The Boobie Bible

So that's what they're for!: The definitive breastfeeding Guidebook. I mentioned in my previous posts that this "Boobie Bible" as I call it was very much an eye opening read and I think every new mother should receive this book along with the infamous copy of What to expect when expecting (does anybody even read that book?). I found this book easy to read, enlightening and very educational.

In my last post I kinda stepped outside my memoir of breastfeeding to help ease some of the guilt, frustration, and to clarify some myths and fears for those that weren't able to breastfeed or hope to breastfeed in the future. The Boobie Bible not only provides the information a new mother needs to learn how to nurse, what to expect from breastfeeding, a ton of resources to offer support, but it also covers the history on why we don't know how to nurse and how formula became the magic solution.

I wish I could post the entire book in this entry, but then I'd be breaking copyright laws. I think I am allowed to quote from the book and I will do that and summarize some things that should leave you interested enough to order it off amazon for $1.98. Here are just a few bits that I found interesting:

"As a culture we do not yet value breastfeeding enough. So when it doesn't work, those who should be supporting you - hospital staff, doctors, friends, relatives - may not know that breastfeeding is possible for more than 95 percent of new mothers (many experts believe its even higher than that)....In Sweden and in other developed countries, it's considerd unethical not to breastfeed"(page 13).

"Maybe your mom breastfed. Maybe she didn't. Even though almost 60% of new mothers try breastfeeding today, the generation that mothered us was brainwashed by formula companies and medical literature to believe that breastfeeding was crass and unsanitary and that formula was modern and healthy (incidentally so was smoking at the time). Only a small percentage - less than 20 percent - of our mothers breastfed. Like lace making, breastfeeding became a lost art"(Page 21).

I absolutely believe that breastfeeding has become a lost art. The problem I had with breastfeeding was that I wasn't exposed to it enough in my life and I didn't have the support group that I needed and previously thought was a ridiculous notion. I truly thank God that my sister in law was one of the few that "tried" breastfeeding, stuck to it, and was willing to coach me through it. Trying to breastfeed without a support group and thinking a new mom can "try" and do it on her own without any instruction, assistance or the proper tools is like throwing a woman a bunch of silk and telling her to "try" and make lace out of it. The majority of women would end up frustrated with an ugly mess of knots.

"Breastfeeding isn't about being the perfect mother...But before you make up your mind not to do it, make sure you're making an educated decision. Chele Marmet puts it this way: "People need to understand that when they're deciding between breastmilk and formula, they're not deciding between Coke and Pepsi....They're choosing between a live, pure substance and a dead substance made with the cheapest oils available"(page 14).