In this newly revised edition of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, you will learn:

• How human milk offers lifetime benefits for your baby
• How to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy
• How to exercise and lose weight safely while nursing
• How to find time for yourself while meeting baby’s needs
• How to increase your milk supply by using herbs and medications
• How to be sure your baby is getting enough to eat

Take a look Contents of this book The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and peek view of Chapter One.

Table of Contents
Foreword    xi
Introduction    xiii
Part 1    Planning to Breastfeed    1

Chapter 1    Why Choose Breastfeeding?    3

A Special Journey
Best for Baby–Best for You
The Key to Good Mothering

Chapter 2    Plans are Underway    17

Plans for the Baby’s Birth
Health Professionals Who Care
Preparing to Breastfeed
What to Wear–Nursing Fashions

Chapter 3    Your Network of Support    33

La Leche League Meetings
Why Do You Need Support?
How Do I Find La Leche League?

Part 2    The Early Months    43

Chapter 4    Your Baby Arrives    45

Baby’s First Feeding
Breastfeeding in Slow Motion
Other Breastfeeding Positions
Engorgement–When the Milk “Comes In”
How Long to Nurse?
Hospital Routines
Breastfeeding Products
Leaving the Hospital

Chapter 5    At Home With Your Baby    67

Babies Are to Love
How Many Times Do I Feed the Baby?
Is Baby Getting Enough?
Caring for Your Baby
Taking Care of Mother
Going Out? Take Baby Along

Chapter 6    A Time to Learn    91

Why Is My Baby Crying?
Babies Who Are Colicky
Growth Spurts
Nighttime Needs
Sharing Sleep
Babies, Beds, and Sex

Chapter 7    Common Concerns    109

Avoiding and Treating Sore Nipples
Moist Wound Healing
Sore Nipples in Later Months
Pumping and Storing Your Milk
Breast Problems: Sore Breasts, Plugged Ducts, and Mastitis
Breast Lumps and Breast Surgery
Is Your Baby Getting Enough Milk?
The Baby Who Is Pleasingly Plump
Did You Ever Hear of a Nursing Strike?

Part 3    Going Back to Work    147

Chapter 8    Breastfeeding and Working    149

Benefits of Breastfeeding
Proceed Slowly
Some Practical Hints
Feeding Tips for the Sitter
Establish a Routine
Who Will Take Care of the Baby?

Chapter 9    Making a Choice    167

The Mother-Child Relationship
Take One Step at a Time
Choosing to Stay Home

Part 4    Life As a Family    181

Chapter 10    The Manly Art of Fathering    183

Fathers Get Involved
Fathers and Breastfeeding
What Can Fathers Do?
Husband and Wife–A Parenting Team

Chapter 11    Meeting Family Needs    193

Housework and a New Baby
Time for the Other Little Ones
Developing a Parenting Style    193

Chapter 12    Nutritional Know-How    205

The Basic Approach
How to Eat Well
Special Hints for Nursing Mothers
Weight Loss and Exercise

Part 5    As Your Baby Grows    221

Chapter 13    Ready for Solids    223

Go Slowly at First
What Foods to Choose

Chapter 14    Weaning Gradually, With Love    233

More Than Milk
What If I Want to Wean My Baby?
Toddler Nursing
Pregnant and Nursing?
Tandem Nursing

Chapter 15    Discipline is Loving Guidance    255

Setting the Stage
Discipline and Punishment
Normal Toddler Traits
A Look Ahead

Part 6    Special Situations    269

Chapter 16    Problems at the Beginning    271

Breastfeeding after a Cesarean Birth
What If Your Baby Is Jaundiced?
Hypoglycemia in Newborns
If Your Baby Is Premature
A Baby with Special Needs
The Baby with Down Syndrome
A Baby with a Cleft Lip or Palate
Cystic Fibrosis and Other Metabolic Conditions
When a Baby Dies

Chapter 17    When Extra Care is Needed    295

Multiple Births–Multiple Blessings
Relactation and Induced Lactation
If Your Baby Gets Sick
Slow Weight Gain
What If Mother Is Ill?
Medications and Other Substances
Mothers with Special Problems

Part 7    Why Breast is Best    337

Chapter 18    Human Milk for Human Babies    339

How Your Baby Grows
Unique Milk for a Unique Species
Human Milk: An Arsenal Against Illness
Nature’s Vaccine for the Newborn
Avoiding Allergies
More Reasons to Breastfeed

Chapter 19    How Breastfeeding Affects A Mother    371

How the Breast Gives Milk
Guaranteed High-Quality Milk
Breastfeeding and Your Reproductive Cycle

Part 8    Mothers Helping Mothers    389

Chapter 20    About La Leche League    391

How It All Began
How LLL Can Help You
About This Book and Its Authors
La Leche League’s Influence
A Final Word–From the Founders

    Appendix    411

Books That We Publish
Other Helpful Books
Breast Pumps and Other Products
Organizations That Offer Support
Web Sites That Are Helpful
Marmet Technique of Manual Expression
Selected References
Photo Credits
Index    455

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Seventh Revised Edition (La Leche League International Book)

Chapter One

Many first time mothers develop sore nipples. This can be an especially difficult time for both baby and mother. Sore nipples can make every breastfeeding session excruciatingly painful for the mother. The resulting stress and anxiety can be sensed by the infant and can cause an infant to be fussy during feedings. Sore nipples can also be a health concern for the mother if the skin is not treated appropriately. Women who experience sore nipples should consult a lactation specialist or experienced breastfeeding mother for suggestions on topical lotions and home remedies to treat sore nipples before the skin becomes cracked and opens the mother up to infection.

Some women experience a sudden decrease in her milk supply. This can cause frustration and discouragement as a mother struggles to continue breastfeeding her baby. Consulting a lactation specialist to help pinpoint the cause of a weak milk supply is often necessary. A mother with a weakened milk supply does not have to give up breastfeeding altogether. She can mix breast milk with formula to ensure that her infant gets the proper nourishment until her milk supply returns to normal.

Lactation consultants are available through local La Leche Leagues as well as most hospitals. Many obstetricians will employ or recommend a few local lactation consultants for mothers who are new to breastfeeding or those who are experiencing problems during feedings. Lactation consultants are specially trained medical personnel who are passionate about breastfeeding. It is important to be honest about your lactation problems and questions in order for the lactation specialist to assist you and your baby properly.

Obtaining breastfeeding support can help reduce the overwhelming feelings of helplessness and isolation that a new mother often experiences. Membership in a breastfeeding support group is a great first step for new mothers who are struggling with breastfeeding and it will clear your doubt on when to stop breastfeeding your baby. Those fortunate mothers who breeze through pregnancy and breastfeeding can offer breastfeeding support to others who may be struggling. Choosing to help others in need provides an enriching experience that can chase away the baby blues.