I normally do not do in-depth reviews of books that expired before I read it all, but given the timing of this book and what I did manage to get through when I had the book, it is one I had to talk about!

This is a book that is mentioned in the introduction as a must have for women who plan to breastfeed either as part or the whole of the regime. I have been feeding almost exclusively for a while since my delivery and have had my ups and downs with regards to the experience. Mostly it’s been positive. There are certain advantages to listening to age old practices with regards to diet, because it definitely helped me make and provide more milk.

This book is for almost everything else. It is a comprehensive book, one that I would recommend women read even before or instead of ‘what to expect..’.

I will not go into the technical details except to say helpful diagrams and scientific facts accompany a lot of the text making it easy to peruse and find what exactly one is looking for.

I would highly recommend circulating this book as and when a woman is pregnant and expresses a desire to feed initially.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience and my experience with breastfeeding itself.

I found this book to be very well written and informative.

The format is easy to understand, the information is very factual and the chapters are well organized. I think is a great book for mothers to be, but also for fathers. It explains everything you may need to know, and if you think that you don't need a book about nursing, let me tell you, there are so many things I didn't expect.

This book is a great resource: informative, specific, and thorough. This book is so rich with resources from diagrams to website links for videos to help mothers feel confident about nursing. For moms-to-be who want to at least try breastfeeding, it has just about everything you could ever need to know about feeding your baby and more (dealing with colic, etc.). I am a second-time mom and found it useful even as a refresher. For me, the appendices and reviews of different pumps were especially helpful.

I caution readers to take some things in the book with a grain of salt. While I certainly want to breastfeed, language such as "failed" and "gave up" when referring to moms who switch to exclusively pumping (referred to as an "artificial" feeding method) or formula is unhelpful. It likely only increases the sense of shame and failure of moms who probably gave their best effort and are already having a difficult time. (Later on, the author does give helpful information about exclusive pumping, which I appreciated.) Sometimes, epidurals and early inductions need to happen for medical reasons. There is a better way to provide information on the way these interventions could impact breastfeeding than with such hurtful language. I also find it dangerous to recommend bed-sharing, though the author provides alternatives like a bedside bassinet.

Overall, this is still a fantastic resource!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC; this review contains my honest opinions.

Four babies in five years, and nursing was a BIG part of our plan. I wish I had this book at the beginning of my motherhood journey. It was absolutely beautifully written, and so informative. It wasn’t overwhelming but explained things so well. I loved the way it was laid out, and my husband enjoyed it and it helped him understand a lot of what I had been trying to put into words. I think every mom should leave the hospital with this book for that fourth trimester there is never enough help with. Wonderful book! Highly recommend to all moms!

Great resource

I very much value this book. As netgalley only provided an acsm format, I was forced to read on my phone, which was not very enjoyable, and thus only read the chapters that currently interest me most. I very much enjoyed these. Great information, presented in a precise and open manner. A great resource for breastfeeding mothers.

This is an informative read with good information for nursing mothers and expectant mothers. This features a variety of subject matters to assist in a better breast feeding experience as well as manage post partum health and wellness.

As a IBCLC, RLC of 25+ years (now retired) I can say Kathleen Huggins's "Nursing Mother's Companion" is a book I have recommended to hundreds of women. This book's easy to use format written in a compassionate voice is the perfect book for mothers to be, or new mothers. It covers all the topics a new mom needs to know. From how to breastfeed, how and when to introduce foods, going back to work and pumping, as well as different ways to wean your baby. But the best part of this book, and the reason why I recommend it so much is because of this most important section. "How to survive", the first week, second week, and so on. A new mom just has a simple section to read for each new week. For any new sleep deprived mom who experiencing pain during feeding, and concerned about if their baby is getting enough to eat, to "is this normal". This book will be a lifesaver.