The book is thorough, but easy to understand.
Breastfeeding Made Simple covers everything you could want to know, and though that can often be overwhelming for some people, the information is broken up into small segments with titles and subtitles making it much easier to internalize and retain. That same information is then quickly summarized at the end of each chapter, and then consistently referred to throughout the text to help you make important connections while you read. There are lots of helpful pictures and diagrams so that even if you don’t have access to an in person lactation consultant, you have great information to refer back to. I really appreciated this format because it gave me time to pause between ideas and think about my own breastfeeding experiences and the experiences of other women I know. (It also made it easier to read with my kids around interrupting me every 3-5 minutes!)
The reference section is extensive, showing the great lengths the authors went to to provide the most recent, evidence-based information to their readers which is something I greatly value, and the index is incredibly detailed making this book easy to use as a reference guide. So often in books of this nature, it can feel like “word vomit” and you’re left searching page after page looking for that one piece of information you only half remember but felt was really important. You never have to do that with this book! The authors explain concepts simply, but with all the information you need to help you in your breastfeeding journey.
Though detailed, the book is incredibly relatable!
As I mentioned before I’ve read plenty of books about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and babies, and many of them are hard for me to read because they’re either too clinical or too casual. Breastfeeding Made Simple marries the clinical and the casual perfectly! It’s a book I could read over and over again as a refresher and still be as engaged as the first time I read it. At least once a chapter my family could hear me vocalize things like, “That makes SO much sense!” or, “I wish someone would have explained it like that to me when I was breastfeeding!” while I was reading.
Some of the things that seemed so difficult to understand or explain to others were broken down and explained simply, but powerfully, in such a way that it stuck in my mind. For example, they describe the way to latch a baby the same way that you bite a sandwich that is just a little too big for your mouth. You start by opening your mouth wide, setting the sandwich on your bottom teeth, and then rolling the top of the sandwich into your mouth to get a good bite. Getting as much of the breast in baby’s mouth as possible is done the same way. Such a simple analogy, and something most everybody can relate to!
As both a mother and a birth worker, I can emphatically say that Breastfeeding Made Simple is one of the best breastfeeding books out there! This is one of those books that I would buy a case of and gift to couples at every baby shower I’m invited to because it’s that good. Just about every question a breastfeeding mom could have is answered in this book from the history and culture of breastfeeding, to the clinical and emotional aspects of breastfeeding and everything in between. This book is a must-read for every expectant couple and every couple who plans to breastfeed their baby.
Caryn is a certified Birth Boot Camp Instructor, mom of 4, and a board game loving musician. When she’s not homeschooling her children, she can be found at the piano, in the garden, or around the table with friends.
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