A modern guide to breastfeeding your baby
This easy-to-follow illustrated book takes you through the joy and challenges of breastfeeding, from preparing while pregnant to starting feeding your baby in hospital.
With empathetic and caring language, the author - a breastfeeding counsellor - 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 puts a particular focus on the emotional well-being and mental health of mothers, topics often overlooked by other breastfeeding books. With endorsements from breastfeeding consultants, Practical Breastfeeding is the only book you need if you are about to start breastfeeding or if have encountered problems while breastfeeding.
Reviews
'This is an absolutely fabulous book.' - Cathy Monaghan, Senior Paediatric Dietitian
'This beautifully illustrated book provides a wealth of practical guidance backed by science and clinical experience. It is a great resource to read either from cover to cover or to dip into for troubleshooting.' - Dr Anne Doolan, Consultant Neonatologist and IBCLC
'My expectations were completely blown out of the water. The illustrations are so beautiful and so many brought tears to my eyes.' -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.' - Ciara Butler, IBCLC, Midwife, Nurse
O'Byrne, Nicola: - Nicola is a mother of five children, a former neonatal/paediatric nurse, and an IBCLC lactation consultant with over 30 years of experience in breastfeeding. She trained as a breastfeeding counsellor with Cuidiu, a voluntary organisation and became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2005.As well as teaching parents-to-be about breastfeeding and providing 1:1 support once their baby is born, she trains midwives, doctors, public health nurses, doulas, and other lactation consultants and speaks at conferences in Ireland and abroad.
Rebbeck, Lauren: - Lauren Rebbeck is an illustrator, author and mother, with years of experience creating artwork for lactation specialists, NHS maternity trusts, midwifery journals, independent midwives and maternity co-operatives. Lauren creates relatable imagery to bridge the gap between maternity service and parents: using her illustrations to showcase the inspiring skills and compassion of midwives and birth workers, whilst acknowledging the transformative highs, lows and challenges of new parents. An advocate for inclusion, equity and representation, Lauren strives to depict under-represented or marginalised communities within her illustrations. Lauren's work depicts the ideals of safe birth and postnatal care for all.
Whelan, Caoimhe: - Caoimhe is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) working in private practice in Dublin, Ireland. Prior to qualifying as an IBCLC, she was a voluntary breastfeeding supporter with Cuidiu (the Irish equivalent of the National Childbirth Trust) for eight years. In her 15+ years of volunteering and working in private practice, Caoimhe has always been passionate about providing individualised support to parents and helping them to have an experience of breastfeeding or lactation that they are happy with.Caoimhe is particularly interested in women's and parents' lived experiences of breastfeeding and transitioning to motherhood. In 2023, she graduated from University College Dublin with an MSc. in research. She studied women's experiences of breastfeeding with primary low milk supply and her findings were published in Breastfeeding Medicine and International Breastfeeding Journal. Caoimhe is an accomplished speaker and has presented at many national and national breastfeeding conferences, including the International Lactation Consultant Association conference, GOLD Lactation, iLactation, the New Zealand Lactation Consultant Association conference, and the Lactation Consultants of Great Britain conference.
