The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk: Foreword by Martha Sears, RN

I am a breastfeeding working mother who struggled for over a year with a low supply with my first child. Now nursing my second child and experiencing similar issues, I immediately purchased this book after hearing about it at my local Le Leche League meeting. This book is by far the most in depth and comprehensive wealth of breastfeeding information that I have come across, and I have scoured the web far and wide to resolve my issues. Before reading this book I had limited information on the physiological process involved in making milk, a point that became crucial in increasing my supply. Thanks to the information in this book I was able to increase my supply by 25%. On good pumping days I even exceed that! Not only did this book increase my supply but also my self esteem. So often at my local LLL meetings mom are dealing with over supply issues and hardly a mom comes in with a low supply issue. This book gave me the comfort I needed in knowing that I am not alone and that I can make more milk. I am not the hopeless case I felt I was with my first child. Best of luck and don't give up!

This book is an excellent resource for anyone dealing with supply issues. It is very well-written and interesting; I had a hard time putting it down because I was learning so much. I had supply issues from the start with my son. I saw (and stumped) numerous lactation consultants and tried everything (pumping, diet changes, Domperidone, etc. etc.) to figure out the cause of my low supply. Nothing helped, and repeatedly doctors told me the canned answer of "Give it up...some women just can't make enough." When my son was 4 months old, I started seeing 2 lactation consultants who deal with tough cases, and we worked through this book. It was such a help and encouraged me greatly after repeatedly being told to give it up. It didn't talk down to me or treat me like I was defective, and it didn't give me simple answers like "just go pump some more." It instead walked through, in specific detail, causes of low supply. One section discussed causes where the baby drives poor supply (e.g. bad latch, tongue-tie). The most helpful section for me, because there isn't a lot of this information available online, was the one that discussed causes where the mother drives low supply (e.g. hormonal issues, breast tissue issues, diet). Steps to rectify the problems were also discussed in detail. Because of the book, we identified the areas that were causing the problems (the most notable being some unusual hormone issues with me, and a tongue-tie in the baby which 2 doctors had failed to diagnose). We are working through the solutions discussed in the book, and I now can take the steps to hopefully prevent the supply issues with future kids. It has been very rewarding to finally find the causes of my low supply, thanks to this book.

I really can't say enough good things about this book. It's clear, readable, and quite comprehensive. I was lucky enough to talk with both authors for podcast interviews on my breastfeeding blog. There are a few features that I particularly want to highlight: 1) The authors write about maternal hormonal causes of low milk supply in more detail than I've seen in any other breastfeeding book for moms. There is also some hard-to-find information on some topics like gastric bypass, eating disorders, and vegan/vegetarian diets. 2) The chapter entitled "Planning for the future" is such a smart feature to include. So many mothers who have had difficulty with milk supply are very motivated to try again, and this chapter tackles the process of planning for a new baby straight on. 3) The authors take seriously the feelings mothers have when they have a problem with milk supply. They devote a chapter to "coping with milk supply," which I think mothers will find very helpful.

I used to think breastfeeding was a natural and simple process. Baby latches on, starts suckling and milk comes out. Pretty simple, right? Then I had my baby 2 months ago. From day one my baby struggled to latch on, and when he did, it was terribly painful for me. To make matters worse, my milk supply was not enough to keep him full. To my disappointment, I had to supplement with formula (something I vowed not to do!) and, since my baby was not being breastfed enough, my milk supply finally decreased to zero. In my desperation to find something that worked, I found this book. It would have been a life saver if only I had anticipated what possible -and very common- problems breastfeeding moms face. By the time I got and read this book, it was too late to rebuild my milk supply. But if you are expecting, or are currently breastfeeding, do yourself a favor - buy this book. It explains in very simple words how milk production works, what problems moms frequently have and how to fix them, and it even lists safe herbs and medications that promote milk production (or galactogogues).

The book has sections that would be wonderful for any expecting mother to read: understanding the biology of milk making, normal breastfeeding behaviors, best steps to get your supply off to a good start, and how to know if you should really be concerned about low supply - many mothers go through at least a moment or two of doubt! But for those of us currently in the trenches dealing with low supply or wondering how we can be more successful for the next baby, this book is just packed with information! "While it's true that most mothers can make enough milk [to feed their babies], we are now learning that there are definitely mothers who really aren't making enough milk." For those of us who have been there and done that, this affirmation by experts in the field of lactation of the painful reality we have struggled with almost makes the book worth it all on its own. But of course, the authors offer much, much more in reassuring and informative discussions that fully explain what they call "The Milk Supply Equation" - the factors, from adequate breast tissue to effective and frequent milk removal, that work together to ensure a good milk supply. I'm well-read, worked closely with a lactation consultant for months, and still learned one or two really helpful (and generally SIMPLIFYING, stress-reducing) things in each chapter. For instance, it explains how to supplement without damaging the supply you have, and perhaps even in such a way that it helps to increase it... But perhaps most importantly, the book will help you think through the underlying causes behind your supply issues and how to address them. Because without knowing the root of the problem, it's hard to direct interventions effectively... As a concluding personal note, that's why I sound so gung-ho about this book... I would have given it a great review anyway, but I had a HUGE ah-ha moment reading through Ch. 8. I have insufficent glandular tissue, and had only ever heard about it in relation to hormonal causes. Yet I always felt like "hormonal imbalance" was a diagnosis that didn't fit me. Reading through Ch. 8 I learned that injuries to the breast during childhood and adolescence can also halt or impair breast development - and that fits me to a tee! So now I have confirmation that I need to focus on interventions to grow tissue, but really don't need to concern myself with the hormonal imbalance piece. I hope this book is just as helpful for many other women out there.