January 10, 2008

The website Boldfacers.com recently interviewed me, and the story (click here) has some of the best breastfeeding puns you'll ever come across. It all starts with the headline, "She's Stacked, Baby." Now why didn't I think of that?

If that's not your thing...just surf around the site to find profiles of people doing pretty cool stuff in all sorts of fields...people like a sneaker designer, a landscape architect and a jazz club founder.

Now click here to watch this video.

Keeping a Feeding Log

January 02, 2008

When our first son was born I kept a meticulous journal of his feedings. I'd note the time he ate, which breast he ate from, and how long he fed. I also marked down wet and dirty diapers. I was on top of things, and pretty proud of myself. At least I was, until his pediatrician more or less dismissed my note taking. I handed him a copy of the log, and he gave it right back to me. "I don't need this," he said. But look at all my hard work, I felt like saying back to him. Look, even my handwriting is neat!

What I realize now, is that he was essentially saying, your son is fine. He's peeing and pooping and most importantly gaining weight-- you can relax.

But fast forward to our second son, I did the same thing again. I kept a journal for a couple of weeks because I found it helped me keep track of what was going on. In a post-delivery fog, and sleep-deprived state, it helped me to remember when he ate. It was especially important because he was a sleepy baby, and I had to wake him to make sure he ate frequently enough.

So, I still like the idea of keeping notes for a little while, at least. And I'm sure some moms do it longer. That's why I was excited to get a copy of this journal from Random House. "Time to Feed: A Journal for Recording Your Baby's Feeding Schedule" is a great gift for a new mom. In fact, I just gave it to a friend today. It has simple entry spaces for each feeding, whether its boob or bottle, breast milk or formula. Best of all, there is a basic guide to breastfeeding at the back of the book, written by La Leche League.

Book Review of "bOObs: A Guide To Your Girls"

November 25, 2007

Sometimes you come across a book with a truly clever title and it seems to jump off the shelf. Well here's one of those books for you, bOObs: A Guide to Your Girls. Through blogging I've gotten to be friends with the author, Elisabeth Squires. She also has a blog, The bOOb Lady's Blog.

So this month, as part of the Breastfeeding Bloggers' Carnival, I'm reviewing Elisabeth's book. The other blog posts are book reviews as well. This should give you some gift-giving ideas as we dive head first in the holiday season.

"bOObs" is a book about every breast related topic you can think of-- buying the right sized bra, getting a mammogram, coping with breast disease, having breast surgery, exercising comfortably, "exposing your girls" and even accepting the changes that come with age. Throughout the book, Squires debunks myths, gives historical perspectives on breasts and has fun quotes from women of all ages and breast-sizes. There are gems like this one: "Breasts are like avocados. At twenty, they aren't quite ripe, at thirty they're perfect, and at forty they are overly ripe. --36B, age 44."

Of course, there is an entire chapter on the pregnant and nursing boob. Squires takes a realistic and informative perspective on breastfeeding, and has sound practical advice like this: "Toward the end of your pregnancy, around your eighth month, you'll want to invest in three good nursing bras. At a minimum, you want one to wear and one to spare, while the third will typically be in the wash. Some women also choose to wear a cotton nursing bra at night."

Squires did her research for this book. (I've got to ask her how many years or months she spent on this). It's a long book-- the 290 pages includes an index, footnotes and book and web resources. And finally, she even has your own personal "Boob Journal." This will help you record your bra sizes, dates of mammograms, "mammoirs" (aka memories) and drawings of your breasts. Of course there are also detailed instructions on doing a monthly breast self-exam.

Bottom line, this is a great gift for your sister, cousin, mom or aunt. (It's probably a bit much for a young teenage girl). Just mention the title and you'll find yourself having a fun conversation.

Now for the other blogs participating in the Carnival:
The True Face of Birth has a review of my own book, "Mama Knows Breast."
The International Breastfeeding Symbol Blog reviews The Baby Book and Unconditional Parenting.
Hobo Mama reviews Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent.
Breastfeeding Mums blog and The Motherwear Blog both review too many books for me to list here. Just click to their sites. They've found some real gems, including my book :). Thanks, once again, ladies!
On School Street reviews Blindsided by a Diaper: Over 30 Men and Women Reveal How Parenthood Changes a Relationship.
Tales of Life with a Girl on the Go reviews the children's book The Best Gifts.
James and The Giant Moose Blog has a review of Having Faith: An Ecologist's Journey to Motherhood.
Breastfeeding123 reviews Baby Matters.
Crunchy Domestic Goddess reviews the video What Babies Want.

Some Parenting Sites for You To Check Out

October 24, 2007

Here's what I've found recently:

About.com has a new breastfeeding Guide. Melissa Nagin is a lactation consultant in New York City. Click here for her bio. She has a great post right now on how she tried to teach her son economics using breastfeeding to illustrate the concept of supply and demand. (Full disclosure, my husband works at About, but I promise, he had nothing to do with this post!)

Jennifer at the Black Breastfeeding Blog, who I've mentioned before, has added a cool new audio function to her blog. (She's using utterz). If you want to hear the sound of her lovely voice, you can check out a review she posted of my book.

Finally, take a look at The Well Mom. Former ABC News Anchor Heather Cabot is running this site. The Well Mom aims to help moms take care of themselves while they are taking care of everyone else, too. She has a fantastic post on her site now about post-partum depression, and legislative efforts to increase funding for PPD research and outreach to moms. Heather also recently interviewed me about my book. Click here to read her piece.

My Virtual Book Tour for Mama Knows Breast

October 02, 2007

When I finally finished writing Mama Knows Breast, I naively asked the publisher if I was going on a book tour. She must have thought I was a total idiot...or entirely self-centered...to ask that question. Seems that today book tours are reserved for the heavy hitters. And that's where the internet steps in for the common folk.

The NYT Style section ran a piece a few weeks ago on the increasing popularity of the "virtual book tour." In other words, authors sit at home (in my case, sporting an apple sauce coated t-shirt), and visit blogs and websites to promote their book. Sometimes the blogger writes about the book; sometimes the author does a guest blog post.

In a sense, I've been doing a virtual book tour on my own for the past couple of weeks-- thank you to all the lovely bloggers who have kindly reviewed my book. And now, I'm also doing something a little more formal through a website called Mother-Talk.com. Mother-Talk has a post about my book, a "backstory" that I wrote, and links to 10 bloggers who are doing reviews all this week.

Throughout the week I'll put links here to each of the 10 blogs, and pull quotes, as they post:

Oct 1: Stirrup Queens writes a review, as well as her story about how, after the birth of her twins, she never produced enough milk. After trying every suggested remedy under the sun, she eventually found out, through blood tests, that the problem was due to low prolactin levels. She also draws parallels between the emotional challenges of both fertility treatments and breastfeeding problems. There are a lot of people leaving comments to her post. Check it out.

And Making Things Up, who is having her fourth baby any day now, has this to say: “The text’s layout is practical for the brand-new mom: the author wisely makes use of lists and short sections, so you can set down the book at a moment’s notice without feeling lost when you come back.”

Oct. 2
Suburban Turmoil writes: "I especially enjoyed the "From the mouths of moms" blurbs, with first-person tales from the trenches that were often hilarious and reminiscent of my own breastfeeding experiences."

Oct 3: A Vocational Duality says “The section on nursing etiquette is wonderful in its detail, including comebacks for nosey critics. Likewise her kick in the pants about comparing oneself to celebrities who have personal trainers, chefs, and nannies that most of us can’t afford.”

Life as Lou says, "Silverman captures the perfect tone of encouragement and support, while keeping a realistic perspective. This book is the perfect blend of help and humor, and I absolutely recommend it." And while you're on her site, you've got to check out the gorgeous photos Lou posted of Manti, UT on October 3rd.

Oct. 4:
Family Living: Hatfield Style says "(T)his book actually dares to talk about sex and breastfeeding, a question on many mom’s minds that isn’t addressed in many print books and seems taboo to ask your neighbor. My Husband read this section with interest.“

Vivirlatino says “[Mama Knows Breast] may well be one of the best books on the subject out there.

Oct. 5:
Ask Moxie writes "There's a huge segment of the population who gets pregnant without ever having taken care of a baby. In our culture not many of us grew up watching anyone nurse a baby. How many of us even knew that the milk comes out of a bunch of little holes in each nipple? There are all sorts of things we don't know that someone needs to tell us, without freaking us out or making us feel bad for not knowing it. And I think that's the strength of Mama Knows Breast. It's a funny, gentle, hip-looking introduction to some basic concepts of breastfeeding."

Writing in the Mountains says "This book is...informative and serious as well as humorous. That can be a rare thing to come by in this genre, the all inclusive 'Mommy Lit', where a majority can be found to favor one or the other school of thought."

And finally, Major Bedhead writes, "There are loads of tips and information that, even now, after having nursed three babies, I wish someone had told me. The tip about getting a footstool seems so basic, and yet I didn't figure that one out until baby #2. The advice about what to keep at hand while nursing is also key - I never remembered to keep the phone next to me. Never. Water I had, the phone, eh, not so much."

Urban Baby Reviews Mama Knows Breast

September 07, 2007

Hooray for Urban Baby! The chronicler of all things baby from coast to coast had this to say about Mama Knows Breast:

For something so instinctive, breastfeeding can be fraught with intricacy. A day of incorrect latching can lead to several weeks' worth of cracked nipples, plugged ducts, painful infections, not to mention fears of starving babies and sky-high levels of frustration.

Before running for the formula aisle of the nearest drugstore, check out the new book "Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding." Journalist and mom Andi Silverman seeks to steer new moms away from the edge with a handbook filled with friendly, frank advice.

More Mama Knows Breast Book Reviews

August 29, 2007

Here are some new reviews:

From Rancid Raves, who also posts at A BoobLog:

...overall, I just loved this book and declare it to be an Inhaler * . The illustrations are quirky and the text is light and humorous. I enjoyed that because breastfeeding can be very stressful, scary and downright painful to a new mother. Per my quick Amazon searches, there simply aren't any fun, positive books regarding breastfeeding. Who wants to read a textbook if they don't have to? I'd rather have a friend holding my hand - and this book does just that by walking you through it in a reassuring and comforting manner....

*in-hal-er
noun
1. A book so compelling or suspenseful that it must be consumed immediately in only a few sittings.
2. A book so easy and enjoyable to read that it can quickly be consumed in only a few sittings.

And this from Cairo Mama:
Mama Knows Breast by Andi Silverman is a compact, concise collection of advice that you might receive from a trusted, experienced breastfeeding friend. There are many great breastfeeding resources out there...but they are large and thick books with a lot of detail. In your last months of pregnancy when you are busy buying things and preparing for labor, it is difficult to read a reference book straight through when you don't yet know what applies to you.

BabyTalkers is giving away a free copy. Click here to read about it.