The Art of Breastfeeding: The Leading Source of Breastfeeding Support and Information by La Leche League International, Pinter & Martin
First published in 1958, this is the ninth edition of the La Leche League publication that supports families with breastfeeding. It is a weighty volume that brings up-to-date information and generations of wisdom to parents. Included in the book are chapters on why it matters, getting started, life with a breastfed baby, managing common challenges, going back to work, sleep and weaning. It’s roughly set out by age of baby (breastfeeding a newborn raises different questions to breastfeeding a toddler) so you can easily access the information you need for a particular stage, though it’s interesting to look ahead when thinking about how long you might breastfeed for.
reading this book makes you feel you’re in safe hands
The book is refreshingly inclusive – “Whether you’re pregnant, adopting, or working with a surrogate, congratulations!” – and it recognises those who don’t identify as mothers and women but who want to feed their children from their bodies. At the same time, it honours those whose female identify is important. This edition includes information for those exclusively pumping, and for those for whom breastfeeding isn’t possible but who want to feed their babies with donated human milk.
I love the acknowledgement of babies’ individual tendencies and the need to consider that each baby will have their own relationship with breastfeeding. It’s a reminder that everyone’s experience will be unique and that you know your baby best.
Reading this book makes you feel you’re in safe hands. The La Leche League community has been going for over 60 years and the authors assure us they have experienced pretty much every possible complication when it comes to breastfeeding. Many of them are addressed in this book and, whatever your experience, you will not feel alone. Topics covered are wide-ranging, from feeding positions, tandem nursing, milk storage, and lactation after loss. There is a really useful chapter on sleep that covers safe bed sharing, among other options.
Although a big book, it is well laid out, with bullet points, illustrations and anecdotes that break up the text. There are stories from parents all over the world and it’s powerful to read about the millions of women globally united in this incredible yet ordinary act. AE
The Pranayama Journal by Singing Dragon, Singing Dragon
If you’ve attended yoga classes, you might already be familiar with the practice of pranayama – a yogic breathing practice. In the classes I’ve attended, we will frequently start with sama vritti (‘equal breathing’), where you try to match the length of your in breath with your out breath. I often use this method – it’s easy to remember! I was also familiar with ujjayi, ‘victorious breath’ or ‘ocean breath’, where you breathe out making a slow ‘haa’ sound, often used in goddess pose. It feels empowering and releasing.
The book starts with simple breathwork and builds on other foundational techniques, before moving on to more advanced methods to try. Although it can be incorporated into yoga practice, pranayama can also be used on its own. Each section has clear instructions for each breath practice, modifications you might experiment with, journaling prompts and a space to add notes so you can keep track of what you find easy or hard, and how each exercise makes you feel.
You can either use this as a reference guide, or as a 28-day pranayama journey, allowing 5 to 15 minutes per day for practice (which makes it feel very accessible!). There’s a plan towards the back of the book, with a visual calendar to keep you on track. This encourages you to experiment with all the different techniques in the book across a month, to help you build your own sustainable practice. I have a couple of new favourites, which I’ve memorised and added to my ‘toolkit’. Sun breath is one, where you link your breath with gentle hand movements. It really puts me back into my body in moments when my mind is racing, and helps regulate the nervous system. Kapalabhati, ‘skull-shining breath’, is another I found really powerful. It’s said that practising this one regularly will “make the forehead luminous”! It involves forceful exhalations through the nose while contracting the abdominal muscles, and feels like a great way to expel pent-up energy.
Although it’s a bit more strenuous than other techniques, it gave me a real lift and I think could be useful on days when I need to shift my energy or focus. The Pranayama Journal is a great resource for anyone who is interested in bringing breathwork into their daily life, and I really like how it helps you to do this through just a few minutes each day. Once you identify the techniques that work best for you, and memorise them, they will be with you for you to call upon whenever you need them. JH
What’s My Tween Thinking: Practical Child Psychology for Modern Parents by Tanith Carey and Dr Angharad Rudkin, DK
I really like this book series, having already read What’s My Child Thinking? and What’s My Teenager Thinking? Each spread in the latest title reflects on a statement a tween might come out with, such as “Nothing’s the matter” or “I want a mobile phone”. There are then different sections
in response: what you might be thinking; what they might be thinking; and how you could respond. What I appreciate is the practical approach. It’s not about panicking and dashing out to get help, but about listening to your tween, validating their feelings and helping them grow as a person to cope with all the issues that will come their way in life. It’s also reassuring to read about what is ‘normal’ at this stage of development – things like young people needing to distance themselves from us as parents so that they can ‘find’ their own identity.
The book is divided into two age ranges, 8–10 and 10–12, and is extremely easy to use. You can either dip in and out of issues or read particular sections in more detail. Inset boxes and illustrations make the key information accessible. Carey and Rudkin are excellent at supporting with empowering, practical approaches for both parents and children, to help us all learn and grow together and cope with the complexities of modern life. SF
Herbs for Children’s Health: How to Make and Use Gentle Herbal Remedies for Common Childhood Ailments by Rosemary Gladstar, Storey Publishing
When Rosemary Gladstar had her son, she drew upon her grandmother’s plant wisdom to create herbal remedies for him when he was unwell. It got her thinking: “Why not a herbal apothecary for every child?” In this book, Gladstar shares safe and gentle herbal recipes that address children’s everyday health needs and common ailments, from colic to cradle cap to nappy rash, earache, colds, cuts and teething. The book isn’t a rejection of allopathic medicine, but it sees it as a system for treating life-threatening illness, pain management and acute symptoms needing to be brought rapidly under control. But these drugs are not without their negative side effects. Gladstar suggests that tried-and-tested natural remedies offer an effective alternative, resolving simple aches and ailments and nourishing the body so it is better able to ward off infection and restore wellness.
the idea of making your own natural remedies reinforces the idea that we can take responsibility for our health
Included in the book is an A to Z of the best herbs for children, their benefits and suggested uses, and a huge range of remedy recipes – syrups, teas and tinctures, oatmeal baths for itching skin, nettle soup as a nourishing meal when recovering from illness, lavender oil for relaxing an anxious child. All are easy to follow and there’s a technical section at the back with information about dosage and quantities.
The idea of making your own natural remedies reinforces the idea that we can take responsibility for our health. What we ingest has a powerful effect on our bodies and we can see all food as supporting wellness. Using this book encourages a close association with plants and nature, an appreciation of the earth, and a more balanced way of living. AE
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Reviews by Alice Ellerby, Jess Hazel and Saffia Farr
Published in issue 93. Accurate at the time this issue went to print.
