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Midwives magazine: Issue 4 :: 2011

Authors: Karin Cadwell and Cindy Turner-Maffei
Publishers: Jones and Bartlett
ISBN: 9780763751845
Price: £36.99

Review by Amanda Costello

This book describes the evidence, rationale and process for implementing the best practice standards to support, protect and promote breastfeeding in a maternity setting. It is an interesting review of practices that support breastfeeding and those that do not.

Each chapter is based around the UNICEF Baby Friendly Ten steps to successful breastfeeding, which are globally recognised as being the minimum requirement for support. The authors present the case that the implementation of these standards will ensure continuity of care for pregnant women and mothers. If all who are involved with supporting breastfeeding mothers and their families practice to these standards, then the message is clear and mothers are not confused by conflicting advice and information. The chapters are well referenced, although some are quite old.

Throughout the book, vignettes demonstrate how particular problems around implementing best practice are identified, and in most cases, resolved. Guidance around the implementation of best practice standards is welcomed but the authors’ experience comes from working in the US. Some of the practical illustrations are of poor quality and, in the instance of describing hand expression, not clear.

Having read the book, I was a little confused as to the target audience as there is a lot of detail about practical breastfeeding support that those not involved in supporting pregnant women and new mothers (such as policy-makers and commissioners), may find unnecessary. But as a guide for what is required to ensure all mothers are able to make informed choices about how they feed their babies and receive the support to feel empowered in that choice, then this book is of some value.