The Early Weeks of Breastfeeding: Excerpt from Working and Breastfeeding Made Simple: Volume 2

If you’re reading this, chances are you are planning (or have already begun) to breastfeed. Why do you need this book? First, you’ll find tips and insights that can simplify your life and make the process less confusing. Second, despite the glut of information available, without some inside knowledge, you’re unlikely to meet your breastfeeding goals. I chose this book’s content to help you avoid the experience of most women. A 2012 study found that two thirds of American mothers who wanted to exclusively breastfeed for three months didn’t (Perrine, Scanlon, Li, Odom, & Grummer-Strawn, 2012). Employed mothers-especially those working full time-are even less likely to reach their breastfeeding targets than other mothers (Ogbuanu, Glover, Probst, Hussey, & Liu, 2011). In every developed country around the world, breastfeeding rates drop quickly after birth. Even in areas where new mothers receive many months of paid maternity leave, such as the U.K., breastfeeding rates plummet during the early weeks. But before I say more about the challenges and how this book can help you avoid and overcome them, I’d like to share with you the latest on why breastfeeding matters so much to you and your baby. Table of Contents Intro Birth and Early Breastfeeding How to Hand Express Milk Resources References Excerpts are taking from the book Working and Breastfeeding Made Simple. There are a total of 4 WBMS Mini’s in this series.