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Title: So That's What They're For!: Breastfeeding Basics by Janet Tamaro-Natt, Barry Littmann, Janet Tamaro ISBN: 1-55850-611-X Publisher: Adams Media Corporation Pub. Date: May, 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.45 (125 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: More "why to" than "how to"
Comment: As a full-time, exclusively breastfeeding mom, I'm rather disappointed after reading all the glowing reviews. While the book's humorous, pithy presentation does make for a more entertaining read than most, it has a defensive tone and is rather militant in its pro-breastfeeding stance. Many times while reading, I found myself thinking, "OK, I breastfeed. I bought your book. You already got me. Now get to the point."
In fairness I would recommend this book for first-time mothers of babies less than six weeks old who have experienced criticism because they choose to breastfeed and are looking for validation and the occasional bit of helpful advice. I enjoyed reading the funny, though not really usable, comeback list for people who would undermine breastfeeding efforts (i.e. "I'd be arrested if I didn't feed my child" and "I'm just doing it to annoy you.") The "frozen-pea-bag-as-a-malleable-ice-pack" idea is very helpful. The anecdotes do enable better reader engagement. It's certainly more affordable. However, I would have liked more complete and rounded coverage, and a lot less bias for mothers, unlike myself, who are actually having trouble breastfeeding. "Man the mammaries, full speed ahead" is not always the best advice.
For example, when a mother experiences uncomfortable milk overabundance not related to third-day postpartum engorgement, that may not be the desired condition aspired to in the book. The author profiled a mother like this, who was struggling with spraying and choking her baby. I thought, "finally!" but when I turned the page, she changed the subject and happily described freezers full of stored (and spoiled) milk, and recommended closing the windows so that the neighbors wouldn't hear you complaining about the pain. When seeking help on how to breastfeed if a second pregnancy occurs, I got a couple of paragraphs on how your re-colostrumed milk might taste different to an older child. When looking for advice on how to promote sleeping through the night, I found pro-co-sleeping advice that recommended even more frequent nursing. When she started describing moms who tearfully sought counseling after losing refrigerated breast milk (i.e. "liquid gold") after a power failure, I felt very discouraged.
I'll also mention that the author is adamantly anti-pacifier and anti-bottle, and admittedly wrote this book after her own children were beyond the age at which her advice could be applied to them. She is also in the habit of telling moms what they are "doing wrong," which is a counter-productive practice in a world of infinitely unique babies.
Again, it's an OK book if you need the affirmation, but lacks in the practical advice area if you've already made the commitment to breastfeed.
Rating: 5
Summary: I love this book!
Comment: I had never considered not breastfeeding my baby, of course, but with my family all living fairly far away, I knew I would need some practical help (and some ammunition against my weird in-laws, who are horrified at the idea of nursing a baby with teeth, nursing a toddler, nursing at the mall ...). Not only does STWTF provide this practical information, it does so in a way that enabled me to read it (unlike any other breastfeeding or baby care book I've read) from cover to cover. The author has a great sense of humour and has really done her research (as other reviewers mention, there are some areas that need updating, but the problem is not serious enough -- yet -- for me not to recommend the book). I really liked the fact that she devoted only one chapter to the "why" of nursing (one chapter that, IMHO, makes the point just as well as the whole of "The Womanly Art" -- and this is coming from a card-carrying LLL member!) and the rest of the book to the "how." Because although this book is better than most for converting the undecided, we might as well admit that if you've gone to the lengths of buying a book on breastfeeding, you're probably already planning to at least try it.
STWTF is NOT militant or preachy; there are good discussions of pumps and pumping and of nursing and working, and Tamaro acknowledges those little secrets, such as that you can get bored while you're nursing (she suggests renting "chick flicks" and nursing in front of the TV; my own favourite, when my daughter was brand-new, were news magazines that would open up nice and flat on the nursing pillow) and that sometimes some people are going to give you a hard time (her page of snappy comebacks to stupid comments cracks me up more every time I read it).
I am lucky enough to live in an area where the majority of new moms do breastfeed to start with, but there's still a lot of really bad "information" about nursing floating around. It's great that Janet Tamaro's book is available to counter that misinformation in such a humorous, non-threatening, reassuring way.
Rating: 1
Summary: No humor, not lighthearted at all
Comment: I am also a physician and was completely dissapointed with this book. It's views were very JUDGEMENTAL and as my husband calls it, from the "Milk Nazi's". As someone who strongly wanted to breasfeed, and had to struggle with breasfeeding after a C/S, and multiple lactation consults, I was looking for a supportive, lighthearted book that will guide with troubleshooting. This is NOT it. I did not like the author's attitude or style. I have read multiple child/lactation/parenting books in addition to all the medical and pediatrics books and this is the WORST book that I've read. Do not waste your money.
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