Customer Reviews
Doesn't exactly do what it says on the tin - By: dogsbody, 20 Jun 2008 
A very misleading title - doesn't really do what it says.
Imagine that you wanted a book about how to repair a bicycle puncture. You go out & buy 'Bicycle Punctures for Beginners' & expect to find some instructions on how to repair punctures, maybe some clear, labeled diagrams some hints & tips on how to repair particularly tricky punctures, that kind of thing.
What you don't expect is a book about the environmental benefits of riding a bicycle as opposed to driving a car. The importance of riding a bicycle, other people's opinions on bicycles, where you can ride your bicycle & what to do if you can't ride a bicycle. But don't forget, cars are generally pretty bad things.
Whilst this is a slightly exaggerated analogy, this 16 chapter-long book has just six short pages on the actual mechanics of, you know, breastfeeding. There are some pictures, but they're not annotated or labeledin any way. There is talk of different positions & holds but no diagrams of them to relate to (what does an 'underarm hold' look like? No idea? Me neither). In fact, nearly every picture is of a mother gazing adoringly at their baby. Is this the trick?
I don't need beating round the head repeatedly about the benefits of breastfeeding - I've just bought the book, of course I want to breastfeed! Every other book I own & every healthcare professional I come into contact with are doing a perfectly adequate job of backing this up, thanks. What I needed were some guidance on 'How?', not 'Why?'.
There may well be comprehensive books on how to breastfeed out there, but this isn't it. If, however you want a book about pros & cons on breastfeeding as a concept or a general overview, then this is worth a read.
There are much better books out there - By: Mrs. E. Kirtley, 17 Jan 2008 
I found this book far too prescriptive & not very helpful at all. I actually put itin the bin & relied entirely on 'So That's What They're For'.
Great resource for a beginner! - By: Olivia Vuille-Breen, 16 May 2003 
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was supportive without being too militant. It answered a lot of questions I had about breastfeeding & I am sure I will refer to it often when I have my baby. The only reason why it didn't get 5 stars was I thought it was a little short & could have had some picture or diagrams describing how to position the baby instead of just a written description.
Brief giude to the basics - By: , 02 May 2003 Ok as far as it goes but only covers the bare essentials - good if your baby has turned upin a hurry & you don't have time to read more than a few pages! Other books (such as 'So that's what their for') contain more information that answers more questions
The book title says it all really - By: JE Lesley, 09 Nov 2002 
This is a great book for first time breastfeeders. Just the right amount of information & you have the security that, coming from the NCT, its going to be accurate, research based information. Every woman coming to breastfeeding for the first time should be issued this bookin pregnancy - it covers not only the common things like positioning & how milk is made but also common problems too.
