The Reality of Breastfeeding: Reflections by Contemporary Women

I don't know where the breastfeeding manuals get the information that "97% of women can breastfeed" because my experience and that of many I've talked to is that one can try awfully hard to exclusively breastfeed and still fail. With both of my children, I've had to pump, supplement, use a lactation consultant, and still had to use both bottle and breast. My first child ended up dehydrated at one point and both lost weight until interventions were started. I ended up with neither the convenience of breastfeeding nor the flexibility of bottle feeding. The harder one tries, the more deflating and discouraging it is when breastfeeding never completely clicks. So this book is a welcome find for those of us that don't fit into the so-called "97%". Its stories are real life successes and failures in breastfeeding, rather than theoretical or idealized examples. The variety of stories is so great that most mothers would find at least one story that resonates with their own experience. They reflect the true intensity of establishing breastfeeding and the hardships of the newborn period. The only mothers who might not care about these stories are those that never had any intention of breastfeeding. I met the authors at a book signing and they are neat ladies. One has decided not to have another child given her first experience. Her example is an illustration of how overwhelming the experience of breastfeeding can be when it goes wrong.

I thought this book was absolutely fantastic. Even though it is not a "how-to" book, every situation and problem you could have breastfeeding is covered by one or more of the contributors. This book really helped me to continue with breastfeeding, even during the painful periods. I would highly recommend it. The only critique I have is that there are an awful lot of contributors from Decatur, Georgia (wherever that is!) - also the area where the authors are from. I would have liked to have at least seen more authors from different parts of the US.

This is a great book to educate parents-to-be, reassure nursing parents, and allow parents of older children to wax nostalgic. Some are funny, some are intensly emotional, and others are quite practical and prosaic. Although many of the essays tell of the joys of successful breastfeeding, others describe the pain that often accompanies nursing and even the satisfaction of giving up for the bottle. The essay format is perfect for new mothers, you can actually finish something during naptime!

The editors have assembled an excellent collection of essays. They reflect a wide variety of breastfeeding experiences, and many are infused with bits of the humor nursing moms so desperately need. It was great to be able to recognize my own experience and to be amazed by the tenacity of others. Much easier to find comfort in than books intended as references and resources (though I recommend having one of those on your shelf, too). Thankfully, in among all the heroics there was even an essay of a mother who gave up breastfeeding for the bottle and made peace with it. A nice balance to the pressure of the "breast-is-best" real women can subculture!