One of the best things a woman can do when pregnant and planning to breastfeed their baby is read breastfeeding books.

Many of these will teach correct technique and positioning, and if a mom can get those right from the get-go, she can avoid most of the challenges moms face while nursing.

Breastfeeding books also explain normal breastfed baby behavior. A woman who has never nursed a baby may not realize how often new babies need to nurse. She may mistakenly assume that breastfed babies act like the formula fed babies she’s observed (they probably won’t).

Another great thing about having breastfeeding books on the bookshelf: When mom does experience some challenge, getting answers is as easy as grabbing the book, turning to the index, and reading.

Some moms are shy about seeking help from a breastfeeding counselor, and may not have the money or adequate insurance to hire a Lactation Consultant. But they can often solve problems on their own with a little good information from an expert.

Here are some of the best breastfeeding books available.

• Amy Spangler’s Breastfeeding: A Parent’s Guide- Amy is a mother, author, nurse, board certified lactation consultant and the author of several very good books on breastfeeding including Breastfeeding, Keep it Simple, which is a personal favorite.I interviewed Amy Spangler a couple of years ago and you can read the transcript of that conversation here. Her expertise clearly shines through in her books and I highly recommend them for any breastfeeding mom who wants good information.
• La Leche League International’s Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. This one is considered the breastfeeding “Bible” by many. Seriously, reading it is like having tea with a very experienced older, wiser mom friend. Its tone is very warm, and it touches on many aspects of mothering, such as discipline and nutrition, not just breastfeeding.This is seriously a must have book for any breastfeeding mom. It is an invaluable source of advice for the first couple of years of baby’s life. One of my favorite things about the book are the many stories from different moms. Instead of having just one “voice”, one source of advice, you’re getting the collective wisdom of hundreds or thousands of moms in the book.You can read another review of the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding here.

What was your favorite breastfeeding book? Do you give a new mom a breastfeeding book as a baby shower gift?

The Breastfeeding Café book is a compilation of stories experienced by nursing mothers. The author, Barbara L Behrmann, holds a Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University, specializing in women’s health and work and family issues. She, a mother who experienced first hand breastfeeding problems, understands the challenges every new mother faces, especially when it comes to breastfeeding.

Her popular book is being read and endorsed by mothers, health care professionals and lactation consultants. The book offers many different kinds of breastfeeding stories experienced by mothers. Barbara Behrmann shows that there is more than one right way of breastfeeding and challenges our way of thinking what is “normal”.

The author looks at many questions surrounding nursing. For example:

* Why women describe breastfeeding as healing, empowering?
* Why do women nurse preschool aged children?
* How does a birth experience affect the ability to breastfeed?
* Nursing mothers and the struggles in the work force
* And many more.

This book gives the reader plenty of very useful information, insight and answers to all the breastfeeding questions they might have. It would make a valuable gift for every new mother-to-be.

Where to buy: www.amazon.com

Bernice Hausman, the author of the book “Mother’s Milk: Breastfeeding Controversies in American Culture” is a Professor of English at Virginia Tech. The book is a well written and excellently researched review of the breastfeeding culture and history in the US.

The author draws on her own personal experience as a mother who went to great lengths to breastfeed her children as well as on her vast knowledge of the breastfeeding research literature. She opens up a discussion of modern breastfeeding issues and controversies and explores why breastfeeding is not a cultural norm in the United States. She also discusses the values of the La Leche League, who promote breastfeeding and offer lactation support. In her book she also talks about well known breastfeeding advocates who are pushing for breastfeeding to be culturally accepted in the US.

The American Academy of Paediatrics’ recommendation suggests that infants should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months in their life. However, the reality in the US is that only about 14% are exclusively breastfed for the first six months. In her book, the author examines the conflict that exists between the recommendations by the AAP, the philosophy of the LLL and the issues associated with working mothers and the modern world.

The author also discusses the different views of feminists and breastfeeding mothers and tries to open a dialogue between the two sometimes conflicting parties to achieve a balance between the baby’s and mother’s needs in terms of breastfeeding and the constraints a working mother faces.

This book is a must-read for anybody who is interested in breastfeeding issues. It will give women the opportunity to make an informed choice about the health and cultural issues associated with nursing a baby. The author advocates that breastfeeding is a natural part of every mother’s being, but because of external conflicts women face nowadays, this natural part has to be relearned.