The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International

This is the king of breastfeeding books. Written by La Leche League International, this book has been around for some time and revised numerous times. It has been loved by many mothers. I find this book to be perfectly named. To begin with, I cannot imagine anything more womanly than pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. I cherished the fact that it was my womanly duty and right to breastfeed. I felt so special that I was the one who could nourish my baby. It is womanly.

Breastfeeding is also an art. It is beautiful. It also takes some skill. While it may be natural to do, it is not necessarily easy. Breastfeeding is making a comeback, but it is an art that can be lost somewhat by society. Generations used to pass this knowledge down to other generations. In many ways, this stopped happening for a time. This is why I thoroughly love the name chosen for this book.

There is more information in this book than will probably ever be contained in one breastfeeding book again. While there are some things that are left out, these are more special circumstances type things that require their own book. Otherwise, this book covers pretty much everything a normal nursing mom would need to know. If you have questions, this is the book to come to.

Another aspect I like of this book is how inspiring this book is in favor of breastfeeding. Just having it sit on my lap inspires me to want to breastfeed or in the very least to know more about it. This book is so thick. It makes me feel like “Wow, there must really be something to this breastfeeding thing.” I can’t go into specifics here on all the things this book talks about because it covers so much. There are too many things I liked to even list them all.

There are several disadvantages to this book, however, so I’ll talk a tiny bit about those. This book is so thick. This makes it hard to feel motivated to read, and it takes a long time to read. It’s not a book if you only want to be introduced to breastfeeding. It’s more of a reference book. It’s there to look up for specific questions. It may be hard to get through a book this thick with a new baby around, and once you have breastfed, it’s kind of old information.

Another drawback to this book is that while it has a ton of different tidbits of information on breastfeeding in it, there are many topics that could be covered in much more depth. This book covers many topics and gives a broad view of knowledge, but some things are not quite covered thoroughly.

The only other drawback I can think of is that it could be boring if you’re not particularly interested in reading about breastfeeding. The target audience is obviously a little bit smaller than most books, even though it shouldn’t be that way.

Despite a few disadvantages, it really is a great book. I would have it on hand to use to reference if I were looking for specific information. It is not totally for people with more extreme issues. It cannot replace individualized help of a lactation consultant. It does however give terrific, correct breastfeeding information and inspires passion for breastfeeding. This is always a good thing. Totally recommend.