Product Description

An Amazing Resource for Nursing Moms

Although breastfeeding is the natural and healthy way to nourish your baby, it’s not always easy. Many new mothers are scared away from nursing because of difficulty getting started and lack of information about what to do when things don’t go as planned. In this fully revised and updated edition of The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers, two of today’s foremost lactation experts help new mothers overcome their fears, doubts, and practical concerns about one of the most special ways a mother can bond with her baby.

In this comprehensive guide, Dr. Jack Newman, a leading authority on infant care, and Teresa Pitman, a La Leche League leader for more than twenty years, give you the facts about breastfeeding and provide solutions for the common problems that arise. Filled with the same practical advice that made the first edition a must-have for nursing moms, the new edition features updates on:

• Achieving a good latch

• What to do if your baby refuses the breast

• Avoiding sore nipples

• Ensuring your baby gets enough milk

• Feeding a colicky baby

• Breastfeeding premature and special-needs babies

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17960 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-28
• Released on: 2006-11-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780307345585
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
“Everything you wanted to know about breastfeeding . . . Filled with current research, it’s still an easy, fun read that makes breastfeeding seem absolutely doable.” —Lamaze International

About the Author
Jack Newman, M.D., the leading researcher in the field of breastfeeding, is a popular speaker at breastfeeding conferences across North America. A father of three, he lives in Toronto.

Teresa Pitman is the author or coauthor of nine other books on parenting. She is a mother of four and lives in Ontario.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
1: Why Breastfeeding Is Important

Myth: Infant formulas are pretty much the same as breastmilk, so it doesn’t make much difference which you choose.



Fact: The risks to feeding a baby with anything other than the milk nature designed for him are real, and are a concern even in societies where medical care and treatment for the problems caused by these formulas are readily available. In some parts of the world, the use of breastmilk substitutes means many babies will very probably not survive. While the vast majority of bottle-fed babies in North America will survive, that doesn’t mean the health problems and risks are not real and potentially serious for both the individuals affected and the larger society that must help to care for them.



Health care providers, childbirth educators, and others often talk about the “advantages” of breastfeeding. But to describe the differences between breastfeeding and artificial feeding this way includes the underlying assumption that artificial feeding is what is normal and acceptable, even though there may be some “fringe benefits” to breastfeeding.

The warning messages on packages of cigarettes don’t say, “Non-smokers may have lower rates of heart disease or lung cancer,” they say, “Smoking increases your risk of heart disease and lung cancer.” That’s because we know that breathing in smoke-filled air is not normal or good for the human lungs.

The different way we express this information is even clearer when we present statistics and percentages from research. If women who were breastfed as infants show (as they did in a recent study) a decrease of 25 percent in breast cancer rates when compared to women fed formula as infants, this can—more accurately—be restated this way: Women who were fed formula as infants had a 33.3 percent increase in breast cancer rates. Looks more significant, doesn’t it?

It is breastfeeding that is the normal way to feed a baby. Breastfeeding is what the baby’s body and developing systems are designed to expect, and there are many factors involved in breastfeeding that are not yet fully understood. The important diVerence between the two methods of infant feeding is that there are risks to artificial feeding.

One area of risk is in the manufacturer’s preparation of these breastmilk substitutes. As with any manufactured food item, there are sometimes mistakes in the composition of the food; contamination with bacteria and other material; and errors in the processing. There is a long history of formula recalls for various reasons—important ingredients left out, bacteria or other contaminants found in some cans, incorrect labeling and more.

While these can happen with any food product, infant formulas are diVerent because they are the only food the baby gets for several months. If an important ingredient is missing (as has happened in the past), the effect on the baby can be serious. Babies have suVered brain damage and permanent developmental delays because of chloride-deficient formulas; babies have become ill with diseases such as meningitis from contaminated formulas. A recent study of several brands of formulas found that some cans contained more than four times the amount of Vitamin D listed on the label—and Vitamin D in excess is toxic. Choosing to use these substitutes for breastmilk means relying on a manufacturer’s assembly line, which will inevitably produce some errors and problems, and parents simply have to hope that their baby isn’t unlucky enough to get that batch of formula, and that they notice when a particular lot number is recalled.

We often assume that if breastfeeding is not possible—a rare situation—formula is the second-best solution for feeding the baby. The World Health Organization (WHO), though, makes it very clear that infant formulas are not second best to breastfeeding. Second best would be the mother’s own milk, pumped or expressed, and fed to her baby (perhaps with a cup or tube). This is only second best because the value of breastfeeding includes such benefits as the development of the baby’s jaw and facial muscles as he nurses at the breast, and the transfer of germs back and forth between the mother and the baby, which helps protect the baby against infection and allergies, is more likely to occur when the mother and baby are together, touching, skin to skin and mouth to breast. Expressed milk won’t provide those important factors, but it is the next best thing to breastfeeding. If pumping or expressing is impossible, the third feeding suggestion on WHO’s list is donated milk from a breastmilk bank. Only if that is also unavailable would artificial baby-milk feedings be used—the fourth-best solution.

But even the most complete, best prepared formula of any brand has significant risks when compared to “the real thing”—breastmilk.

Let’s look at some of the areas that have been researched and consider the risks to babies fed artificially.

Intelligence and Cognitive Development

We know that the human baby’s brain is not yet fully developed at birth, and that it continues to grow and make important connections between the cells of the brain for about three years after birth. Once that process is completed, brain cells may die but no new ones can be added. Breastmilk, because it is designed for human babies, contains all the nutrients a baby’s brain needs to reach its maximum potential.

Breastmilk substitutes (formulas), however, don’t have all these components. In fact, we don’t really know what all of them are.

Researchers have known from early on that children who breastfed as infants scored, on average, higher on tests of intelligence and development, but researchers tended to attribute this to other factors. Perhaps mothers who chose to breastfeed were more motivated to do good things for their children, and this led to their being more involved in teaching their children as they grew up. Or perhaps the extra holding and skin-to-skin contact involved in breastfeeding was the reason these children were brighter, and mothers using breastmilk substitutes could achieve the same results by simply holding their babies more.

Holding babies more and teaching them more are both good things. But a 1992 study tried to eliminate these factors by looking at premature babies who were being fed through a tube. Some of these babies were given their mothers’ milk, and some were given breastmilk substitutes—and the results were significant. When they reached school age, the children who had received breastmilk scored higher on tests of intelligence. The milk itself makes a diVerence.

Other researchers have studied babies who were breastfed for varying lengths of time, and found that intelligence scores were higher (on average) for babies who were breastfed longer.

It may be that the increased skin-to-skin contact and holding is also a factor. While mothers who are giving their babies formula will usually hold them during feedings when the babies are very small, once the baby is old enough to hold his own bottle, he is often set down in an infant seat to feed himself. As he gets older still, he’s likely to be given his bottle while sitting in a high chair or while walking around. A breastfeeding mother, on the other hand, always sits or lies down with her baby, to hold him on her lap or cuddle him beside her. This contact is undoubtedly beneficial to both of them.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a serious disease that is becoming increasingly common. Type I is the type seen in children, and there is clearly a genetic component that makes some children vulnerable to this illness. While the evidence is not conclusive, studies have shown that when formula or cow’s milk is not introduced to the baby’s diet until he is older (some have recommended waiting at least one year), the baby is less likely to develop diabetes.

SIDS

SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome—situations in which a baby dies, usually while asleep. This is also known as crib death or cot death. No cause for this syndrome has been discovered, and there are probably several factors involved. (After many years of advising parents always to put the baby to bed lying on his stomach, for example, doctors are now recommending that babies sleep on their backs to reduce the incidence of SIDS.) Researchers have found that feeding a baby with formula does increase the risk of the baby dying from SIDS.

Respiratory Illnesses

If you’ve noticed the steadily increasing numbers of children with asthma, you’re not alone. There are multiple causes of this problem, too (one being the increasing amount of air pollution in our cities, and another, the larger numbers of children in day care situations, where they are exposed to more viruses at an earlier age).

Once again, though, feeding the baby with formula is a risk factor for developing asthma. Babies fed formula instead of breastmilk are also at a higher risk of other respiratory illnesses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). They also take longer to recover from these illnesses than do breastfed babies.

Ear Infections

Since ear infections are quite common in infants and young children, this area has been frequently researched, and formula-feeding has been repeatedly shown to be a risk factor in developing otitis media (ear infection). Ear infections are often very painful for the baby, and can lead to further complications—fluid can stay in the ear for a period of time after the infection has been treated, aVecting the baby’s hearing and speech development.

Customer Reviews

The Definitive Guide to Breastfeeding
This book is absolutely the best resource I have seen on the subject of breastfeeding. Dr. Newman offers a vast array of information from basic how-to and troubleshooting to social issues and lactivism. He even calls out big pharma on their UN-baby-friendly marketing techniques. All babies deserve to be breastfed and all women deserve to be supported in fulfilling that need. Newman provides enough info to make breastfeeding practical. This book gives woman a break (you don't have to be a virginal saint to breastfeed) and dispells hundreds of myths and misinformation that keep many woman from breastfeeding or continuing to breastfeed. Highly recommended.

Alleviated my fears about nursing on anti-depressants
Yes, this book is strongly worded and can be viewed as being "judgmental", but it is FULL of information. Dr. Newman is just a VERY strong advocate of breastfeeding. All of the research is out there: formula just can't, and never will, come close to resembling breast milk or providing the benefits that breast milk does. He doesn't sugar coat things. If you want a book that makes breastfeeding sound like a choice, or will make you feel good about not trying to breastfeed or giving up easily, this book won't be it.

But, if you want a book that 100% supports your decision to breastfeed, and is reassuring that you can overcome the hurdles, this book is it. Despite most literature agreeing that breastfeeding is better than formula, there is still a lot of information that isn't presented about WHY - the real details. This book made it clear why formula isn't even close to being as good as breast milk, which I really didn't understand before, I just accepted it.

There are some women that breastfeeding doesn't work for. I am completely sympathetic and supportive. Some medical conditions and some mental conditions make it nearly impossible. To those moms, I support you 100%. You have had to make a difficult decision. Rest easy knowing you have done everything you can.

The big thing this book helped me with was the decision to breastfeed despite the fact that I am on antidepressants. I am bipolar, and I suffer predominantly from severe depression. I am at high risk of postpartum depression, so I was terrified to go off my meds, but I really wanted to breastfeed. This book was so reassuring that the amount of medication the baby gets is negligible. Having a mentally stable mother and a breastfed baby is much better than a horribly depressed mother, or a baby on formula.

I read The Nursing Mother's Companion, but this book beats it hands down. I feel so much more confidant about my choices and abilities now.

Update 9/19/08:

My baby is now 8 months old and we are still breastfeeding. It was very difficult at first, and I wanted to give up. I cried in the hospital, and I had bloody nipples with chunks coming loose. But we stuck with it, and I am so glad we did. Nursing provides the most wonderful bond. It is my special time with her after working all day; she looks so happy and peaceful. She has been sick once.

One thing I do disagree with now, in hindsight. I used a bottle from the first day. My psychiatrist ordered me to get 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night to prevent depression and hypo-mania. My husband fed the baby formula from a bottle the first week, and after that I had pumped milk that he fed her. She never suffered from nipple confusion. We used NUK nipples, and she never had an issue. She nursed like a champ. And because I got enough sleep, I stayed mentally healthy.

When we had such a difficult time in the hospital, I did give her a little bit of formula. She was so hungry she was crying hysterically, making it impossible to latch on. A little formula helped calm her, and made it easier to learn latching on.

Take one new mom's experience for what it is worth. I still really recommend this book. It gave me the courage and the strength to hang in there when the going got really tough. Its the most rewarding thing I have ever done!

This book covered the basics but didn't address problems I had with my baby
I own the previous version of this book and I found that it covered the basics of breastfeeding pretty well. However, I took a 2-hour breastfeeding class at my hospital that covered most of the same information. I was well-educated on breastfeeding when my son was born and I knew what to do, but he didn't. At first I interpreted his crying and head wagging as him not wanting to eat but weeks later I figured out that he was just so excited about eating that he couldn't calm himself down enough to do it. Anyway, he did not breastfeed for the first 10 days (I pumped and we used bottles) and then I was finally able to get him to latch on with a nipple shield. When he was 2 1/2 months old he started nursing without the nipple shield. Getting him to breasfeed "normally" was a long and difficult process and not something that was addressed in this book. Nor was it addressed in a Jack Newman DVD that my doula loaned to me.

This book is probably a decent resource for moms who aren't quite sure what to do but who have babies that will latch on. However, for moms who know what to do but who have babies that won't latch on, this book won't help.