Modern Mamma Marvels

Unfortunately, due to corruption from the formula industry, breastfeeding is often misunderstood, viewed as obscene and generally regarded as something too daunting for the average mother. Many books have been written on the subject in hopes of boosting mom’s morale and reassuring her that she can, most definitely, breastfeed her child. Most of those books? Scare the pants off of expectant mothers.

Enter Mama Knows Breast by Andi Silverman. A quick read at a well-spaced 152 pages, I was able to get through the content without hyperventilating. In fact, I chuckled a few times. None of the other books I had read on the subject of breastfeeding made me laugh. I enjoyed the overall tone of the book which used that humor and some positive reassurance to really drive home general facts about breastfeeding while still encouraging mothers to choose what’s best for the baby (being the breast, of course).

This book won’t answer every problem that can occur. It briefly covers problematic issues, like mastitis, but doesn’t go into remedies and solutions like The Breastfeeding Book by the Sears crew. (Of note, that’s one book, though somewhat daunting and scary, that should be in your breastfeeding library.) However, this 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.

Some very high points of this book, other than the necessary sex talk, are the index at the back for quick reference, the illustrations of various holds and the sections within each chapter entitled “From the Mouths of Moms.” It was refreshing to hear other mom’s misgivings, troubles, issues, triumphs, funny stories and general discussions about breastfeeding while reading over the technical aspects of the process. Each anecdote was placed within the context of the current chapter and helped to drive home the point that Silverman was making at the time. It was, for me, helpful to see other mothers who had endured struggles, emotionally and physically, but triumphed in the end to have a successful breastfeeding relationship with their child. It gave me hope.

And so, my recommendation? This book isn’t for mothers who have successfully breastfed eighty-six children (or, really, even one). This book is for the mother that is absolutely overwhelmed with the wealth of information available on breastfeeding. If The Breastfeeding Book scared your pants off and leaves you not even wanting to attempt breastfeeding, grab this book. (But keep the other on your shelf for troubleshooting issues!) This book can also help boost a mother in the direction of breastfeeding if she is sitting on the fence regarding her decision. If you’ve got to buy a shower present for a new mother and you don’t know what her opinions are on the topic, this is a good way of exposing her to information without coming off as a scary “boob nazi.” For mothers, like myself, who have had a failed breastfeeding relationship, it’s a nice way to ease yourself back into the process of learning about the process.

While I’m currently still overwhelmed, I’m staying positive. And humorous. I mean, squirting milk sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Right FireDad?

(You can also read the blog, Mama Knows Breast, to keep up to date on news concerning breastfeeding as well as tips, advice and other great stuff. It’s run by the author of the book, of course!)