A fully-illustrated, modern guide to breastfeeding your baby

Help is at hand for parents who want to breastfeed, thanks to this unique colour guide.

Many Western mothers try to breastfeed but stop, frustrated, after a few weeks or months. This illustrated contemporary book takes parents through the joy and challenges of breastfeeding, telling them everything you need to know. With empathetic and caring language, it deals with such key issues as feeding frequency, latching, mastitis, and cracked nipples.

Uniquely, Practical Breastfeeding represents women and birthing people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, abilities, and gender identities. It is designed to appeal to a generation of parents who have started to turn to (sometimes unreliable) posts on Instagram for bite-sized pieces of information, conveyed through words, pictures and eye-pleasing design.

The author, an experienced lactation consultant, puts a particular focus on the emotional well-being and mental health of mothers, topics often overlooked by other (overwhelmingly text-based) breastfeeding books. With endorsements from breastfeeding consultants, Practical Breastfeeding is poised to become a durable classic in parenting books.

Reviews

'This is an absolutely fabulous book. It covers everything and it is so wonderfully inclusive in every possible way. It has a beautiful uplifting feel about it and balances the benefits with the struggles so beautifully – I think any mum would feel empowered after reading it and know that it is OK to find it hard, but know that it will pass. The illustrations are great – I giggled at the social media breastfeeding yogi!' – Cathy Monaghan, Senior Paediatric Dietitian

'This beautifully illustrated book provides a wealth of practical guidance backed by science and clinical experience delivered in an accessible and inclusive way. It is a great resource to read either from cover to cover or to dip into for troubleshooting and includes information about pumping, medications, supplementation at the breast, mental health and navigating social media. I would recommend this book to all on their breastfeeding journey.' – Dr Anne Doolan, Consultant Neonatologist and IBCLC

'My expectations were completely blown out of the water by 'Practical Breastfeeding'. There is no corner of breastfeeding left unexplored, in a simple understandable way. The illustrations are so beautiful and inclusive and so many brought tears to my eyes. The myth-busting and promotion of normal newborn behaviour is such a welcome sight in a world where things are pathologised and capitalised on so often. Looking back on my own journeys, three feeding experiences and a loss (I love how this is included) I can't tell you how valuable this would have been to me, everything is covered. I will recommend this to all of my doula clients, friends and family and anyone I interact with who expresses a desire or curiosity about breastfeeding. Huge well done to Caoimhe, Lauren and Nicola on such a work of art.' – Pamela-Jane Davis, Birth Doula and Pre/Postnatal Pilates Instructor

'This book is amazing! The illustrations are beautiful, the language is so inclusive, and it covers everything you might want to know about breastfeeding, from conception right through to birth, weaning and sleep. The book is just so stunning. It explains everything so well. If you are looking for a book to buy as a gift or for yourself, that talks about everything to do with breastfeeding, then this is for you.' – Ciara Butler, IBCLC, Midwife, Nurse