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Midwives magazine: Issue 4 :: 2011

Authors: Judith Lauwers and Anna Swisher
Publishers: Jones and Bartlett
ISBN: 9780763780524
Price: £49.99

Review by Angela Cartwright

Focused on communication with women rather than purely on breastfeeding techniques, this fifth edition maintains the mother-centred approach, while providing recent research evidence around the physiology of lactation, obesity and emerging issues, such as H1N1 influenza.

It is divided into sections covering promotion and support for breastfeeding, science of lactation, prenatal through postnatal, special care and the role of the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Each part is then subdivided into chapters and the clear contents and index means the reader can easily find areas of interest.

The text encourages the reader to share best practice around breastfeeding, while promoting the mother’s own ability to find what works for her. This is refreshing at a time when the medicalisation of breastfeeding has produced a dogma about ‘proper’ feeding techniques. 

The authors are American and the text is written for a US audience. Although the physiology and management of breastfeeding are universal, the context of care varies and therefore there is no mention of midwifery or health visiting, as it is assumed the lactation consultant would be primarily responsible for breastfeeding support and advocacy. Legislation and reports into infant-feeding are largely of US origin and part of the book is devoted to the practice of the lactation consultant, which would be irrelevant to UK readers, other than for comparison.

I consider this text to be essential reading for those wishing to be candidates for the IBCLC exam. The book is a little too large and in-depth to be an introductory text, however it would serve as a useful reference on maternity wards in cases of rare or unusual breastfeeding situations. This resource would also be useful for those studying behavioural change around infant-feeding.