Re: Favorite breastfeeding book / WAB opinion

[Guest guest]

Hello, I am a IBCLC and LLL leader too and agree, I rarely use the WAB,

find it a bit too wordy and info not that easy to find. I see a similairty

with the web sites I recomend - kellymom is " quick and dirty " , info easy to

find, concise and relevant, LLL sites; more wordy with info less easy to

come by if you are in a hurry/have little time. I like both WAB and LLLI's

FAQs when mums have more time and are looking more for the mother to mother

support, ie " I had mastitis/plugged ducts/whatever and I survived so you

can too " feeling.

On my wish list for a new WAB would be having it set up with a summary at

the end of each chapter so mums with little time can do a quick search for

what they need to know for a " quick and dirty " facts/techniques that will

help them with what they need to know.

Just my thoughts!

At 03:18 PM 1/10/2009, you wrote:

>Hi Lyla -- The book I find myself recommending most often to mothers is

>The Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears. It is an easy read, easy to use as a

>reference and attachment focused.

>

>(Putting on my LLLL hat) I know it's practically blasphemous to say that

>I don't really like the WAB but I don't. I am very selective about

>recommending it and have to know the mom's circumstances. For some moms,

>there is simply too much information in the WAB and they are

>overwhelmed. They need a simpler introduction to breastfeeding and can

>perhaps " graduate " to the WAB later. Perhaps better indexing and layout

>would help alleviate some of these feelings.

>

>Furthermore, I have had a number of moms in my LLL world tell me that they

>find the WAB to be very judgmental of anyone who is not a stay at home mom

>-- and this is coming from mom who generally practice an attached

>parenting style and stay home with their babies! I am in full support of

>the tennant of mother /baby togetherness and think moms do need to hear

>how important this is but I think it can be said in more neutral language

>without being watered down. When a mom has such a strong response to the

>emotional tone of the book, often she ends up not being able to take in

>all of the other great information available in the book. I would like to

>see the WAB do a better job of providing suggestions for maximizing mother

>/ baby togetherness when it is not possible for a mom to stay at home full

>time with her baby. Also, I'd like to see the WAB use " invitational "

>language that causes a mom to be attracted to all the wonderful things

>about breastfeeding and to LLL as an organization instead of language that

>says, " If you don't stay home, you can't be part of the group. " To use

>language from my background as a family therapist, you have to join with

>the client first before you can help them shift their thinking. The WAB

>tries to guilt you into changing without doing any joining which I

>personally don't find very effective.

>

>(stepping off my soapbox and hoping that no one is offended by my strong

>opinion)

>

>Best of luck --

For a compassionate world,

Gwyn Treharne

[Guest guest]

I almost refused to read the WAB when I was a new WORKING mom b/c of

the title. I hated it then and I hate it now (the title, I mean). I am

an ardent believer that feeding babies at breast (just as is birthing

at home and being with our babies) is a feminist issue, but that name

just makes my skin crawl.

With my first baby, I had my own business which required a lot of

sales contact (I worked in advertising in my old life as a art

director/designer). Once my son was born, my world turned upside down

and then righted itself and I took him with me to appts (he never had

a bottle), but I didn't know that would happen. I was very resistant

to the idea that 6 weeks wasn't long enough to stay home.

BUT, I read the WAB anyway, b/c the other books I read were awful. And

I loved it. I still love it.

But, I give new moms " The Ultimate BF Book... " b/c it is much more

universally accessible, IMO. I do like BF Made Simple, but do not

really much like The Nursing Mother's Companion. I also like Sheila

Kitzinger's BFing book, but I love all of her work.

Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA

Intuitive Parenting Network, LLC

>

> Hi Lyla -- The book I find myself recommending most often to mothers

is The Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears. It is an easy read, easy to

use as a reference and attachment focused.

>

> (Putting on my LLLL hat) I know it's practically blasphemous to say

that I don't really like the WAB but I don't. I am very selective

about recommending it and have to know the mom's circumstances. For

some moms, there is simply too much information in the WAB and they

are overwhelmed. They need a simpler introduction to breastfeeding

and can perhaps " graduate " to the WAB later. Perhaps better indexing

and layout would help alleviate some of these feelings.

>

> Furthermore, I have had a number of moms in my LLL world tell me

that they find the WAB to be very judgmental of anyone who is not a

stay at home mom -- and this is coming from mom who generally practice

an attached parenting style and stay home with their babies! I am in

full support of the tennant of mother /baby togetherness and think

moms do need to hear how important this is but I think it can be said

in more neutral language without being watered down. When a mom has

such a strong response to the emotional tone of the book, often she

ends up not being able to take in all of the other great information

available in the book. I would like to see the WAB do a better job of

providing suggestions for maximizing mother / baby togetherness when

it is not possible for a mom to stay at home full time with her baby.

Also, I'd like to see the WAB use " invitational " language that causes

a mom to be attracted to all the wonderful things about

> breastfeeding and to LLL as an organization instead of language

that says, " If you don't stay home, you can't be part of the group. "

To use language from my background as a family therapist, you have to

join with the client first before you can help them shift their

thinking. The WAB tries to guilt you into changing without doing any

joining which I personally don't find very effective.

>

> (stepping off my soapbox and hoping that no one is offended by my

strong opinion)

>

> Best of luck --

>