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The Art of Breastfeeding: Completely Revised and Updated 9th Edition
An all-new edition of the book breastfeeding mothers have relied on for generations is here!
For many years, La Leche League has set the standard for supporting families in the art of breastfeeding. This new edition brings that support to today’s parents, with up-to-date information, new illustrations, and stories from mothers, fathers, and grandparents around the world about their experiences.
What’s inside?
• why breastfeeding matters
• feeding cues and nursing positions for getting started
• life with your breastfed baby
• managing common challenges (with new research)
• expressing and storing your milk, especially when going back to work
• sleep and how to get more of it
• starting family foods and weaning
La Leche League is here to help you meet your breastfeeding goals, whether you’re planning to breastfeed for a few weeks or a few years. This book puts information at your fingertips, ready to help you at any point on your breastfeeding journey.
For many years, La Leche League has set the standard for supporting families in the art of breastfeeding. This new edition brings that support to today’s parents, with up-to-date information, new illustrations, and stories from mothers, fathers, and grandparents around the world about their experiences.
What’s inside?
• why breastfeeding matters
• feeding cues and nursing positions for getting started
• life with your breastfed baby
• managing common challenges (with new research)
• expressing and storing your milk, especially when going back to work
• sleep and how to get more of it
• starting family foods and weaning
La Leche League is here to help you meet your breastfeeding goals, whether you’re planning to breastfeed for a few weeks or a few years. This book puts information at your fingertips, ready to help you at any point on your breastfeeding journey.
- GenresParenting
651 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2024
71 people are currently reading
1346 people want to read
About the author
La Leche League International
18 books67 followersLa Leche League International is the most trusted name in breastfeeding information, support, and advocacy. Founded in 1956 by seven intrepid women, the League now has more than 7,000 accredited leaders in sixty-eight countries, and offers phone, online, and in-person consultation to breastfeeding mothers.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 25, 2025
Best breastfeeding resource!
So thankful for this updated edition, especially at the beginning of my own breastfeeding journey. I’m also glad to have the ebook version this time for easy searching at 2am rather than just googling symptoms and questions. LLL remains a trusted resource and I’m grateful for it as I start my own parenting experience.
So thankful for this updated edition, especially at the beginning of my own breastfeeding journey. I’m also glad to have the ebook version this time for easy searching at 2am rather than just googling symptoms and questions. LLL remains a trusted resource and I’m grateful for it as I start my own parenting experience.
March 30, 2025
Won this via Goodreads giveaway which was perfect since I’m a lactation consultant! Took me a while to get through but was excellent. So much of our literature is outdated and has not been revised with current guidelines. Definitely recommend as a resource for anyone that works with new moms.
January 23, 2025
There is no other book that requires my familiarity so formally and perhaps few where I could open a new edition for the first time in such hope and trepidation. New editions don't come along very often and this one was going to be a little different. Some would say a lot different given the new title.
It is a tremendously hard act to strike the right note in this field, especially in writing and especially with such a wide audience, including health professionals. The decision here has been to make the book something of a La Leche League meeting in print, and to continue the tradition of speaking directly to mothers, sharing evidence based information and mother to mother support. There are a lot of personal contributions from around the world and a wide variety of circumstances, feelings and identities. I'm not in there but people whose stories I know are.
The tone is warm and encouraging, it is inclusive *and* it honours the concept of motherhood... but it isn't blithe (although it is often funny - I was pleased to hear someone in a tricky situation laugh as I read aloud one self-described 'wild' tip, which I think she might well try). It deftly steers a course between the realities that not being breastfed, not breastfeeding *are* risks to health compared with the physiological norm, that breastfeeding is a lot more possible than often portrayed (but may look different), that many difficulties are or could be completely avoidable or totally remediable... whilst acknowledging the wide variety of reasons breastfeeding may turn out differently and babies are weaned sooner than intended and facing up to some very hard situations with well informed compassion.
Readers are directed to more easily updatable sources for more information and references. It's quite a tome, which might be daunting but not everyone will need all the information by any means. There's plenty of uncomplicated information here on sleep, on introducing other foods, on the end of breastfeeding, on maternal wellbeing, as well as quite technical tips where appropriate.
A huge relief and a joy.
It is a tremendously hard act to strike the right note in this field, especially in writing and especially with such a wide audience, including health professionals. The decision here has been to make the book something of a La Leche League meeting in print, and to continue the tradition of speaking directly to mothers, sharing evidence based information and mother to mother support. There are a lot of personal contributions from around the world and a wide variety of circumstances, feelings and identities. I'm not in there but people whose stories I know are.
The tone is warm and encouraging, it is inclusive *and* it honours the concept of motherhood... but it isn't blithe (although it is often funny - I was pleased to hear someone in a tricky situation laugh as I read aloud one self-described 'wild' tip, which I think she might well try). It deftly steers a course between the realities that not being breastfed, not breastfeeding *are* risks to health compared with the physiological norm, that breastfeeding is a lot more possible than often portrayed (but may look different), that many difficulties are or could be completely avoidable or totally remediable... whilst acknowledging the wide variety of reasons breastfeeding may turn out differently and babies are weaned sooner than intended and facing up to some very hard situations with well informed compassion.
Readers are directed to more easily updatable sources for more information and references. It's quite a tome, which might be daunting but not everyone will need all the information by any means. There's plenty of uncomplicated information here on sleep, on introducing other foods, on the end of breastfeeding, on maternal wellbeing, as well as quite technical tips where appropriate.
A huge relief and a joy.
November 22, 2024
This update of the 8th edition of the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is a wonderful update and is a must read for any pregnant woman who is thinking about breastfeeding!
It gives information about getting started right up through two years old which is the recommended time for nursing by the World Health Organization.
There is a link to the La Leche League International (LLL) website for more information.
There are wonderful stories sprinkled throughout the whole book that talk about women's experiences with breastfeeding, both their accomplishments and the difficulties they experienced. It also talks about chest feeding and trans men's experiences.
This is the bible of breastfeeding. Buy this book for anyone you know who's pregnant!!!
It gives information about getting started right up through two years old which is the recommended time for nursing by the World Health Organization.
There is a link to the La Leche League International (LLL) website for more information.
There are wonderful stories sprinkled throughout the whole book that talk about women's experiences with breastfeeding, both their accomplishments and the difficulties they experienced. It also talks about chest feeding and trans men's experiences.
This is the bible of breastfeeding. Buy this book for anyone you know who's pregnant!!!
June 25, 2025
This book was an incredible resource for my first time breastfeeding. It helped me figure out how to get my baby to latch after 4 days of not being able to. It also answered all my crazy postpartum questions about breastfeeding and gave me so much peace to know almost all my questions were normal. Overall helped me be more chill about breastfeeding and I continue to use it as a resource even after 6 months of EBF!
February 15, 2025
3.5 stars! Started this in the first few weeks pp and finished right before 4 months pp! The first few chapters were really great for shifting my perspective on the newborn period. The second half of the book wasn’t really necessary for me to read, and the stuff in the help chapter (18) is kind of sparse. When I did have some bf problems it was much more helpful to google the problem
September 3, 2025
Packed with information, but sorry, the LGBTQ+ stuff is just blowing my mind. It is a womanly art, bring that back! Honestly, when did we allow this to go so far down that we are promoting all types of people to feed the baby, its perverse.
December 19, 2025
Well known as the pinnacle breastfeeding resource. But this read I appreciated it as a great tool for preparing for postpartum, and a guide to keep on hand throughout the breastfeeding/weaning journey.
October 23, 2024
As always, I'm a huge fan of anything from LLLI. This book is an incredible breastfeeding and early parenting resource and will continue to be my top recommendation for any new parent.
March 13, 2025
helpful in providing a comprehensive overview on life with a newborn and general expectations while breastfeeding but not a great resource for troubleshooting.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews