Mama Knows Breast book 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.
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.
Mama Knows Breast Book Contest Winners
April 29, 2008
Thanks to everyone for sharing their breastfeeding stories for my book giveaway contest.
Here are the ten winners of my book "Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding." Will the following ladies please send me their mailing addresses. Write to mamaknowsbreast@yahoo.com.
1. Lindsie:
I don't have a funny story because I had trouble breastfeeding my first due to inverted nipples. I would like to win a copy of your book because I really want to be able to breastfeed my second.
2. Katie:
The cable guy was working on the TV in another room and suddenly came into the room where I was nursing my daughter. while he was asking me a question I didn't even notice that she detached and my breast was hanging out free! Guess he got a little more of an eyeful than he was bargaining on!
(I would love to have this book for my mother who is a doula. She does a lot of breastfeeding education.)
3. Amira M.
I am not a mom but my good friend, who is a lactation consultant, was breast feeding her son in a lecture hall during a class. now, he has the habit of making lots of very "satisfied" noises while he is feeding and because of where she was sitting in the hall, his suckling was loud enough for the professor to hear! he stopped and everyone was looking around to see what was making the noise, but the baby was nicely hidden under a blanket.
4. Vicky:
I guess one of the funniest times was when I was nursing my second son. My oldest who was around 2 at the time always wanted to help out like a big brother. His baby brother was hungry and I was having one of those hormonal moments....you know the one that can make you cry in an instant because you are lacking sleep. I started boo-hooing and my oldest sat beside me and lifted his shirt and told me he would feed the baby so I could "rest." He immediately turned my tears of frustration to tears of joy.
5. Awesome Mom:
I was not able to nurse my #1 son because of his heart defect. He was too weak to nurse so I pumped 14 months for him. During his second hospital stay for a heart surgery I kept having nurses come in to check in on him because they thought my pump was my son breathing really funny.
6. Chris:
The look I got from a semi-truck driver as I pumped while driving home late from work one day!
7. Lucy:
My first baby is due in June, so I don't really have any stories just yet, but would love to be entered to win (it is a beginners book after all :)).
8. Liz
My craziest breastfeeding moment has to be when I was on a 6 hour car ride to visit family. We had stopped multiple times and the baby was just not happy to be in his seat. I kneeled on the seat next to him and hung over top of his seat and fed him while he was still strapped in! Oh the memories! :)
9. Becky
I wish I had a funny nursing story to tell. My first two attempts were pretty awful, so I don't remember anything funny, just sad. The lactation consultant said in her 25 years of doing this, "I've never seen anything like you." Great! : ) I'm determined to give it a try again this time with baby #3. Thanks for your nice comment on my blog giveaway. This has been so much fun!
10. Audra
I feel asleep feeding my baby in the recliner (don't worry I didn't drop him) and when I woke up awhile later. I found him asleap and me nursing his ear which was filling up with milk! Thanks for the great giveaway! I would love to give this to mis sis-in-law who was anti breastfeeding the first time but has had a change of heart and would like to breastfeed #2.
Win a Graco Activity Center for Your Baby-- Leave a Comment
April 14, 2008
UPDATE: FOR THE WINNER, CLICK HERE.
Welcome to third, and final, part of my Mother's Day Giveaway Contest. No need to go shopping for yourself...or for another mom in your life. Just leave a comment to one of the posts I've put up for a chance to win some cool stuff.
So far I'm giving away ten copies of my book, Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding. Click here to enter to win.
I'm also giving away copies of two other books, Margarita Mama and The Rookie Mom's Handbook. Click here to enter to win.
Now for the third giveaway, we have an activity center, The Baby Einstein discover & play by Graco. I have to say, I LOVE this toy. When our first son was about six months old, we put him in it and he immediately "went to work." He sucked on the "star," flipped the book pages, and pressed repeatedly on the animal sounds. He was so focused, we called it "The Office." All I have to say is "Graco, thank you for inventing this. Without it, I could have never taken a shower when the kids were little."
The good folks at Graco, who have donated this center, have asked me to judge the contest. So for a chance to win, leave a comment, answering the following question:
How would this activity center make your life easier? (The deadline is May 11th).
Leave a Comment to Enter to Win a Copy of Mama Knows Breast
April 13, 2008
Update: To see who won, click here.
Welcome to Part Two of my Mother's Day Giveaway Contest. Yes, ladies, May 11th is right around the corner. Time to start dreaming about breakfast in bed, and a silent start to your morning...
I'm now giving away away ten copies of my very own book, Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding. How can you win a copy? Leave a comment answering this question:
What is the funniest, or most outrageous, thing that has happened to you as a breastfeeding mom? (April 27th is the contest deadline. I'll pick my favorite ten responses).
Mother's Day Giveaways Update: I'm also giving away a Baby Enstein discover & play center by Graco. Click here to win.
I've also put up a post about two books you can win-- Margarita Mama and The Rookie Mom's Handbook. Click here to enter to win.
Book Giveaway-- Leave A Comment to Enter To Win A Book
April 11, 2008
UPDATE: TO SEE THE WINNERS OF THE "ROOKIE MOM'S" BOOK, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE: AND FOR THE WINNERS OF THE "MARGARITA MAMA" BOOK, CLICK HERE.
Mother's Day Giveaways Update: I'm also giving away ten copies of my book, "Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding." Click here to enter to win. PLUS...I'm giving away a Baby Enstein discover & play center by Graco. Click here to win. Now, back to the original post...
Hot off the press... I've got two new books for all you moms out there. The Rookie Mom's Handbook and Margarita Mama: Mocktails for Moms-to-Be are both from my publisher, Quirk Books. In honor of Mother's Day (May 11), I'm doing a series of contests for the next few weeks. So we'll kick things off by giving away ten copies of each book. The authors themselves will be the judges and pick the winning entries. The deadline to enter is May 11.
First off, The Rookie Mom's Handbook. Here's what the publisher says:
Bookshelves abound with activity books for babies and toddlers, but The Rookie Mom’s Handbook is the first designed exclusively for first-time mothers. Here are 250 enjoyable activities to help rookie moms maintain their individuality and boost their confidence about leaving the house, socializing, and doing things they’ve always liked to do—either with or without baby. Inspired by the popular Web site www.rookiemoms.com, the book offers bite-sized activities arranged according to the baby’s age. Some are crafty, some are adventurous, and some simply help get a meal on the table.
To win a copy, leave a comment answering the following question: What was your biggest rookie mistake as a pregnant, or newly minted mom?
Now for Margarita Mama. The publisher says...
Margarita Mama offers a pitcherful of delicious “mocktails” designed specifically for moms-to-be. Every drink is 100 percent alcohol free. And they not only taste great, they also provide a healthful treat for both mom and baby! Recipes include twists on old favorites such as Mudslides, Mojitos, Cosmopolitans, and Mimosas, plus yummy new libations like the Materni-Tini, the Raging Hormone, and the Chocolate Crave.
To win a copy, leave a comment answering this question: What was the craziest craving you had when you were pregnant and how did you satisfy it?
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.
My Amazon Problem is Resolved
November 15, 2007
Update: I just got an email from Amazon telling me the problem was resolved. Here's what it said: "Thank you for writing to Amazon.com with your concern. I'm sorry for the difficulty you experienced using our web site. The issue causing this problem has now been resolved, and you should be able to create Tags. We appreciate your patience. Thanks again for your contributions to the Amazon.com community."
I also went to some of the other well known breastfeeding books on Amazon and created similar tags for those books. This should help new moms find the resources they need.
Now to the original post:
Sometimes it pays to be a nudge. For weeks I've been pestering Amazon about the fact that their site would not let me create a "tag" for my book that said "breastfeeding." The problem is now fixed.
I went onto the Amazon page that sells my book Mama Knows Breast today, and tried one last time to create the tag. And lo and behold it worked! I had no idea it was fixed. I was actually still waiting for a response from customer service.
So Amazon, kudos to you for realizing breastfeeding is not a dirty word. But please, get your customer service department to shape up. I was one step away from writing you a nasty-gram. Then you would have seen the true nudge come out.
Speaking at Another Moms Event in New York City
November 10, 2007
Calling all pregnant ladies... or new moms...or anyone who wants to talk about babes and boobs. I'm doing a book signing with the group Baby Bites on December 5th. Here are the details:
When: Wednesday, December 5th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Where: Destination Maternity, corner of 57th and Madison
Cost: $40 in advance, $45 day of, food & refreshments will be served
RSVP: laura@babybitesnyc.com
Here's a link to the event information.
Still Trying to Get Amazon to Let Me Create a Tag That Says Breastfeeding
November 07, 2007
So far, I haven't had any luck with my quest to create certain "tags" on the Amazon page that sells my book. Amazon won't accept any variation of the word breastfeeding. I wrote about this here and here last week. Since then, I wrote yet another letter to Amazon. I got a pretty lame response today.
Here's my letter.
To the Amazon Team:
I have been trying to create tags for various forms of the word breastfeeding. Breast feeding. Breast-feeding. Breastfeed, breast feed, breast-feed. Amazon will not let me do this. The title of my book is "Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding." So these tags are very important to me.
I wrote about my trouble with this on my blog. www.mamaknowsbreast.com My blog is linked through RSS to the Amazon site, so the post is visible on my sales page. Can someone please help me resolve this problem? Thank you.
Here's the response:
Andi, Thanks for contacting us at Amazon.com.
I'm sorry, but I will need to research the tag feature further. I
will write back to you with an answer within the next 5-6business
days.
Thank you in advance for your patience, and thanks for shopping at
Amazon.com.
I'm Making A Guest Appearance on the Site The Nest Baby
November 01, 2007
In the late 90's I lived on Mott Street in Manhattan. It was a cute little block that had yet to be overrun by chic boutiques. Today its a shoppers' mecca. But back then we had one coffee shop, a pizza place, a diner and some abandoned store fronts. I also had a hallway neighbor who mentioned that she was working on a new website for brides. (She may have even been starting it, I can't remember. I can't remember her name, either). That little website was called The Knot. I'm sure you've heard of it.
If you have, you may also know The Knot's sister websites, The Nest, and The Nest Baby. Can you say building a brand?
Anyway, The Nest Baby is an adorable site for moms who are trying to conceive, well into their pregnancies or experiencing life with a newborn. I'm making a guest appearance on the site this week, and I'm answering reader questions. Hop on over if you'd like and check things out.
Amazon Won't Let Me Use the Word BreastFeed as a Tag For My Book
I've been having an odd problem with Amazon lately. The page where my book Mama Knows Breast is sold has a space where you can create "tags" for the book. These words help people find books that they might find useful.
I was able to create a whole series of tags related to my book. Words like "nursing," "lactation," "baby gift" worked. But there are certain tags Amazon simply won't let me create. I can't create a tag that says "breast feeding" or "breastfeeding" or "breast-feeding." Other variations that won't work: breastfed, breast fed, breast-fed, breast feed, breastfeed or breast-feed. You get the idea. Even simply, "breast" won't work. Elisabeth Squires, author of the new book "bOObs: A Guide to Your Girls" told me Amazon won't let her use the tag "boob."
I imagine this is some sort of super duper anti-porn spam filter at work here. But it's quite silly given the subject matter of the book. I've tried to contact Amazon customer service through the website a few times and haven't gotten a response.
Does anyone have any suggestions? How can we get Amazon to wake up and smell the coffee?
Speaking at a Moms' Event in New York City
October 31, 2007
You'd think, after all these years of speaking in front of people, and even working as a reporter, I wouldn't get nervous about public speaking. But I do. Can someone please teach me how to meditate?
Anyway, if you want to see me put on my "I'm-not-the-least-bit-anxious-game-face," come to a book party next week in New York City. I'll be at Citibabes on Wednesday, November 7th, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.. Here's the Citibabe's site if you want more information.
Things Get Lost in The Mail
October 25, 2007
The mail is usually pretty reliable. You put some postage on, drop your letter in the box, and somehow, miraculously, it gets where it's supposed to go. Pretty cool.
Well Sinead, over at Breastfeeding Mums, has a funny story to tell. My book went from the publisher in Philadelphia, to Uganda before arriving at her home in Northern Ireland. The proof is in the postage stamp! Read more here.
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.
Learning to Read
October 21, 2007
Is this not the cutest picture? Whitney of Rookie Moms sent me this photo of her son, Julian, who is almost three. He's "reading" Mama Knows Breast.
Whitney has a three month old, too, and Julian oftens asks, "Does she want milk? Ok, take out your breast for her. Now, do you want a pillow?"
Watch out all you boobie experts. I think you have some competition.
Photos From My Book Signing
September 25, 2007
Yes, The Today Show did come to my book signing last week. They interviewed a bunch of moms and the event host, Lyss, of Divalysscious Moms. (See photo 3 for a shot of Lyss with me). But the story, which will air October 3rd, actually has nothing to do with my book. Set your TIVO anyway... you'll have to watch to see what they're up to.
As for the book signing itself...thank you to all of the moms who showed up. People came early, asked great questions and stayed late. Heidi Green of Heidi Green Photography took these amazing photos.
If You Come To My Book Signing Wednesday Night The Today Show Will Come Too!!
September 17, 2007
Now that I've got you hooked...
There's a kernel of truth here. I've got my first book signing Wednesday night, and The Today Show is planning to come because of another story they're working on.
BUT...we need at least 10 more moms (or ladies who can pose as moms!) to sign up to make sure the Today Show shows up. So please, pretty please, drop everything you're doing Wednesday night, from 6:30 to 8:30 and come help me fill the room. I can get you comped, too, so that you don't have to pay. Here's the summary:
WHAT: Dinner and a little talk about my book, "Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding." The event is organized by Divalyssicious Moms.
WHERE: Alice's Tea Cup Chapter III, 220 East 81st Street, between 2nd and 3rd
WHEN: Wednesday, September 19th, 6:30- 8:30
WHY: Because I'll be eternally grateful. You'll get a free dinner and book and a chance to laugh at how nervous I'll be. And one more reason...Gotham Magazine (part of the Hamptons Magazine group) wants pictures from the event and you can help me look cool!
Use Amazon to See Some Mama Knows Breast Book Excerpts...and Another Book Review
September 14, 2007
Amazon has a really cool function that allows you to search inside certain books. Go to the page where Mama Knows Breast is sold, then click on the image of the cover. This takes you to some book excerpts that Amazon selected. In addition, you can do a word search and see more sample pages. For example, type in "sex," or type "yoga" and you'll find more material.
I've used this function when I've considered buying other books in the past, so I'm glad it's up and running for Mama Knows Breast now too.
And one more thing...the blog Boston Mamas reviewed the book a few days ago and had this to say:
During the dazed and stressful early days of breastfeeding, sometimes you just need the quick facts; a concise means to bypass the overwhelming sea of nursing resources that your newly short-circuited attention span can’t handle anyway. For this purpose, check out Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding by Boston native Andi Silverman.
WATCH A VIDEO INTERVIEW OF ANDI TALKING ABOUT WRITING "MAMA KNOWS BREAST"
Watch Andi on the CBS Early Show: Click here.
Watch Andi on The NBC NIGHTLY NEWS: Click here.
Watch Andi on THE TODAY SHOW: Click here.
