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Lactivate!: A Judgment-Free Guide to Breastfeeding
Tackle breastfeeding challenges with clear info and confidence
Breastfeeding moms will tell you milk makin' comes with health and convenience benefits—and a million questions. Lactivate! is a judgment-free advice book with the latest knowledge of breastfeeding, supporting you to make the best decisions for yourself and your family.
From solving everyday breastfeeding problems to clearing a plugged milk duct, this guide will help you create the ultimate biological synchronization between you and your child.
This great breastfeeding book
The breastfeeding strategies and principles in Lactivate! will allow you to raise your child with confidence.
Breastfeeding moms will tell you milk makin' comes with health and convenience benefits—and a million questions. Lactivate! is a judgment-free advice book with the latest knowledge of breastfeeding, supporting you to make the best decisions for yourself and your family.
From solving everyday breastfeeding problems to clearing a plugged milk duct, this guide will help you create the ultimate biological synchronization between you and your child.
This great breastfeeding book
The breastfeeding strategies and principles in Lactivate! will allow you to raise your child with confidence.
200 pages, Paperback
Published December 24, 2019
282 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
February 13, 2024
(Warning: We will be talking about boobies here!)
Nope. Not that kind of booby.
Engorged postpartum boobies/breasts. Yes, I know those are melons in the above^^^ picture, but I highly doubt GRs would allow me to post a picture of, heavily laden with milk, breasts. I actually think the melons are an accurate representation of how one would describe their chest. During this time, your breasts will feel like foreign objects attached to your chest with a mind of their own.
It is a great weight and a heavy burden us women must carry, but God (or whoever you believe or don’t believe in) provided us with the anatomy to perform this role/service.
Whether or not you plan on breastfeeding ur infant is your choice! And no one should judge you for your plan of action. Who knows... you may not be able to breastfeed because of medications, lack of milk, work, or whatever other reasonable explanation you may have. But I will say, breastmilk is turning out to be one of the best elixirs of life. Do your research, and see what your options are.
I mean… why on earth would we put our adipose tissue riddled with a rich supply of nerves (and a nerve plexus under it) into another humans mouth (sex jokes aside)???
BOTTOM LINE: Our breasts are very sensitive, and we are forcing them to endure latching, sucking, swallowing, feeding, and (sometimes) biting discomfort/pain. And these little beasts (we call children) can start to teeth around 3 months, and can develop their 1st baby tooth at 6 months. OUCH!
However, there are some (many) benefits to breastfeeding that scientific research supports.
1) Breast Milk Provides Excellent Nutrition for Babies
2) Breast Milk Provides Significant Antibodies for the Developing Infant Immunity (Formula does not provide antibodies and thus, babies who are not breastfed are more vulnerable to pneumonia and other health issues/infections)
3) Breast Milk Promotes a Healthy Weight for Baby
4) Breastfeeding May Make Children Smarter
5) Breastfeeding May Reduce Disease Risk
6) Breastfeeding May Help Momma Lose Weight (SCORE! *jumps for joy*)
7) Breastfeeding Helps the Uterus Contract
8) Breastfeeding Mothers Have a Lower Risk of Postpartum Depression (Thank you Oxytocin!)
9) Breastfeeding Reduces Momma’s Disease Risk (ex. breast/ovarian cancer, and etc)
10) Breastfeeding May Suspend a Mother’s Menstruation (Finally a break from TOM)
11) Breastfeeding Saves Time and $$$ (it’s FREE)
- (Bjarnadottir, 2017)
12) Exclusively Breastfed Infants Have a Reduced Susceptibility to Malaria, and Those Infected May Experience a Reduction in Overall Disease Burden. (Brazeau et al., 2016 )
13) Breastfeeding Can Reduce Carbon Emissions… equivalent to reducing road traffic by 50,000 to 77,500 cars each year! (Joffe et al., 2019)
14) GML in Breast Milk Inhibits Pathogenic Bacteria while Allowing Beneficial Bacteria to Thrive (Leung, 2019)
15) Breast Milk May Prevent Heart Disease In Premature Infants (EL-Khuffash et al., 2019)
16) etc. etc. etc.
“The purpose of this book is to give you some quick references and resources to demystify breastfeeding without bogging you down in the process.”
AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT DOES!!!
To the point information and illustrations can be easily found throughout the book.
Jill Krause, a breastfeeding mom of four with 95 months of experience, and Chrisie Rosenthal, a board-certified lactation consultant with children of her own and 10 professional years of experience, did an excellent job in writing this helpful breastfeeding troubleshooting tips and tricks reference guide.
I found this book incredibly informative, and much of the content matched that which I learned in nursing school. The easy to understand descriptions, statistics, and “PRO TIPS” and tricks were excellent!
The “Postpartum Support International” phone number provided (800) 944-4773 was a brilliant (and much needed) addition to the book. The authors not only talked about breastfeeding, but of the mental burden that can befall mothers during this critical time of their lives.
And unlike my old nursing school books, the helpful tips (ex. apps) that can be used to help aid women during the breastfeeding process were both modern and helpful!
“At the time of writing this book, two of the most popular breastfeeding tracking apps are Baby Feed Timer and Baby Tracker. Both are available in the Apple Store and Google Play.”
This book doesn’t gloss over the complex job that is breastfeeding (like many other books do), but instead makes this healthy, yet challenging, task more down to earth and successfully achievable.
This book is beyond fabulous, and should be in the hands of every 1st time mother learning how to breastfeed! Even experienced mothers would learn a thing or two from the information within its pages.
***Special thanks to NetGalley, Callisto Media, Jill Krause, and Chrisie Rosenthal, for sharing this ARC COPY with me in exchange for my honest review***
Overall Rating → 5 STARS
Price is Right? →
Would I recommend? → YES! This will definitely be my next go-to present for all my pregnant friends and family.
Would I re-read? → YES!
Would I read more from these authors? → MOST DEFINITELY!
~*~*~*~*~*~Just for your enjoyment 😉~*~*~*~*~*~
Nope. Not that kind of booby.
Engorged postpartum boobies/breasts. Yes, I know those are melons in the above^^^ picture, but I highly doubt GRs would allow me to post a picture of, heavily laden with milk, breasts. I actually think the melons are an accurate representation of how one would describe their chest. During this time, your breasts will feel like foreign objects attached to your chest with a mind of their own.
It is a great weight and a heavy burden us women must carry, but God (or whoever you believe or don’t believe in) provided us with the anatomy to perform this role/service.
Whether or not you plan on breastfeeding ur infant is your choice! And no one should judge you for your plan of action. Who knows... you may not be able to breastfeed because of medications, lack of milk, work, or whatever other reasonable explanation you may have. But I will say, breastmilk is turning out to be one of the best elixirs of life. Do your research, and see what your options are.
I mean… why on earth would we put our adipose tissue riddled with a rich supply of nerves (and a nerve plexus under it) into another humans mouth (sex jokes aside)???
BOTTOM LINE: Our breasts are very sensitive, and we are forcing them to endure latching, sucking, swallowing, feeding, and (sometimes) biting discomfort/pain. And these little beasts (we call children) can start to teeth around 3 months, and can develop their 1st baby tooth at 6 months. OUCH!
However, there are some (many) benefits to breastfeeding that scientific research supports.
1) Breast Milk Provides Excellent Nutrition for Babies
2) Breast Milk Provides Significant Antibodies for the Developing Infant Immunity (Formula does not provide antibodies and thus, babies who are not breastfed are more vulnerable to pneumonia and other health issues/infections)
3) Breast Milk Promotes a Healthy Weight for Baby
4) Breastfeeding May Make Children Smarter
5) Breastfeeding May Reduce Disease Risk
6) Breastfeeding May Help Momma Lose Weight (SCORE! *jumps for joy*)
7) Breastfeeding Helps the Uterus Contract
8) Breastfeeding Mothers Have a Lower Risk of Postpartum Depression (Thank you Oxytocin!)
9) Breastfeeding Reduces Momma’s Disease Risk (ex. breast/ovarian cancer, and etc)
10) Breastfeeding May Suspend a Mother’s Menstruation (Finally a break from TOM)
11) Breastfeeding Saves Time and $$$ (it’s FREE)
- (Bjarnadottir, 2017)
12) Exclusively Breastfed Infants Have a Reduced Susceptibility to Malaria, and Those Infected May Experience a Reduction in Overall Disease Burden. (Brazeau et al., 2016 )
13) Breastfeeding Can Reduce Carbon Emissions… equivalent to reducing road traffic by 50,000 to 77,500 cars each year! (Joffe et al., 2019)
14) GML in Breast Milk Inhibits Pathogenic Bacteria while Allowing Beneficial Bacteria to Thrive (Leung, 2019)
15) Breast Milk May Prevent Heart Disease In Premature Infants (EL-Khuffash et al., 2019)
16) etc. etc. etc.
“The purpose of this book is to give you some quick references and resources to demystify breastfeeding without bogging you down in the process.”
AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT DOES!!!
To the point information and illustrations can be easily found throughout the book.
Jill Krause, a breastfeeding mom of four with 95 months of experience, and Chrisie Rosenthal, a board-certified lactation consultant with children of her own and 10 professional years of experience, did an excellent job in writing this helpful breastfeeding troubleshooting tips and tricks reference guide.
I found this book incredibly informative, and much of the content matched that which I learned in nursing school. The easy to understand descriptions, statistics, and “PRO TIPS” and tricks were excellent!
The “Postpartum Support International” phone number provided (800) 944-4773 was a brilliant (and much needed) addition to the book. The authors not only talked about breastfeeding, but of the mental burden that can befall mothers during this critical time of their lives.
And unlike my old nursing school books, the helpful tips (ex. apps) that can be used to help aid women during the breastfeeding process were both modern and helpful!
“At the time of writing this book, two of the most popular breastfeeding tracking apps are Baby Feed Timer and Baby Tracker. Both are available in the Apple Store and Google Play.”
This book doesn’t gloss over the complex job that is breastfeeding (like many other books do), but instead makes this healthy, yet challenging, task more down to earth and successfully achievable.
This book is beyond fabulous, and should be in the hands of every 1st time mother learning how to breastfeed! Even experienced mothers would learn a thing or two from the information within its pages.
***Special thanks to NetGalley, Callisto Media, Jill Krause, and Chrisie Rosenthal, for sharing this ARC COPY with me in exchange for my honest review***
Overall Rating → 5 STARS
Price is Right? →
Would I recommend? → YES! This will definitely be my next go-to present for all my pregnant friends and family.
Would I re-read? → YES!
Would I read more from these authors? → MOST DEFINITELY!
~*~*~*~*~*~Just for your enjoyment 😉~*~*~*~*~*~
October 16, 2022
A few reviews mentioned how repetitive or basic this is. As someone who hasn't started breastfeeding yet but plans to, it was definitely not too basic to me. Usually I am also really bothered if things are repetitive, but honestly if things were repetitive I didn't notice because I NEEDED them to be. My friends have given me advice, I've read about breastfeeding before, but it's one of those things where you don't really retain the information until you need it. I seriously forget everything I've learned from them as soon as the conversation ends, so I think this book will be invaluable the first few weeks and months to flip through for quick tips and troubleshooting. It's simple, easy to read, has lots of diagrams, and a whole section for solving common issues when feeding.
I'm well aware there are books that go into the science of breastfeeding, benefits, and are probably far more well researched and in depth. Those books are there when and if I need them. As someone who is just about to start out, so far I've found this all I need to grasp the fundamentals when my knowledge was basically starting at zero.
I'm well aware there are books that go into the science of breastfeeding, benefits, and are probably far more well researched and in depth. Those books are there when and if I need them. As someone who is just about to start out, so far I've found this all I need to grasp the fundamentals when my knowledge was basically starting at zero.
December 10, 2019
This book has worlds of information about every conceivable situation that might come up while breastfeeding a baby. Whether to use formula, how to encourage baby to latch on, bonding with baby right after birth, breast milk storage guidelines, how to use a breast pump, even what to do if baby is in NICU. There are charts for tracking feeding times, tracking baby's weight, instructions on burping baby, changing diapers, and how to know if something is wrong with baby's digestion.
One of the things I really loved about this book are the inspirational quotes reassuring a new mom that she is doing great, she has the right to choose whatever she wants to do for herself and her child, and that each baby will be different. There is no guilt and no shame in doing what is best for your own well-being and for the health of your child!
There are also mental health check-ins for the mother in case she is experiencing post-partum depression or mood swings. There are charts for making sure that the mother is getting good nutrition while breastfeeding, and lessons on what you can and cannot have in the way of alcohol or medications.
The troubleshooting section addressed common questions and concerns that may come up while breastfeeding, from needing a lactation consultant to sleep deprivation and nipple pain.
It answers what to do if you have a cold, what to do if baby won't latch on, what to do for back pain, when to introduce solid foods to baby, and whether or not it's okay to give baby a pacifier.
There are also some diagrams and helpful illustrations that can help you determine if baby has thrush, or an improper latch, or is tongue-tied. From birth to weaning, this book has all the answers!
Disclaimer: I have never had a child. I have never breastfed. I have no plans to have a child anytime soon. I read this book because my sister-in-law is breastfeeding my sweet little baby niece, and I wanted to be able to share this book with her.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
One of the things I really loved about this book are the inspirational quotes reassuring a new mom that she is doing great, she has the right to choose whatever she wants to do for herself and her child, and that each baby will be different. There is no guilt and no shame in doing what is best for your own well-being and for the health of your child!
There are also mental health check-ins for the mother in case she is experiencing post-partum depression or mood swings. There are charts for making sure that the mother is getting good nutrition while breastfeeding, and lessons on what you can and cannot have in the way of alcohol or medications.
The troubleshooting section addressed common questions and concerns that may come up while breastfeeding, from needing a lactation consultant to sleep deprivation and nipple pain.
It answers what to do if you have a cold, what to do if baby won't latch on, what to do for back pain, when to introduce solid foods to baby, and whether or not it's okay to give baby a pacifier.
There are also some diagrams and helpful illustrations that can help you determine if baby has thrush, or an improper latch, or is tongue-tied. From birth to weaning, this book has all the answers!
Disclaimer: I have never had a child. I have never breastfed. I have no plans to have a child anytime soon. I read this book because my sister-in-law is breastfeeding my sweet little baby niece, and I wanted to be able to share this book with her.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
May 17, 2023
Read this book as a first-time expecting mother with a background as a NICU RN. I really enjoyed reading and learning from this book. The information was straight-forward and easy to understand. Everything was presented in an engaging manner and I felt like I retained knowledge. The information was also incredibly supportive and non-judgmental. There are a lot of breastfeeding resources I’ve come across that have induced a significant amount of stress or pressure, but this book did not make me feel that way. I felt more excited and reassured with this one! Excellent book for breastfeeding basics and a general overview of what to do and issues that might arise!
October 6, 2023
This was a quick read but very helpful. There’s so much conflicting information about breastfeeding and I didn’t want to be overwhelmed by a 400-page book about it. I appreciated the condensed information. It answered many of my questions, but not all of them. Ultimately, I took valuable information from each pregnancy book I read.
September 7, 2024
This felt like a great starting point if you know nothing. Quick, to the point, and easy to understand. I appreciate the quick-blurb-infographic-heavy format, making it a great reference manual that I plan to keep in my breastfeeding/pumping cart for future reference.
There were a couple repetitive bits and I felt like it could’ve been slightly reorganized but overall good!
There were a couple repetitive bits and I felt like it could’ve been slightly reorganized but overall good!
August 28, 2024
SUPER helpful!
October 28, 2024
Great reference guide... Hope we can remember to use it!
February 20, 2023
Beyond international for new mamas wanting to breast feed!!! I can’t wait to start this journey !!
July 24, 2021
I wish I had read this during my pregnancy rather than after. It was too late to attempt some of the advice. I think it's great for the average mom, especially first-time moms or those who couldn't figure out breastfeeding with their first child.
I'm now realizing that I may have insufficient glandular tissue (IGT) which greatly decreases the ability to breastfeed exclusively. That and my hemorrhage during labor may have limited the amount of milk I can produce, so it was nice reading a book that didn't demonize formula.
I have heard that other more popular books on breastfeeding are kind of harsh about the subject which is ridiculous now that I'm aware that many moms do end up supplementing at some point (or entirely), especially if they go back to work or deal with a health complication as I did.
If I ever have another child then I'll try to use more of the herbal recommendations and recipes.
I think the main advice is to feed every 2 hours or more (cluster feedings). The average woman can follow that, but sometimes a boost is necessary. For some of us, we'll have to supplement every time (the book mentions a supplementation system with a feeding tube and/or nipple shield).
I'm not interested in reading more books on the subject since this is enough unless I find one focused on IGT.
I'm now realizing that I may have insufficient glandular tissue (IGT) which greatly decreases the ability to breastfeed exclusively. That and my hemorrhage during labor may have limited the amount of milk I can produce, so it was nice reading a book that didn't demonize formula.
I have heard that other more popular books on breastfeeding are kind of harsh about the subject which is ridiculous now that I'm aware that many moms do end up supplementing at some point (or entirely), especially if they go back to work or deal with a health complication as I did.
If I ever have another child then I'll try to use more of the herbal recommendations and recipes.
I think the main advice is to feed every 2 hours or more (cluster feedings). The average woman can follow that, but sometimes a boost is necessary. For some of us, we'll have to supplement every time (the book mentions a supplementation system with a feeding tube and/or nipple shield).
I'm not interested in reading more books on the subject since this is enough unless I find one focused on IGT.
April 29, 2022
It was easy to read, which was nice. However, it was a really basic book and it was VERY repetitive. I don’t feel like I actually learned anything from this beyond what I learned reading the first two things on google for “breastfeeding 101”. Would have liked to see information beyond just the most basic surface level things. Also the number of times they mentioned “a pump and LC are covered by your insurance!” Probably filled up about 20 pages. 2 stars only because it was formatted in a way that was easy to follow.
February 5, 2024
Important information is I purchased this book with very high expectations (mostly based on very good online reviews).
There are a lot of useful information (condensed, which is great since the internet is flooded with conflicting advice, especially mum blogs which I (try to) stay away from), what I especially liked is the troubleshooting section, since there is a list of specific problems that can come up during breastfeeding and authors offer advice, solution or at least guidance who to turn to. Index makes it easy to find those - they are formatted as an Q&A. Some information is not applicable to Europe residents.
On the other side, this is not a book that covers breastfeeding A to Z. For example even the information and demonstration of a proper latch which I understood is super important is in my opinion not explained well. I definitely wish some topics would be explained in more detail. That said for first time moms such as myself who have no experience with breastfeeding I found it more useful to purchase an online class (with video demonstrations).
I am however still glad I have the book at home, due to the said troubleshooting tips I can quickly refer to as first step if required.
There are a lot of useful information (condensed, which is great since the internet is flooded with conflicting advice, especially mum blogs which I (try to) stay away from), what I especially liked is the troubleshooting section, since there is a list of specific problems that can come up during breastfeeding and authors offer advice, solution or at least guidance who to turn to. Index makes it easy to find those - they are formatted as an Q&A. Some information is not applicable to Europe residents.
On the other side, this is not a book that covers breastfeeding A to Z. For example even the information and demonstration of a proper latch which I understood is super important is in my opinion not explained well. I definitely wish some topics would be explained in more detail. That said for first time moms such as myself who have no experience with breastfeeding I found it more useful to purchase an online class (with video demonstrations).
I am however still glad I have the book at home, due to the said troubleshooting tips I can quickly refer to as first step if required.
October 26, 2023
This book is AWESOME!! I literally did not have to consult a lactation consultant even once after reading this book! It goes over everything from what to do immediately following birth to breastfeeding your toddler and literally everything in between. Any and all issues you could possibly encounter in your breastfeeding journey are all in here and all have solutions. 10/10 I would highly recommend this to every new mother!! In fact, I’ve already given it as a baby shower gift😆
March 23, 2020
Breastfeeding as a first time Mom is HARD and stressful. I was already super hormonal/emotional after my pregnancy and trying to figure out if I was doing things correctly just added to my new Mom anxiety. A good friend gifted me this book and it was super easy to flip through and locate how to’s and troubleshooting tips written by women who understand!
January 8, 2023
I haven’t had my baby yet, but will in a few days and I am so grateful for this book! I’ve been pretty nervous and even scared at the thought of breastfeeding, but this book has helped me feel more confident. Especially knowing I have a reliable resource to turn to if I have any concerns or questions.
October 15, 2020
Great reference guide. Flipped through and highlighted and bookmarked things I thought will be useful when my daughter arrives next month. I do see myself referencing this early in my breast feeding journey.
February 8, 2021
Overall a good easy read... Did find it repetitive at times (for example: every problem the solution was to reach out to a lactation consultant). I did find that a little annoying. However, there were a few good learning points I enjoyed.
April 26, 2022
It’s been seven years since I last breastfed a baby, so I definitely needed a refresher. I like that this book is concise, easy to read, and very helpful in teaching and troubleshooting all things breastfeeding. Will be referring to this often when my baby is here.
September 27, 2023
Good consise info
I liked the formatting and no nonsense tone.
I'm halfway through pregnancy and trying to learn as much as I can. This book seems like one I will refer to once my kid is born.
I liked the formatting and no nonsense tone.
I'm halfway through pregnancy and trying to learn as much as I can. This book seems like one I will refer to once my kid is born.
July 16, 2024
As a new mom wanting to breastfeed and was told that some mothers find it hard. I found this book. This book helped me navigate through breastfeeding. Through the journey is very different for everyone. This book helped me as it is informative. So many latching positions for you and your baby.
March 19, 2025
Good quick guide that talked about some things my lactation consultant also recommended in person. If something applies to you, you will need to do more outside reading or watch a Youtube to understand the concept better than what the book introduces.
June 24, 2025
Good, basic guide to breastfeeding. Wish I had read this first before anything else--and it would have been helpful to read it in my third trimester of pregnancy, not when my baby is already 12 weeks old :/
July 6, 2025
I’m confused why so many people are saying this in information packed … this is the basic of the basics, put your boob in your babies mouth, if they don’t take it talk to a lactation specialist, is your baby gassy? Talk to a pediatrician. There I summarized the book.
December 28, 2019
Excellent resource for nursing moms! I’ve nursed 3 babies over 4.5 years and actually learned a couple things. This is a must read if you are going to breastfeed.
April 30, 2020
I like
A very quick read! Straight to the point and informative ! Good to know because I am currently breast feeding and formula feeding😊
A very quick read! Straight to the point and informative ! Good to know because I am currently breast feeding and formula feeding😊
May 30, 2020
Helpful, quick guide
I was able to use this a quick reference for issues I may have. I will most likely buy a hard copy of this book.
I was able to use this a quick reference for issues I may have. I will most likely buy a hard copy of this book.
June 6, 2020
Very accessible, just the right amount of detail, fun format, balanced approach
April 21, 2021
This was great. Highly recommend if you don't care about the science and just want suggestions. Very short, 150 pages. Quick and to the point.
July 5, 2021
This book is very helpful for a first time mom in learning what to expect for the world of breastfeeding.
February 13, 2022
A very basic book. It makes statements without explaining the “why” behind them or backing up with research.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews